Wednesday, January 12, 2011

UN committee condemns rights abuses in Burma .

Chittagong, Bangladesh: A United Nations General Assembly rights committee condemned human rights violations by Burma’s ruling military junta on November 18, according to an Assembly report.

A resolution issued by the committee said it "strongly condemns the ongoing systematic violations of human rights and fundamental freedom of the people of Burma (Myanmar)."

The General Assembly's human rights committee urged Burma's military junta to follow up by releasing all political prisoners, "currently estimated at more than 2,100."

The UN Security Council also met Thursday, behind closed doors, for a briefing by Vijay Nambiar, the secretary-general's special envoy to Burma.

The General Assembly passed a similar resolution on Burma (Myanmar) last year. This year's document expresses "regret" that last year's was ignored.

The vote on Burma (Myanmar) was 96 in favour with 28 against and 60 abstentions. Among those voting against, in addition to Burma, were Algeria, Cambodia, China, Russia, Cuba, North Korea, Egypt, India and Iran.

Philippe Bolopion, Human Rights Watch's UN advocacy director, called for a commission of inquiry to look into possible crimes against humanity by the military regime as a way to give teeth to the resolution.

"Such a commission …would make military commanders of all sides think twice before committing further atrocities," he said.

A key UN committee strongly condemned human rights violations in Burma (Myanmar) and sharply criticized the country's first election in 20 years for restricting opposition parties and candidates, including pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, according to an Associated Press report.

The draft strongly regretted that the government did not hold free, fair, transparent and inclusive elections, and called on the government to lift restrictions on the freedom of assembly, association, movement and freedom of expression, including for free and independent media, and ending the use of censorship.

The representative of Belgium, on behalf of the European Union said, “The resolution was an important part of international engagement with Myanmar regarding human rights. It was a matter of deep regret that, despite calls from the international community, steps had not been taken by the government to ensure free, fair and inclusive elections on 7 November. There had been a number of irregularities. Without progress on human rights, there could not be reconciliation in Myanmar. Regular discussions had taken place with the country concerned, and parts of the text were revised accordingly. A consensual approach would have been preferred, but such an outcome could not be achieved.”

Myanmar's UN Ambassador Than Swe defended the election, which is part of the government's roadmap to democracy, and told the committee "the resolution has no moral authority."

Than Swe said that the draft was seriously flawed in both substance and procedure, describing it as totally unbalanced and unacceptable, and based on hearsay and allegations from disparate groups opposed to the government and from remnants of insurgents.

He added that Myanmar had made progress on a number of fronts over the past two decades; peace and stability now prevailed in almost all corners of the country.

“The general election on 7 November had taken place smoothly and peacefully, with no reports of violence. The majority of eligible voters had turned out to elect representatives of their own choice. The election had been acknowledged by Myanmar’s neighbors and friendly countries as a step forward in the implementation of its seven-step roadmap to democracy,” the representative of Myanmar said.

“Myanmar was now in the final stages of its transformation into a democratic state; immoral and unjust pressure, as well as naming and blaming, would only be a disservice. It was unreasonable to turn a blind eye to developments and to put forward such an intrusive resolution that infringed on Myanmar’s sovereignty. The draft was essentially a Western-sponsored resolution that obviously attempted to interfere in the internal affairs of a developing country. It did not represent the views of all Member countries. A recorded vote was requested,” the representative of Myanmar said.

But Philippe Bolopion, UN advocacy director for Human Rights Watch, said the vote "should make clear to the Burmese regime that most of the world saw through its sham election and the release of Aung San Suu Kyi, cynically designed to divert attention from continued military rule" and continued detention of political prisoners.

Draft resolutions addressing human rights situations in two other countries, Iran and the Democratic people’s Republic of Korea, were also approved by the committee, amid a barrage of objections by many delegations, which maintained that the freshly constituted Human Rights Council was the correct forum to address such concerns.

Several delegations, mindful of the fact that all three drafts had been initiatives of developed countries, protested that the texts also represented an attempt to interfere in the internal affairs of Member States, which was contrary to the principles set out in the United Nations Charter and were politically motivated with no bearing on or real interest in human rights.

The draft would request the secretary-general to continue to provide his good offices and to pursue his discussions on the situation of human rights, the transition to democracy and the national reconciliation process with the government and the people of Burma; to give all necessary assistance to enable the Special Adviser and the Special Rapporteur to discharge their mandates fully and effectively; and to report to the General Assembly at its sixty-sixth session, as well as to the Human Rights Council, on progress made.

Additionally, it would decide to review progress of the implementation of the present resolution when continuing the consideration of the question at its sixty-sixth session, on the basis of the reports of the Secretary-General and the Special Rapporteur.

The representative of New Zealand, on the other hand, said that the Assembly had a mandate to consider human rights situations; it had adopted such resolutions for more than 30 years, and countries that had been subjects of such resolutions had since become strong defenders of human rights.

The representative of China voiced opposition to country-specific resolutions aimed at developing countries; her counterpart from Angola, speaking on behalf of the African Group, said the Committee should be a forum for dialogue, not criticism.

The representative of Portugal, on behalf of the European Union, said the draft was an urgent appeal from the international community to the government of Burma to show full respect for the human rights of its people. The human rights situation had deteriorated since the last time the Assembly considered the issue in Burma, and although some positive steps had been taken by the government recently, the Assembly could not remain silent on the issue.

Burma's representative said the vote had demonstrated the divisive nature of country-specific resolutions. He said his country would reject the resolution "and will not be bound by it."

Burmese Army soldier shoots dead Rohingya youth .

Buthidaung, Arakan State: A soldier of the Burmese Army shot dead a Rohingya youth on October 25 in Buthidaung Township as he was sitting in a local sentry camp, said a military aide who declined to be named.

