By Mumtaz Alam Falahi, TwoCircles.net,
New Delhi: The Ambassador of Myanmar, in a communication with Muslim leaders last week, had said that after the State of Emergency was declared in Rakhine State on 10th June and Army was called in, “the situation is now back to normal completely.” Ambassador Zin Yaw had also said that Union Government of Myanmar is doing all for relief work along with UN groups. However, Amnesty International has blasted all these claims.
After Emergency, persecution of Rohingyas only increased: Amnesty
“Curfew was imposed by the State Government on 8 June 2012 in the areas where clashes took place. However, clashes continued and even spread out and therefore, State of Emergency was declared in Rakhine State by the Union Government on 10 June. The Defence Services was called in to control the situation and to restore peace and law and order in the state. The situation is now back to normal completely,” said Myanmar Ambassador in India on 20th July in a letter to Dr Tasleem Rahmani, president, Muslim Political Council of India who had sought appointment for a meeting with India Muslim leaders with the Ambassador.
Just hours before the Ambassador’s letter, Amnesty International had issued a statement on 19th July giving a brief of the current situation in Myanmar. Amnesty said that situation is not normal, rather Emergency has just increased persecution of Rohingya minority and other Muslims in Rakhine State.
“Six weeks after a state of emergency was declared in Myanmar’s Rakhine State, targeted attacks and other violations by security forces against minority Rohingyas and other Muslims have increased,” Amnesty International said in the statement. “Communal violence in the state has also continued,” the organization said.
Since the Emergency, “Myanmar’s Border Security Force (nasaka), army, and police have conducted massive sweeps in areas that are heavily populated by Rohingyas. Hundreds of mostly men and boys have been detained, with nearly all held incommunicado, and some subjected to ill-treatment,” the group said.
“In six weeks, Myanmar has not only added to a long litany of human rights violations against the Rohingya, but has also done an about-turn on the situation of political imprisonment,” said Benjamin Zawacki, Amnesty International’s Myanmar Researcher.
Courtesy: indiatodaylive.com
The Ambassador said that clashes limited between Rakhine Buddhists and Muslims and no others were involved.
“The deaths were caused by either group to each other, not by others. Houses and property worth millions of dollars were destroyed. Thousands of victims have become homeless. Both Rakhine Buddhists and Muslims suffered as a result of the lawlessness of a few,” said the ambassador.
However, Amnesty said that besides Buddhists, security forces also carried out persecution of Muslims.
“Amnesty International has also received credible reports of other human rights abuses against Rohingyas and other Rakhine Muslims– including physical abuse, rape, destruction of property, and unlawful killings – carried out by both Rakhine Buddhists and security forces. The authorities should stop these acts and prevent others from occurring,” Amnesty said in the statement.
Extremely limited access to independent and international monitors, humanitarian aid workers: Amnesty
The Myanmar Ambassador in his letter had said that Union Government of Myanmar along with UN organizations and NGOs are providing relief to victims.
“Relief camps, 72 in total, have been set up separately for Rakhine Buddhists and Muslims. Basic needs of food, clothing and medicines of the victims have been met by the government. In coordination with the government, UN agencies in the country, including UNHCR, UNFPA, WFP and UNOCHA, and INGOs have also been providing humanitarian assistance to the victims,” the Ambassador claimed.
But Amnesty International, citing conflicting figures of deaths, said this is because the government is allowing extremely limited access to independent and international monitors and humanitarian aid workers.
“Myanmar’s National Human Rights Commission said on 11 July that at least 78 people have been killed since the violence began, but unofficial estimates exceed 100. Between 50,000 and 90,000 people – with lower figures coming from the government and higher ones from UN agencies– are estimated to have been displaced. The discrepancy between the figures is largely due to the Myanmar authorities allowing extremely limited access to independent and international monitors as well as humanitarian aid workers,” said Amnesty on 19th July.
“The human rights and humanitarian needs of those affected by the violence depend on the presence of monitors and aid workers,” said Zawacki of Amnesty.
