FATHEEK ABOOBUCKER
LONDON: Protesters representing Rohingya Muslims and human rights organisations have demanded international intervention to stop government sponsored massacre of Muslims in Myanmar.
At least 300 demonstrators gathered, 2 December, outside the British Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) where they raised placards with a variety of captions and chanted slogans “Stop killings of Rohingya civilians”, “Stop burning of Rohingya villages”, “Stop denial of aid to Rohingyas.”
In a symbolic gesture to create a noise to wake up Foreign Secretary Boris Jonson, demonstrators also whistled together.
The demonstration was organised by Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK (BROUK), Restlessbeings, and the Green Party.
Addressing the protesters internationally acclaimed Burmese Human Rights activist Dr Maung Zarni said, “This is a mass bloodshed going on since the ethnic riot in 2012, that killed over 200 Rohingya Muslims and left 100,000 displaced.”
He added, “1.1 Million Rohingya Muslims are denied their ethnic identity and political existence since last forty years and brutally butchered by the Burmese government, yet international community is not opening its eyes towards those who are inhumanly treated and victimised under the brutal genocide.”
Dr Zarni described the indifferent silence of Nobel Laureate Aung San Su Ki on this burning issue as “Inhuman that invalidates all her political peace career.”
In his speech President of BROUK, Tun Khin, said, “It is very surprising that the investigation is only taking place now, seven weeks after the attacks. But the government and Military forces have already made statements about the attacks and launched major military operations against the Rohingyas which has killed at least 400 Rohingyas, 240 women have been raped, at least 600 Rohingyas arrested 2300, houses burnt, and 35,000 forced from their homes.”
He went on, “The International community have to take immediate steps to pressurise the NLD government to implement the key recommendations from the report of UN Human Rights Office on June this year”.
The organisers have issued three different petitions addressing the British Foreign Sectetary Boris Johnson, Burmese Ambassador in Britain and Mr Mutuma Ruteere Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance.
The letter to British Home Secretary urged him for:
- An urgent and independent UN commission of inquiry
- To pressurise Burmese Government into an immediate withdrawal of military from Maungdaw and an immediate cessation of arbitrary arrest, extrajudicial killings and rape as a weapon of war
- To impose sanctions until and unless the repeal of the draconian 1982 Citizenship Law takes place.
Petition to Bumese Embassy in London demanded:
- An immediate withdrawal of military from Maungdaw and an immediate cessation of arbitrary arrest, extrajudicial killings and rape as a weapon of war.
- Allow unrestricted access for NGO’s and aid agencies in to Northern Rakhine to support the many thousands now affected by the violence since the 09th of October 2016
And to petition to the United Nations reminded:
As you are aware, under the 1982 Citizenship Law of Myanmar, the Rohingya are classed as a stateless people and as a result hyave huge restrictions on their rights including the right to free movement, the right to free marriage, the right to live in security and sanctity and have been targeted numerous times by state sponsored violence and aggression. A summary of the situation:
- Rohingya villagers in Northern Rakhine state, specifically Maungdaw township and surrounding areas
- Myanmar Army, Tatmadaw, Border Guard Police and other State Law Enforcement agencies
- On-going since 9th October 2016 but with more than 70 Rohingya civilians killed since 15th November 2016
We urge your team and the power of the office that you hold within the UN to investigate the ongoing violence and persecution that the Rohingyas are facing on a daily basis; xenophobic, unprovoked and unjustified aggression by state law enforcement agencies rendering more than 20,000 homeless and now in a state of seeking refuge.