The victim was identified as Nurul Islam (25) from Kyun Pauk village in upper Bogali.

A local elder said the shooting occurred in Bogali village when a military patrol from Battalion 535 approached Nurul Islam and two friends, who were sitting in the sentry camp.

At the sight of the soldiers they fled fearing harassment. One of the soldiers fired a shot at the youths as they ran.

Nurul Islam was struck in the head by the bullet and died on the spot. His two companions managed to escape.

The soldiers refused to hand over the body to the victim’s relatives and instead brought it back to the headquarters of Battalion 365, where the body was eventually buried.

“The soldiers knew that the youths only fled because they were afraid of them,” said a local elder. “Why would the soldier fire on them? It means that the soldiers do not regard innocent Rohingyas any more than they would a simple ant,” said an elder from Bogali village.

Authorities block education for Rohingya community .

Maungdaw, Arakan State: Authorities in Arakan State have arbitrarily blocked Rohingya students from continuing their studies, said a school teacher who asked not to be named.

“Last year in Maungdaw, about 100 high school students passed their matriculation examinations. Three students passed their subjects with distinction, including two from the Rohingya community,” the teacher said.

“But though they got the same total marks and had the same qualifications, one of the Rohingya students was not allowed to enter medical school, while a Rakhine student was admitted.”

Educational authorities declared that Mohamed Sadak, from roll number DAMA 410 having received total marks of 480 did not qualify to attend medical school, while a Rakhine student who had the same marks was admitted, the teacher said.

Besides, a committee selected Ma Thida as an outstanding student (Luraychun) in the eighth form of Maungdaw State Middle School, but the District Peace and Development Council (DPDC) Chairman Htum Naing Linn stopped her from joining the student programme and examinations in Akyab for Arakan State because she is from the Rohingya community, according to a member of the selection committee.

According to the US religious freedom report 2010, Muslims in Rakhine state, particularly those of the Rohingya minority group, continue to experience the severest forms of legal, economic, educational, and social discrimination. Although essentially treated as illegal foreigners, Rohingya were not issued Foreigner Registration Cards (FRCs). Since they also were not generally eligible for NRCs, Rohingya have been commonly referred to as "stateless."

“Without citizenship status Rohingyas did not have access to secondary education in state-run schools. Those Muslim students from Rakhine state who completed high school were not permitted to travel outside the state to attend college or university. Authorities continued to bar from graduating Muslim university students who did not possess NRCs. These students were permitted to attend classes and sit for examinations, but they could not receive diplomas unless they claimed a "foreign" ethnic minority affiliation. Rohingyas also were unable to obtain employment in any civil service positions. Rohingya couples must also obtain government permission to marry,” the report stated

Reports of forced labour increase after elections .


Maungdaw, Arakan State: Officers of Burma’s border security force, Nasaka have been coercing villagers in Maungdaw Township to work on a road project along the Burma-Bangladesh border fence area in greater numbers following the national elections earlier this month, said a village leader on condition of anonymity.

The village leader said that Lieutenant Aung Myo Sein from Nasaka headquarters in Maungdaw Township urged residents from Maung Ni Para, who have prawn cultivation ponds to provide 10 labourers daily to work on the road beginning November 27, offering 2,000 kyats per day for each worker.

However, Zahir (28) a village youth said that in practice the wages are rarely paid. He added that he and another Abdul Manan (45) were detained and put in stocks for several hours after questioning an officer about the unpaid wages.

Villagers from other areas of Maungdaw Township have reported that Nasaka officers have forced residents to pay up to 10,000 kyats per household to fund the road project.

A village elder said that in some areas, one man from each household has been required to work on the road, while also supplying his own food for up to 10 consecutive days.

The elder added that funds to pay workers had already been disbursed by the general engineering (GE) team in charge of the road to Mazi (labour leaders) and the Village Peace and Development Council (VPDC) at a rate of 2,000 kyats per day, but most of the money never reached the labourers.

The Nasaka Area 6 commander in Maungdaw Township secured the contract for building the road, according to a Nasaka aide who declined to be named, and that the project had been divided into several plots.

The aide however, added, that while the commander received between 40,000 and 50,000 kyats per plot, only about 24,000 kyats were being paid out to relevant authorities for the plots.

In southern Maungdaw, Nasaka officers have reportedly forced residents to work on a border fence project, requiring villages to provide one member per household for the work since November 26 and threatening legal action for all who refuse.

A village elder in Maungdaw said that Major Aung Hinn Zaw, sector commander of Area 8, has initiated a dam project on the Myint Hlut stream for the purpose of prawn cultivation to benefit the border security force, but that he has told local residents that it will help with paddy cultivation for area villages and sought labourers from surrounding villages by threatening to impose fines if anyone refuses.

Authorities resume charging Rohingyas for family documents .

.Maungdaw, Arakan State: Authorities in Maungdaw have resumed collecting household family lists among Rohingya communities and charging fees for the documentation, said a local elder from Maungdaw.

“Authorities from the immigration department, village authorities and members of the border security force, Nasaka are going from house to house collecting lists of names,” the elder said.

“They started collecting the information shortly after the November 7 election.”

The elder added that in Maungdaw Township, there are six blocks under municipal control and only in Block 4, where most of the residents are not Rohingyas, that officials are not collecting lists and charging money.
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A resident from Block 4 said the area’s head, Htun Nyo, is collecting lists and charging 5,000 kyats per family only from Rohingya residents.

“The headman is a migrant from Barisal in Bangladesh who has been here since the time of the Burma Socialist Program Party (BSPP) and has a reputation for harassing the Rohingya community in his block and extorting money,” the resident said.

