The tragedy of Rohingya refugees, arrested in Thailand and abandoned in the high seas

Bangkok (AsiaNews/Agencies) – Refugees International has accused the Thai military of contravening international human rights law by arresting and holding Rohingya refugees on an island in the Andaman Sea before leaving them to fend for themselves in international waters. The US-based NGO has called on the Thai government to put a stop to such a practice.

Rohingya refugees belong to a Muslim ethnic minority that inhabits an area along the Myanmar-Bangladesh border, especially in the Rakhine State (formerly Arakan) in western Myanmar.

Because of persecution and abuses by Myanmar’s ruling military junta, many Rohingya have fled, seeking refuge along the western coast of Thailand. Once in the country they have been rounded up and arrested by the military, detained for some time before being put on canoes without any engine or sail and towed into international waters where they have been abandoned.

“The Thai government is taking highly vulnerable people and risking their lives for political gain,” advocate Sean Garcia said. Instead it “should be engaging the Burmese [Myanmese] government on improving conditions at home for the Rohingya if it wants to stem these flows.”

The Rohingya have taken to the sea because they are desperate. “They have no hope for a better life in Burma. Pushing them back out to sea is not an effective deterrent,” Mr Garcia explained.

They “are stateless and have no rights inside Burma. The Burmese government targets them for forced labour and extortion, and restricts their movement.” Until they “are recognised by Burma as citizens, neighbouring countries like Thailand must protect and assist this vulnerable population.”

Reports indicate a rising tide of Rohingya refugee fleeing towards neighbouring countries like Indonesia, Malaysia and India’s Andaman and Nicobar Islands, so much so that their fate is at the centre of regional diplomatic discussions. The refugee issue will in fact be on the agenda at next month's ASEAN summit in Thailand.

In the meantime a total of 412 boatpeople were taken on 18 December to international waters north of Koh Surin (Surin Island), off the coast of Thailand, and left there, an anonymous source said.

Rohingya refugees preferably leave from November to April when the seas are at their calmest to escape the repression of Myanmar’s military regime.

According to official figures, 1,225 arrived in Thailand in 2005-2006. They were 2,763 in 2006-2007 and 4,886 in 2007-2008, and the numbers keep rising. From 26 November to 25 December last year, 659 Rohingya were seized in eight separate incidents.

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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