The
first international conference in the USA on the plight of the Rohingya people
of Myanmar – “Stop Genocide and Restore Rohingya’s Citizenship Rights in
Myanmar” - was held in the campus of University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee on
December 14, 2013. It was jointly hosted by the Burmese Rohingya American
Friendship Association (BRAFA) and the Rohingya Concern International (RCI).
The
conference opened with a welcome speech from BRAFA’s chairman – Mr. Shaukhat
Kyaw Soe Aung (MSK Jilani) and Dr. Chia Vang of the Ethnic Studies program at
the university. The program was conducted by Mr. Mohiuddin Yosuf, President of
the RCI and Chief Coordinator of the conference organizing committee. I was
invited as a speaker. Amongst others, the speakers included - Professor Greg
Stanton of the Genocide Watch (George Mason University), Mr. Nurul Islam of
ARNO (UK), Sheikh Ziad Hamdan of Islamic Society of Milwaukee, Professor Abid
Bahar from Montreal (Canada), and Dr. Nora Rowley of Vulnerable Population
Health and Well-Being.
The
conference passed the following resolutions:
1. The
Rohingya people, who mostly live in the western Rakhine state of Myanmar, are
the most persecuted people in our time.
2. The
tragic events unraveling since May 28, 2012 have made it obvious that the
Rohingya people are victims of eight stages of genocide – Classification,
Symbolization, Dehumanization, Organization, Polarization, Preparation,
Extermination and Denial, as clearly documented by Professor Gregory H.
Stanton, President of Genocide Watch.
a) The
level of anti-Muslim intolerance, hatred and xenophobia had simply no parallel
in our time! Extremists have denied the very existence of the Rohingya people,
in spite of the fact that the latter group has comprised almost a third of the
population of the Rakhine State.
b) The
genocidal campaigns against Muslims has resulted in deaths of many and internal
displacement of some quarter million Muslims inside Myanmar.
c) Since
May 28, 2012, national government actions and policies continue to be the main
source of brutal persecution and human rights abuses that in effect has led to
the ethnic cleansing of Rohingya.
d) Of
particular concern is the unfettered role played by Wirathu - the abbot of
historically influential Mandalay Ma-soe-yein monastery and his 969 Anti-Muslim
movements, which sanctifies eliminitionist policies against the Muslims.
Despite Wirathu’s outspoken propagation of violent aggression toward Muslims in
Burma, government leaders have publicly called him peaceful and good. Demanding
the expulsion of all Muslims from Burma, these monks urge the local population
to sever all relations with not only the Muslims, but also with what are
described as their “sympathizers”.Labeled as national traitors, those Buddhists
who associate with Muslims also face intimidation and violence. The hateful
rhetoric of the radical monks and the “969” campaign is ominously reminiscent
of the hateful propaganda directed at the Tutsi population and their
sympathizers in the lead up and during the Rwandan genocide, let alone the
Nazi-led Holocaust more than half a century earlier.
e)
National and local security forces have been allowed to perpetuate severe human
rights abuses and brutal persecution against Muslims with impunity.
The
conference participants called upon –
1. The
Government of Myanmar to restore full citizenship rights of all the stateless
Rohingya minorities living inside Burma and to all those who were forced to
seek a life of unwanted refugee outside as a result of government-orchestrated
violence against them.
2. The
Government of Myanmar to stop persecution, discrimination and dehumanizing of
Muslims, including repealing laws and policies that enact or contribute to the
persecution of Muslims and other targeted groups within Myanmar.
3. The
Government of Myanmar to crack down on anti-Muslim violence against Rohingya
and other Muslims.
a. It
must also allow an international independent investigation of the anti-Muslim
violence.
b. It
must stop the criminal activities of Buddhist monk Wirathu and his 969
movement, and punish them for causing suffering of the Muslim victims.
c. It
must guarantee safety and security of the Rohingya people and other minority
Muslims and Christians living inside Myanmar failing which it can be prosecuted
for orchestrating and/or encouraging crimes against humanity.
d. It
must compensate for the loss of lives and properties of all those affected by
the cleansing pogroms since May 28, 2012.
e. It
must allow for relocation of the victims to their original places.
f. It
must allow unfettered access of the international UN agencies, non-government
organizations, including the OIC, to closely monitor the violence prone Rakhine
state and allow them to aid the Muslim victims.
4. The UN
Security Council to authorize armed intervention in Myanmar by a UN force under
Chapter Seven of the UN Charter. The Mandate must include protection of
Rohingya civilians and humanitarian workers and a No Fly Zone over the Rakhine
state. The Rules of Engagement must be robust and include aggressive prevention
of killing.
5. The
International Criminal Court in the Hague should prosecute Wirathu and other
instigators of crimes against humanity. It should also look into prosecuting
the major political and military leaders in Myanmar that are responsible for
crimes against humanity.
6. The
major military powers (e.g., the USA, Russia and the UK) to provide leadership,
logistics, airlift, communications, and financing.
a. If
Myanmar will not permit entry, its UN membership should be suspended.
b. The
lack of progress in matters of human rights of the Rohingya and other
non-Buddhist minorities inside should automatically lead to enforcement of
harsh measures which include trial of Myanmar’s leaders in an international
criminal court for committing and aiding crimes against humanity.
The 1-day
conference on the Rohingyas of Myanmar ended with a note of thanks from the
organizers to the university authorities and the sponsors – Risale Center - for
supporting the program.
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