“Block 4 was mostly paddy fields belong to Maungdaw big mosque, and the authorities settled a lot of people here from the Rakhine community back when I was in high school in Maungdaw town,” said a former student from Rangoon University. “Now it has big concrete houses and big trees.”

Blocks 1 and 3 each have mixed communities, but there is no money being collected from the Rohingya community, said a village authority member.

“But we don’t know what is happening in the rural areas where most of the Rohingya community lives or whether authorities are charging money from them for household family lists,” the village authority said, adding that it was likely the regular harassment that happens when authorities need to raise money.

Nasaka accused of cheating workers on road project .

.Maungdaw, Arakan State: A commander in Burma’s border security force Nasaka in Area 5 of Maungdaw Township has been accused of cheating villagers out of wages earned for work done on a road construction project, according to a school teacher from the area.

Major Than Naing, Nasaka commander of Area 5, and his officers have been accused of coercing villagers to work on a road-building project along the Bangladesh-Burma border but refusing to pay workers for their labor.

One local village leader said that the general engineering team in charge of the project had already disbursed money to Nasaka commanders in the amount of 2,000 kyats per day for each worker, but that authorities were only paying 700 kyats per day and keeping the rest.

Nasaka’s Area 5 camp controls 10 villages, which include Nan Chaung, Pawet Chaung, Myaw Taung, Dagri Za, Sarawet, Longa Daung, Redwin Chaung, Kyar Gung Taung (Rabeila), Rekwet Chaung Kwason and Zin Bin Nya.

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Nasaka continues to use forced labor on road project .

Maungdaw, Arakan State: Officials from Burma’s border security force Nasaka have continued to conscript forced labor in Area 5 since November 17 in order to build a new road along the Burma-Bangladesh border, said a local traded on condition of anonymity.

Nasaka has been forcing local residents to work on the road despite already having received money from the general engineering department for construction.

The border security force controls 22 villages in Area 5, and it has extracted laborers from each village to work on the road, the trader said.

Nasaka officials have issued plots of land to each household on which they are required to construct sections of the road. They are given 20,000 kyats to complete the work, but more than 50,000 kyats are needed to pay for the construction.

The excess money is being skimmed off and kept by Nasaka officers, the trader said, adding that no one knows how much the general engineering department has given Nasaka for each section of the road.

If any village household does not want to provide a suitable laborer, they can pay 10,000 kyats. If they do not have the money, they are forced to give up one family member for 10-day shifts, during which they must provide their own food.

Nasaka officers have been instructed to arrest family members who refuse to work or pay money, for the purpose of extorting money for their release, said a local elder.

The villages of Tha Oo Hla, Myaw Taung, Tharat Oh, Darr Gri Zar, Borgozo Bill, Retwin Chaung, Lone Gha Daung, Kyagong Taung, U Shekya, Zimbon Nga and Nanchaung of Maungdaw Township have provide forced labor for road construction along the Burma- Bangladesh border.

Illegal bamboo exports lead to shortages in Arakan .

.Maungdaw, Arakan State: Residents of northern Arakan State are facing a shortage of bamboo because local authorities and their agents are exporting larger quantities to Bangladesh, according to a local elder from Ngakura village.

“Every day, the agents with the help of authority have been sending bamboo to Bangladesh for their profit,” the elder said.

“We are paying 300 kyats for one piece of bamboo, and most residents are not able to afford enough bamboo to suit their needs,” he said.

One farmer from Aleythankyaw village in Maungdaw said he was unable to afford enough to make a granary to store his paddy.

“Most villagers are not even able to canopy their homes because of the high price of bamboo in Maungdaw,” he added.

One village authority said each year officials make agreements with agents, who pay them large amounts of money to export bamboo to Bangladesh, where they can earn higher profits.

Agents have also prevented residents from gathering their own bamboo and forced them to buy direct at a higher price, villagers said.

Children vulnerable to disease in unofficial refugee camp .



Kutupalong, Bangladesh: Rohingya refugee children living in the unregistered Kutupalong camp face major health risks, said a camp leader who asked not to be named.


Children are plying near block drainage
“Most children are suffering from malaria, diarrhea, pneumonia, fever and skin diseases,” the camp leader said.

He blamed the spread of disease on poor sanitation resulting from bad drainage in the camp, which he said was supervised by the NGO, Action Against Hunger, known internationally as Action Contra la Faim, or ACF International.

The camp leader said he had complained to ACF about blocked drainage and requested the spraying of insecticide to kill mosquitoes and other disease-bearing pests, the group said they were barred from helping by Bangladesh authorities.

“But if any high officer from ACF visited the camp, field workers would clean the drains and spray medicine,” said camp resident Mohamed Anno. “It only depends on the field officers and staff.”

He added that there were more than 100 children suffering from various diseases in the unofficial camp.


illchild from unregistered refugee camp
Officials from the ACF distributed soap to camp residents more than six months ago under a program to promote better hygiene through hand-washing. However, the program has been continued in local villages near the camp.

One camp resident identified only as Anowara, said an officer from ACF told refugees in at Kutupalong that the group had no funds to continue the program at the camp.

Meanwhile, Médecins Sans Frontières, or MSF Holland, has been providing health services to local villagers and Kutupalong camp residents, but local villagers have been given priority care, according to one camp resident suffering from malaria.

“We wait for treatments in the MSF clinic, but the staffs give first priority to local villagers, and the refugees have to wait until later.”

Rohingya refugees living in the unofficial Kutupalong camp get no other outside assistance except what has been available through ACF and MSF Holland, said a member of a refugee watchdog group near the Burmese border, adding that both groups have become unwilling to continue assistance.

More than 40,000 refugees live in makeshift huts with plastic sheeting for roofs. They are largely confined to the camp and are prohibited from leaving to find work.

Nayapara camp commemorates Human Rights Day .


