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| Abuse Against Myanmar's Rohingya Erodes Recent Progress |
More Than 50,000 Displaced; Number of Political Prisoners Again on the Rise
(Washington, D.C.) – Amnesty
International today called recent attacks against minority Rohingyas and
other Muslims in Myanmar a "step back" in the country's recent progress
on human rights, citing increased violence and unlawful arrests
following a state of emergency declared six weeks ago in the Rakhine
state.
"Declaring a state of emergency
is not a license to commit human rights violations," said Benjamin
Zawacki, Amnesty International's Myanmar researcher. "It is the duty of
security forces to defend the rights of everyone--without exception or
discrimination--while abiding by human rights standards themselves."
The Myanmar government declared a
state of emergency in Rakhine State on June 10, following an outbreak
of communal violence in the previous week among the Buddhist Rakhine,
Muslim Rakhine, and Muslim Rohingya communities. It remains in effect in
several areas.
Since then, 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, nearly all held incommunicado, and some
subjected to ill-treatment.
Most arrests appear to have been
arbitrary and discriminatory, violating the rights to liberty and to
freedom from discrimination on grounds of religion.
"Myanmar has done an about-turn
on the situation of political imprisonment," said Zawacki. "After more
than a year of prisoner amnesties and releases, the overall number of
political prisoners in Myanmar is again on the rise."
Those arrested during the state
of emergency must be charged with an internationally recognized offense.
Related judicial proceedings must be both fair and impartial and not
include the death sentence. If detainees are not justifiably charged,
they must be released from custody.
Many Rohingyas and other Rakhine
Muslims reported cases of physical abuse, rape, destruction of property
and unlawful killings carried out by both Rakhine Buddhists and
security forces. Authorities in Myanmar must take action to stop these
acts and prevent future abuses from occurring.
Myanmar's National Human Rights
Commission said on July 11 that at least 78 people have been killed
since the violence began, and the government and the United Nations have
estimated that between 50,000 and 90,000 have been displaced. The wide
range results from the extremely limited access for independent monitors
and humanitarian aid workers.
"The human rights and
humanitarian needs of those affected by the violence depend on the
presence of monitors and aid workers," said Zawacki. "The Myanmar
authorities are compounding the error by exacerbating the suffering of
those displaced by the violence and violations."
Amnesty International calls on
Myanmar's Parliament to amend or repeal the 1982 Citizenship Law that
rendered the Rohingya stateless.
"For too long, Myanmar's human
rights record has been marred by the continued denial of citizenship for
Rohingyas and a host of discriminatory practices against them,"
concluded Zawacki.
Amnesty International is a Nobel
Peace Prize-winning grassroots activist organization with more than 3
million supporters, activists and volunteers in more than 150 countries
campaigning for human rights worldwide. The organization investigates
and exposes abuses, educates and mobilizes the public, and works to
protect people wherever justice, freedom, truth and dignity are denied.
Source : Amnesty International
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