New Delhi: The Ambassador of Myanmar, in a communication with Muslim leaders last week, had said that after the State of Emergency was declared in Rakhine State on 10th June and Army was called in, “the situation is now back to normal completely.” Ambassador Zin Yaw had also said that Union Government of Myanmar is doing all for relief work along with UN groups. However, Amnesty International has blasted all these claims.
After Emergency, persecution of Rohingyas only increased: Amnesty
“Curfew was imposed by the State Government on 8 June 2012 in the areas where clashes took place. However, clashes continued and even spread out and therefore, State of Emergency was declared in Rakhine State by the Union Government on 10 June. The Defence Services was called in to control the situation and to restore peace and law and order in the state. The situation is now back to normal completely,” said Myanmar Ambassador in India on 20th July in a letter to Dr Tasleem Rahmani, president, Muslim Political Council of India who had sought appointment for a meeting with India Muslim leaders with the Ambassador.
Just hours before the Ambassador’s letter, Amnesty International had issued a statement on 19th July giving a brief of the current situation in Myanmar. Amnesty said that situation is not normal, rather Emergency has just increased persecution of Rohingya minority and other Muslims in Rakhine State.
“Six weeks after a state of emergency was declared in Myanmar’s Rakhine State, targeted attacks and other violations by security forces against minority Rohingyas and other Muslims have increased,” Amnesty International said in the statement. “Communal violence in the state has also continued,” the organization said.
Since the Emergency, “Myanmar’s Border Security Force (nasaka), army, and police have conducted massive sweeps in areas that are heavily populated by Rohingyas. Hundreds of mostly men and boys have been detained, with nearly all held incommunicado, and some subjected to ill-treatment,” the group said.
“In six weeks, Myanmar has not only added to a long litany of human rights violations against the Rohingya, but has also done an about-turn on the situation of political imprisonment,” said Benjamin Zawacki, Amnesty International’s Myanmar Researcher.
Courtesy: indiatodaylive.com
The Ambassador said that clashes limited between Rakhine Buddhists and Muslims and no others were involved.
“The deaths were caused by either group to each other, not by others. Houses and property worth millions of dollars were destroyed. Thousands of victims have become homeless. Both Rakhine Buddhists and Muslims suffered as a result of the lawlessness of a few,” said the ambassador.
However, Amnesty said that besides Buddhists, security forces also carried out persecution of Muslims.
“Amnesty International has also received credible reports of other human rights abuses against Rohingyas and other Rakhine Muslims– including physical abuse, rape, destruction of property, and unlawful killings – carried out by both Rakhine Buddhists and security forces. The authorities should stop these acts and prevent others from occurring,” Amnesty said in the statement.
Extremely limited access to independent and international monitors, humanitarian aid workers: Amnesty
The Myanmar Ambassador in his letter had said that Union Government of Myanmar along with UN organizations and NGOs are providing relief to victims.
“Relief camps, 72 in total, have been set up separately for Rakhine Buddhists and Muslims. Basic needs of food, clothing and medicines of the victims have been met by the government. In coordination with the government, UN agencies in the country, including UNHCR, UNFPA, WFP and UNOCHA, and INGOs have also been providing humanitarian assistance to the victims,” the Ambassador claimed.
But Amnesty International, citing conflicting figures of deaths, said this is because the government is allowing extremely limited access to independent and international monitors and humanitarian aid workers.
“Myanmar’s National Human Rights Commission said on 11 July that at least 78 people have been killed since the violence began, but unofficial estimates exceed 100. Between 50,000 and 90,000 people – with lower figures coming from the government and higher ones from UN agencies– are estimated to have been displaced. The discrepancy between the figures is largely due to the Myanmar authorities allowing extremely limited access to independent and international monitors as well as humanitarian aid workers,” said Amnesty on 19th July.
“The human rights and humanitarian needs of those affected by the violence depend on the presence of monitors and aid workers,” said Zawacki of Amnesty.
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