Teknaf, Bangladesh: World Human Rights Day was commemorated in the Nayapara refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar district on December 10, with renewed calls for the protection of human rights among Rohingya communities, said a refugee teacher from the camp.

The theme of the event focused on the work of human rights defenders who act to end discrimination.

The events in Nayapara camp were organized by Technical Assistance Incorporated and (TAI) and Reasearch, Training and Management International (RTM) with support from the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

Celebrations began at about 10am and included discussions and rallies by refugees in the camp. Habi Ullah, a teacher in the camp, and Zaia-ur-Rahman delivered speeches about protecting women’s rights and stopping violence against women.

On official from TAI told attendees to make greater efforts to raise issues of human rights violations and acts of discrimination in letters to social networking sites, newspaper and online editors, at political debates and in classrooms, as well as finding new platforms to air concerns about human rights.

An RTM official urged attendees to “share your knowledge about human rights issues with family members, friends and colleagues”.

Other discussions emphasized addressing the rights of women and empowerment programs to improve their human rights status and urged both men and women to join others as human rights defenders, whose basic characteristics are an understanding of what is right and what is wrong.

A dramatic skit followed the addresses, in which refugee students performed plays highlighting the problem of violence against women.

Prizes and certificates were distributed to performers, said another teacher from the camp. The day’s events concluded at about 2pm.

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Arbitrary arrests increase in Maungdaw .

Maungdaw, Arakan State: Two Maungdaw district police officers have been accused by a local Rohingya leader of arbitrarily arresting and torturing Rohingyas on charges of drug trafficking, and releasing them only after they pay a bribe.

The leader, who asked not to be named, identified the officers as Assistant Sub Inspector Aung Khin Than and Corporal Maung Chay, who have close relationships with the district police chief.

The two officers wearing civilian clothes were stationed near a petrol shop near the clock tower in Maungdaw and harassed members of the Rohingya community coming to town from rural areas, said a local businessman.

“Whenever we complain to authorities, no action is taken. Corporal Maung Chay is close to the district police chief and is allowed to do whatever he wants,” the businessman said.

“Maung Chay has a lot of assets in town and has served in his post for more than 10 years, during which he has looted the Rohingya community by falsely accusing them.”

Earlier this week, the two officers went to arrest a man called Sultan in Maungni village at 3pm without an arrest warrant and tried to search his home on suspicion of drug violations without informing village authorities or personnel of Burma’s border security force Nasaka.

The man, Sultan was not at home, and the officers tried to force their way past female members of the man’s family, who blocked the officers from entering, said a local villager.

“While the officers tried to enter, the female family members pushed them away and tensions became high as neighboring villagers gathered around the officers.”

The officers called for assistance from district police, who saved them from the villagers. Twenty officers arrived and arrested the four female family members, who were detained for an hour before being released.

“District police handed the female family members over to the village head,” said the villager.

A local school teacher said that police and Nasaka personnel often arrest well-to-do Rohingyas by fabricating charges and take them into custody for torture in order to extract money from family members.

Religious leader beaten in Kutupalong camp by drunken villager .

Ukhiya, Bangladesh: A religious leader at the unregistered Kutupalong makeshift camp was assaulted by local villagers on December 14, said a refugee from the camp.

A villager living near the camp and identified only as Kholil entered the camp after getting drunk and began harassing camp residents, and the religious leader from Block A, identified as Moulana Yousuf, 30, confronted the man for his misbehavior.

A relative of the Moulana Yousuf said the drunken Kholil responded by beating him in front of the camp mosque.

Other refugees rushed to the spot to intervene, but no action was taken against the drunken assailant.

“We did not beat him because it would cause difficulties for the unregistered refugees in the future,” said one camp resident.

He added that local youths often enter the unregistered camp and harass refugee women and girls.

Ancient Muslim cemetery demolished by military regime .










Chittagong, Bangladesh: A 124 year-old Muslim cemetery was demolished by the Burmese military regime’s Engineers’ Corps from Pegu Division on December 16, 2010, according to a statement issued by the Burmese Muslim Association (MBA).

The ancient Muslim cemetery was situated near the Rangoon-Mandalay highway road. It had been donated in 1886 by the Satshin Justice (U Rasul Bauk) to bury Muslims who died from incidents on the highway, and was situated together with an ancient mosque to perform prayers, a religious school for Muslim children, and several tombs of saints who had spent their entire lives in religious services, the statement said.

The military regime, then called the Burmese Socialist Program Party (BSPP), banned burying dead bodies in the cemetery on April 22, 1987, and the performing of all other Islamic religious services have been completely banned since 2005, the statement reported. “From 2002 to 2005, the military regime partly demolished the cemetery.”

“Local authorities issued a notice to the cemetery’s trustee members to hand over the keys to the local authorities before 15 June 2010, but the trustees decided to resist the order of local authorities,” according to a member of the trustees. “Then the municipality and military bulldozers started to demolish the walls without prior notice on December 16 at 3 p.m.”

The land was registered as religious property and approved by the regime’s own law, the trustee said.

The SPDC mentions in law 9/98 that if any building is listed as historical property, removal, evacuation, and demolition are prohibited. SPDC law protects such property by law, which is mentioned in Act (2), Paragraph b-4.

Muslims from Pegu and the village neighboring the cemetery were angered by this clearly illegal crime of the military regime. However, this action is in line with the usual practice of the military regime since they took power in 1962; all the minorities believe that they have been discriminated against and persecuted by the regime, according to a local resident from Pegu.

Muslims in Pegu are now preparing for retaliation against the authorities if they move forward with plans to demolish the Islamic religious school located in the cemetery grounds, the local said.

The five major Muslim organizations in Burma are appealing to the authorities regarding this incident, the MBA stated.

A former NLD youth leader from Pegu, Ko Myo Win, is preparing to file the details of this matter to the NLD and the ILO, and the Muslims are seeking the help of Daw Aung San Su Kyi to resolve this matter, the statement concluded.

Languishing released Rohingya prisoner dies at Chittagong Medical College Hospital

Chittagong, Bangladesh: A languishing released Rohingya prisoner from Cox’s Bazaar Jail died of complications from diseases in Chittagong Medical College Hospital yesterday, said Rofiqul Hider, jailer of Chittagong Jail.

The deceased was identified as Dil Mohamed (61), son of the late Abul Kashim, who hailed from Sindiprang Village of Buthidaung Township, Arakan State, Burma.

The Teknaf Police arrested Dil Mohamed on December 7, 2002 on charges of smuggling. Following his arrest he was sent to Cox’s Bazaar Jail on December 17.

After serving his five year term, the Cox’s Bazaar Court ordered him to be released and repatriated to Burma on October 23, 2007. However, neither authorities of the Burmese government nor his relatives approached the jail to receive Dil Mohamed. He was kept in jail until his death on December 21, 2010.

Several days prior to his death Dil Mohamed was known to be suffering from complications from diseases, so he was transferred to the Chittagong Jail for treatment on December 11, 2010. After arrival in Chittagong, he was immediately admitted to the Chittagong Medical College Hospital for treatment, Rofiqul Hider added.

On December 20, hospital authorities discharged him following treatment. One day later he was admitted to the hospital again because his condition began deteriorating. Dil Mohamed died in the hospital one hour after his arrival on December 21.

No authorities of the Burmese government received any Muslim Rohingya citizen of Burma, and Dil Mohamed was also a victim of discrimination, said a businessman in Chittagong.

On the Bangladesh-Burma border, the arrest of Burmese citizens on charges of illegal entry is common. Therefore, many Burmese citizens— mostly Rohingyas—are languishing in various jails of Bangladesh.

Due to a lack of advocacy on behalf of prisoners, there are many released prisoners who must stay in jails even after they have completed their terms. A strong Rohingya political organization is necessary to work for the welfare of Rohingyas in exile, said a Rohingya politician.

Youth shot by Nasaka for avoiding arrest .

Maungdaw, Arakan State: A Rohingya youth was shot by Burma’s border security force, the Nasaka, for escaping from custody following arrest today at about 1:30 a.m., said a relative of the victim who declined to be named.

The victim has been identified as Abdal Hussain (20), son of Khadu Ra, who hails from Nari Bill Village of Maungdaw Township.

The Nasaka officer did not shoot to kill, but used his weapon only to frighten the escapee by firing over the head, an aide of the officer said.

However, villagers said that the action was an attempted murder, and the youth was lucky not to be hit. Nasaka officers are not overly concerned about the killing of Rohingya people as there is little or no action taken against the perpetrators of crimes against Rohingyas.

A group of Nasaka officers from the Nari Bill West Outpost Camp went to the house of Abdal Hussain early this morning to arrest Hussain over the allegation that he was in the possession of a mobile phone set.

While Hussain was being transported to the Nasaka camp, he managed to run away from the officers. The victim was then shot at by one of the Nasaka officers with three rounds of bullets. However, he was not hit and managed to escape. Currently, he is in hiding to avoid arrest.

A local schoolteacher said, “The Nasaka do not have any more respect for the life of a Rohingya than they do for the life of an ant.”

According to local villagers, Hussain has no mobile phone. They claim he would not have been able to purchase a mobile set as he is very poor. The villagers believe that the allegation was fabricated by local Nasaka collaborators. The collaborators were provided mobile phones by the Nasaka to relay information regarding the villagers.

The Nasaka officers of the Nari Bill West Outpost Camp frequently disturb the local villagers and extort money by creating false allegations. A higher authority is needed to look into this matter deeply and objectively, said a village elder on condition of anonymity.

Officer collects tolls from makeshift camp’s shops

Ukhiya, Cox’s Bazaar: A police officer at Kutupalong Refugee Camp has been collecting tolls from small shops and harassing the unregistered refugees of an adjacent makeshift camp since December 15, said a shopkeeper from the camp.

Officer Zanial Ubdin of Kutupalong Official Camp ordered all shops where the refugees sell rice, biscuits, and other items inside the makeshift camp to be closed, unless they are able to pay a toll.

The officer has been performing his duties at Kutuaplong Camp for a little over one month. Since beginning his job, Officer Zanial Ubdin, accompanied by police personnel, routinely enters the makeshift camp to harass and arrest refugees that he meets.

The officer has demanded shopkeepers in the unofficial camp pay 500 Taka each for the right to open their shops. If any shopkeeper is unable to pay the required amount, they are not allowed to operate their shop, said a camp committee member who asked not to be named.

The committee member said that shopkeepers only earn a very small profit from selling their goods. “Where they will get an extra 500 Taka to pay the camp police every month?”

A refugee said on condition of anonymity that Officer Zainal Ubdin frequently visits the makeshift camp at night and rebukes the refugees without any reason.

He also said, “We live in the Kutupalong makeshift camp under extreme pressure from the authorities because we are not recognized by the UNHCR or the Bangladeshi government.

Security force extracts 700,000 kyat from woman who sought medical treatment .

Maungdaw, Arakan State: On December 29, Burma’s Border Security Force (Nasaka) extracted 700,000 kyat from a patient who went to Bangladesh for medical treatment with permission, but returned from Bangladesh after the agreed upon time, said a local businessman on condition of anonymity.

The patient was identified as Ms. Khotiza Begum (50), the wife of ex-school teacher Abul Abas, from Kyauk Hlagaar Village of Maungdaw Township.

Ms. Begum went to Bangladesh on November 10, 2010 for medical treatment for her diabetic condition. She took with her the necessary documents from the concerned authorities, but only received permission for a seven-day stay in Bangladesh.

After arrival at Bangladesh, the patient visited a diabetic specialist doctor in Chittagong and received treatment from him. However, the patient’s condition was very serious, and she was not able to return home by the end of the seven days, said a local elder.

Later, on December 28, 2010, the patient returned to her home, where she had to report to the concerned Nasaka camp. Major Kyaw Maung,the Nasaka commander of Nasaka Area No. 6 of Maungdaw Township charged her 700,000 kyat as a penalty for her late return.

At present, Rohingya villagers requiring medical attention are allowed to go to Sittwe (Akyab), the capital of Arakan State, only after paying large fees to the concerned authorities. However, many patients are not able to pay the amount required to legally travel to Sittwe. As a result, many Rohingya people suffer from ailments and are unable to receive proper medical treatment in northern Arakan State, where there is a scarcity of doctors and medicine for treatment.

A local elder said, “This is a great discrimination against the victim Khotiza Begum. The Nasaka know she has relatives abroad, so they asked her to pay a very big amount.”

NDPD files case against USDP in Buthidaung .

Maungdaw, Arakan State: The National Democratic Party for Development (NDPD) filed a case on December 30 at the Naypyidaw Union Election Commission office against the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) for rigging votes during the November 7 national election, according to an officer from Buthidaung.

Abu Taher, a Buthidaung NDPD candidate for the upper house (Pyithu Hluttaw) filed a case against Shwe Maung, an elected upper house member of the USDP, for pilfering votes in the 2010 election. Abu Taher believes he received 20,000 more votes than Shwe Maung, yet Shwe Maung was declared the winner, the officer said.

The Union Election Commission office received the allegation case against Shwe Maung and issued a letter with reference number 2/RAKAPAKHA – 1/KAMARA(6) on December 31. The case will be heard on January 17 at Constitutional Tribunal # 9 at 9:00 a.m., according to an officer from Election Commission office.

According to the complaint’s file, NDPD candidate Abu Taher claims that USDP elected Pyithu Hluttaw member Shwe Maung rigged votes through Village Peace and Development Council members, polling booth supervisors, and local USDP members while the locals were coerced to vote for the USDP.

Abu Taher claims that the NDPD has the full data from 164 out of 222 total voting stations. The NDPD candidate says that he received 49,000 votes with 12,000 spoilt votes, whereas USDP member Shwe Maung received 40,000 votes with 549 spoilt votes, yet Shwe Maung announced that he received 46,000 votes, according to complaint’s file.

“The counting was conducted in front of all party candidates, and all concerned officers signed off on the results. In advance votes the USDP member Shwe Maung got only 1593 votes, but announced receiving 5577 votes,” the complaint’s file mentioned.

“The State Election Commission office announced on December 12 that the USDP member Shwe Maung won the seat in the upper house (Pyithu Hluttaw) for Buthidaung, but this was done without the agreement of the NDPD candidates.”

“We don’t know what will happen after the case is heard in Naypyidaw,” said an NDPD organizer from Buthidaung.

Despite obstacles, refugees plan for education in makeshift camp .






Kutupalong, Bangladesh: Some refugees from the Kutupalong makeshift camp are preparing to teach basic education to youth as private tutoring in huts made from branches and tattered black plastic sheeting, according to a refugee leader from the unregistered refugee camp.

“We are planning to set up more than 50 huts as private coaching centers as there are more than 10,000 youngsters without schooling in the camp,” said Ahmed, a young refugee teacher.

“Our huts are very small and the height is very low with plastic and bushes, so we will only teach thirty youngsters in a center at a time,” Ahmed said. “We have just organized some refugees who have completed classes seven and up in Burma and Bangladesh to be teachers.”

“The centers are not much like classrooms. The children sitting on the floor don't have books or a blackboard for their teacher to write on,” Ahmed added.

“We hope we will be able to manage the books for students and blackboards for the teaching huts with donations from our refugee community and other well-wishers,” said Syed Hussain, a 55-year-old community leader from Kutupalong camp.

"I like studying English, Bengali, and Math," said eight-year-old Formina. "When I am not at school I help my mother."

“I like studying English, Bengali, math, and Burmese,” said Rosina, a ten-year-old youngster from the camp, “but we need more books and pens for our studying.”

"We need textbooks and we need equipment," said Amina, one of the senior members of staff responsible for helping to train others to become teachers. "The lessons are for children aged 5–10. After that we can’t offer anything."

And yet the community struggles on, determined that its children receive some education, however basic. Within this huge unofficial camp, there are 30 classroom huts now. During the summer when the temperatures soar, the lessons will be held in the relative cool of the very early morning, according to Amina.

“We are very happy to be able to help our children with education from our own young refugee teachers, and pray for them to have success with their goals,” said Syed, an older refugee who has four children in the camp.

28,000 refugees are registered with the government under UNHCR, the UN's refugee agency. At least 200,000 more refugees – some claim the figure is as high as 500,000 – are unofficial. While the official refugees live in shelters, receive food, medical care, and educational support, the unregistered refugees are forced to fend for themselves.

The disparity between the official refugees and the hundreds of thousands of unregistered Rohingyas is no more starkly revealed than here at Kutupalong, south of Cox's Bazaar, where the official refugees live in permanent huts and the unofficial refugees in flimsy shacks. Such is its temporary nature that everyone refers to it as Kutupalong Makeshift Camp. And that is the way the officials see it; when residents tried to build a permanent school, the authorities tore it down.

On other hand, Children on the Edge, a British-based basic education program, is hoping to establish a nutrition and education program for these youngsters who have so little. "Their future at the moment is very bleak – they are struggling to get enough food to survive," said the charity's director, Rachel Bentley. "Healthcare and sanitation is very poor. Those that go out from the camp to earn money are in danger of being rounded up and sent back to Burma."

Rape or trap for village head in Maungdaw South?

Maungdaw, Arakan State: Three men, including an active Village Peace and Development Council (VPDC) head, were arrested for allegedly raping two young women on December 29, according to a member of VPDC from Kyaukpandu village.

Hashim Ullah, the active VPDC head, is a former VPDC member who was promoted to serve as the active head of his village after the last head of the village, Rafique, was found guilty in a rape case of a school teacher last October 2010, the member said.

“The allegation was made by two Rakhine from the Kodankauk Village of Rathedaung to the Burma Border Security Force (Nasaka) area number 8 in Myint Hlut,” the village member added.

The two Rakhine were U Maung Kyaw Kine, the father of an 18 year-old girl, and U Kyaw Tin Maung, the father of a 21 year-old girl, both from a Natala (model) village of Kodankauk, according to a village elder from Kyaukpandu. “We have heard that the two girls are not of good character and have worked as sex workers.”

The two Rakhine filed the rape case against the VPDC head along with two other villagers, Moulana Kafayet Ullah and Hashim, on December 29 at Myint Hlut Nasaka camp where the three Rohingyas are being detained and Nasaka personnel who hope to extort huge money, he said.

The two Rakhine complained in the file that their daughters were hijacked and raped by Rohingya men on December 19–20, and were later released to their village. “It is unknown why the two Rakhine waited until December 29 to file the case against the active village head and the other two Rohingya.”

On the other hand, some village authorities from Maungdaw remarked that the former village head of Kyaukpandu, Rafique, may be behind this case to dismiss the active village head, said a school teacher from Alaythankyaw village.

“The former village head, Rafique, organized the two fathers of the Rakhine girls to file the case against the active village headman,” the teacher said.

The teacher believes the crime as reported could not have been committed because it would not have been possible for the three men to kidnap the two girls as there is an increased number of authorities helping Natala Villagers in northern Arakan. “How could the Rohingya pass with the Rakhine girls through the Natala Village?” the teacher asked. “The two girls were not shouting when they passed through the village.”

“Most of the villagers believe that this whole case is a trap to dismiss the new active village headman from his post and cause his supporters to lose money.”

It is learned that the said two Rakhine girls were traveling from Ahngumaw to Kodankauk when they met nine Rohingya men riding motorbikes to Kyaukpandu. The two girls asked the men to drop them at their village as the Rohingyas were going same way. Kodankauk Village is between Ahngumaw and Kyaukpandu.

According to the filed complaint, the Rohingya didn’t stop at the Rakhine girls’ village, but passed the village and took the girls to Kyaukpandu. The incident reportedly happened on December 19, and the case was filed on December 29 at the Myint Hlut Nasaka camp. The girls were taken to the Alaythankyaw Clinic of Maungdaw South for medical test on December 29. The clinic’s personnel advised the girls to go to the Rathedaung Hospital

Inland harbour in Arakan to be privatized .


The Department of Inland Water Transport in western Burma's Arakan State is gearing up to privatize the main inland harbour on Satrokya Creek in capital Sittwe, said a harbor official on Thursday.

"Since last January, the authorities have been working on the details of the harbour, including data of all official staff, shipmen, and labourers, with an eye on privatizing the harbour," he told Narinjara on condition of anonymity.

It is also rumored that any worker with less than 10 years of service would be dismissed and any worker above the age of 50 would be given pension before handing over the harbour to a private company, he added.

The Sittwe Harbour has over 1,000 workers, including officials and shipmen.The harbor also has an additional shipyard for ship repair.
Sittwe Harbour still plays an important role in inland transportation in coastal Arakan, with an abundance of rivers and creeks where road infrastructure is poor.

Currently, there are nearly 30 passenger-cum-cargo ships plying on the routes between the capital Sittwe and other towns such as Mrauk-U, Buthidaung, Kyauktaw, and Taungup.

"It is not known yet to which private company the authorities will hand it over to, but one of the ships named Aungthakhon-1, which operates between Sittwe and Taungup, was already given to U Kyauk Taung's Company two years ago," the official added.

Following its plans to privatize public businesses across the country before the election this year, the Burmese junta has already given some of the petrol pumps, cinema halls, land, and one airline to the private sector.

According to local officials, the military authorities also plans to privatize the Myoma Cinema Hall and public warehouses in Sittwe, as well as many other public factories and industries across Arakan State.

Increase in restrictions on internet cafes in Sittwe .


Restrictions have been imposed on internet cafes in Sittwe by the Special Police Department to prevent users from sending information and photographs to the media in exile, said Zaw Ko, a student from Sittwe University.
"Police officials have ordered internet cafes in Sittwe to open a separate private room for operators of the cafes to monitor internet users. In the separate room, a computer would be linked with all the computers in the shop. Whenever a customer uses internet at the cafe, all their emails and address would appear on the computer screen of the operator, who will write the email address and circumstances of the email in his daily notebook," the student said.
Police officers visit the internet cafes in Sittwe every night to see the log and registration books.
"Most internet users know of the authority's restrictions on internet users in Sittwe. Because of it, users avoid sending information to the media in exile through internet cafes in Sittwe. We use the internet in Sittwe for normal purposes," he said.
A young internet cafe owner in Sittwe confirmed, saying, "Our business will be hurt if we do not follow the police order. So we do it every day and show the record to the police officers. If we kept the record secret, they will take away our operating permit from us."
In Sittwe, there are six internet cafes, and all are implementing the new system to track internet users out of fear of retribution by the police.
Another internet user in Sittwe said, "Every internet shop prohibits users from opening unnecessary websites, especially exiled media websites including the BBC, RFA, and Narinjara. The cafe owners have posted on notice boards which websites are blocked by the authorities."
According to student sources, many internet users in Sittwe follow the cafes' restrictions on websites in order to avoid punishment by authorities.
In Sittwe, the price of surfing is only 500 kyats per hour, but many people who use the internet rarely visit the cafes in Sittwe.
Zaw Ko said, "Most internet users in Sittwe are university students, but the students at present do not visit the internet cafes in Sittwe due to such restrictions by the authority. Most internet shops in Sittwe are losing business from lack of customers."
It is estimated that under normal conditions, 20 internet cafes would be needed in Sittwe to meet the needs of current internet users in the city, but only six are operating because the restrictions have caused a fall in business, said the internet cafe owner.

Muslim community wooed for 2010 polls with USDA membership .

The Burmese military junta is allowing Muslims in Arakan to join the Union Solidarity Development Association, a government-backed organization, for support of the community for the 2010 elections, said a USDA official in Maungdaw.

"We have now started mobilizing the Muslim community in Maungdaw Township after higher authorities instructed us to do so for the USDA. We formed several groups with many members in Maungdaw to go to Muslim villages," the official said.

The military authorities had not allowed any Muslims in Arakan to join the USDA since the organization was formed in 1993, but the policy has recently undergone a change with an eye to the forthcoming elections.

"We went to many Muslim villages in Maungdaw Township recently to mobilize them. Many Muslim youths, who are under 20 applied for membership in the USDA. We are now reviewing their names and addresses, and we hope we will recognize them as USDA members very soon," he said.

The USDA secretary in Maungdaw Township, U Tun Hla Sein, AKA Khwe Chay, has visited many Muslim villages in Maungdaw along with officials from the fire brigade, township and district office, and red cross since January 2010.

Kamal, a student of Maungdaw's government high school, said, "We Muslim students were not allowed to become members of the USDA in the past despite being students, but the authorities are now allowing us to apply for membership of the USDA."

"I believe it is for the 2010 elections. The authorities want to woo our community for support in the polls," he added.

As the USDA is a government-backed organization, it is very powerful in Burma. Many young people are being pressured by authorities to join the USDA and it is impossible to get a government job in Burma without first becoming a member of the organization.

The USDA was formed on 15 September, 2003, and U Htay Oo is the secretary-general of the organization. Its headquarters are in Naypyidaw, the new capital of Burma, and it operates nationwide. The USDA's motto is "Morale, Discipline, Solidarity, and Unity". In spite of this motto, though, many USDA members have engaged in anti-social and oppressive activities. The organization now has 30 million members.

Extortion in villages for renewing family cards in Arakan .

Burmese military authorities have forced villagers to pay hefty fees for updating family lists in Maungdaw District in western Burma's Arakan State, said a villager from Thapraytaw Village on Sunday.

The villagers faced extortion for enlisting their newborn children and for deleting the names of their deceased loved ones from the data recorded on their family card, known locally as Form No. 10, he said.

"We are forced to pay 10,000 Kyat for listing our newborn children, 5,000 Kyat for deleting the names of our deceased family members, 3,000 Kyat for a group photograph, and 1,000 Kyat to the respective village chairman," he said on condition of anonymity because talking to the media is a punishable offence in Arakan State.

He added that every villager had to pay what was demanded by the authorities without complaint out of fear of harsh punishment.

Teams formed by officials of the immigration department, Nasaka, and members of the Village Peace and Development Council have been conducting family card renewal operations for Muslim and Hindu families across Maungdaw District from the beginning of this year.

Currently, the operation is continuing in rural villages under Nasaka Area No. 7, No. 8, and No. 9 after being completed in the urban wards in the district.

There were formerly two townships known as Buthidaung and Maungdaw under Maungdaw District, but the regime recently formed a new township called Taungbro-Left from an area that was part of Maungdaw Township.

A resident of downtown Maungdaw said that the family card renewal operation has already been completed in their locality and they had to pay 1,500 Kyat to the census team just for a family photograph to be taken for the record. However, he added that residents had to pay at least 50,000 Kyat to the census team in order to get a new family member included in their card.

According to an official Burmese source, authorities undertake the census by renewing the family cards once or twice a year in order to combat illegal immigration into Maungdaw District, which is close to the Bangladesh border.

Migrant Rights Advocate




I'v been campaigning for migrant rights for more than 16 years. My parents were migrant workers from Kerela, India. They came to Malaysia during the British rule to work in plantations. As a daughter of mogrant labourers, every worker reminds me of the struggle my parents went through.


One of the problems facing migrant workers in Malaysia today is the lack of legal protection. They are frequently arrested and detained without access to justice. Workers aren't allowed to organize or form unions so they often have to stuggle alone.


Outsourcing companies bring in large numbers of workers but fail to provide proper jobs or security. And, even when the workers do have gainful employment, if employers terminated their work permits, they lose their legal status in the country and can be arrested and deported. Worse sitll, their passports are usually held by the employers.


Without their passports, migrant workers cannot file cases in labour court. And even when they file a complaint, things get complicated because it's likely that their work permits will be cancelled. They will only able to stay in the country through special pass, which lasts up to a maximum of three months. During this time, they receive monthly payments of RM100($29) and cannot work. If the case is not resolved during this period they will have to leave the country and return when the case resume.


There are some memorable cases that keep me going. We won a case against Chong Wah Plastics after a six-year battle to recognise migrant workers as equal to local workers in wages, benefits and treatment in the Federal Court.


The judgement has set a precedent in the treatment of migrant workers.


by: Irene Fernandez - Activist for Migrant workers in Malaysia


(Reader's Digest- February 2010)