Burma riots: What the media isnt telling you
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PlanetSoldier
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18 June 2012 Last updated at 06:59 GMT
Rohingya Muslims want to call Malaysia home
By Jennifer Pak BBC News, Kuala Lumpur
Sharifah binti Hussein is a bubbly 17-year-old who loves school.
Her classroom at the Harvest Centre in Kuala Lumpur is stuffy, even with the windows open and ceiling fans on full blast. Eighteen of her classmates are huddled around clusters of desks.
This may look like a regular class, but all the children are refugees, mainly from Burma. They are not allowed to attend government schools, access health care or even work when they graduate.
Their grim prospects make today's class lesson seem futile - learning Malay, the national language of Malaysia. Yet Sharifah counts this as her favourite subject.
"If I can, I would like to stay in this country forever, so it's important for me to learn Malay," she says in broken English.
Tough childhood
Sharifah's love for Malaysia comes in part from a tough childhood in Burma. Although she was born there, she has never been issued a birth certificate.
She is part of the stateless Rohingya Muslim minority. International rights groups describe their plight as one of the world's most enduring refugee crises.
The Burmese government says the Rohingyas are relatively recent migrants from what is now known as Bangladesh.
Recent unrest in Burma's Rakhine state has focused attention on the Rohingyas' situation.
Sharifah's father says he was harassed by the Buddhist military government and fled to Malaysia in 1994. The rest of the family tried to join him a few years later. It took two attempts before they could flee.
Sharifah herself travelled alone for a month.
"We would sleep in abandoned buildings," she says. "It was very scary at night. One night, we stayed in the city, one night in the jungle."
When she arrived in Malaysia her father could not even recognise her.
"When he left me, I was fat. I had lighter skin. I was beautiful. He said I was cute," she says. "But now I looked like a boy because my hair was short. I was dark-skinned. I was thin and my father didn't recognise me."
Reunited with her family, Sharifah said she felt free for the first time.
But life is not much easier in Malaysia. The country is not a signatory of the 1951 United Nations Convention on Refugees, so asylum seekers are treated like illegal migrants and are vulnerable to detention.
Despite this, Rohingya Muslims continue to arrive in Malaysia. They now make up the second largest refugee group in this Muslim-majority country, with 22,800 registering with the UN by the end of April.
Hard life
Sharifah had a tough time adjusting to Malaysia. She attended a regular school here, but no one wanted to talk to her because she was a refugee, she says.
"They accused me of coming to Malaysia to take away resources from them, taunting me for having darker skin," she says.
Her life improved after she switched to a school for refugees at the Harvest Centre. She now has friends, is earning top grades and dreams of working at the UN to help refugees.
"I pray to my god, my Allah, that I can stay in Malaysia forever," she says. "I don't want to go to other countries where it is not a Muslim place."
Her father, Hussein, 45, is not so optimistic, however. He struggles to feed his family. He lives in constant fear of the police. Although he holds a refugee card from the UN, it is not a legal document, so immigration officials can still detain him.
Hopes for change
International rights groups say arbitrary detentions of refugees and extortion by Malaysian immigration officials are common.
But a 2011 report by the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, noted that there have been "significant achievements" by the Malaysian government to reduce the number of arrests of refugees last year.
Still, Mr Hussein does not have an alternative. It has been 18 years since he arrived in Malaysia, but the UN has not been able to relocate them to another country.
The recent violence in Burma's Rakhine state makes it even more unlikely that they can return.
Rohingya refugees rally in front of the US Embassy in Kuala Lumpur Hundreds of Rohingya refugees rallied the US Embassy in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday
Clashes between Buddhists and Muslims have prompted the Burmese government to declare a state of emergency in the area.
Hundreds of Rohingya refugees showed up at the US embassy in Kuala Lumpur last Tuesday, calling for international intervention.
"We had hoped that opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi would change the situation in Burma," Zafar Ahmead Mohd Abdul Ghani, from the Myanmar Ethnic Rohingya Human Rights Organization Malaysia, said at the rally.
"But now, our hopes for her have been banished. We are very scared to go back home."
Meanwhile, Sharifah tries hard to fit in in Malaysia.
She now prefers to speak to her father in Malay rather than in the Rohingya language. She has adopted many Malaysian habits, ending her sentences with the word "lah", and wearing skinny jeans and colourful hijabs like young Malay teens.
However, she still feels unwelcome in the country.
Sharifah remains hopeful, though.
"I believe that Malaysia will recognise refugees," she says. "I don't know why in my heart I believe in this, but I do."
BBC News - Rohingya Muslims want to call Malaysia home
Not sure if it has been posted before just thought I should post it here.
Rohingya Muslims want to call Malaysia home
By Jennifer Pak BBC News, Kuala Lumpur
Sharifah binti Hussein is a bubbly 17-year-old who loves school.
Her classroom at the Harvest Centre in Kuala Lumpur is stuffy, even with the windows open and ceiling fans on full blast. Eighteen of her classmates are huddled around clusters of desks.
This may look like a regular class, but all the children are refugees, mainly from Burma. They are not allowed to attend government schools, access health care or even work when they graduate.
Their grim prospects make today's class lesson seem futile - learning Malay, the national language of Malaysia. Yet Sharifah counts this as her favourite subject.
"If I can, I would like to stay in this country forever, so it's important for me to learn Malay," she says in broken English.
Tough childhood
Sharifah's love for Malaysia comes in part from a tough childhood in Burma. Although she was born there, she has never been issued a birth certificate.
She is part of the stateless Rohingya Muslim minority. International rights groups describe their plight as one of the world's most enduring refugee crises.
The Burmese government says the Rohingyas are relatively recent migrants from what is now known as Bangladesh.
Recent unrest in Burma's Rakhine state has focused attention on the Rohingyas' situation.
Sharifah's father says he was harassed by the Buddhist military government and fled to Malaysia in 1994. The rest of the family tried to join him a few years later. It took two attempts before they could flee.
Sharifah herself travelled alone for a month.
"We would sleep in abandoned buildings," she says. "It was very scary at night. One night, we stayed in the city, one night in the jungle."
When she arrived in Malaysia her father could not even recognise her.
"When he left me, I was fat. I had lighter skin. I was beautiful. He said I was cute," she says. "But now I looked like a boy because my hair was short. I was dark-skinned. I was thin and my father didn't recognise me."
Reunited with her family, Sharifah said she felt free for the first time.
But life is not much easier in Malaysia. The country is not a signatory of the 1951 United Nations Convention on Refugees, so asylum seekers are treated like illegal migrants and are vulnerable to detention.
Despite this, Rohingya Muslims continue to arrive in Malaysia. They now make up the second largest refugee group in this Muslim-majority country, with 22,800 registering with the UN by the end of April.
Hard life
Sharifah had a tough time adjusting to Malaysia. She attended a regular school here, but no one wanted to talk to her because she was a refugee, she says.
"They accused me of coming to Malaysia to take away resources from them, taunting me for having darker skin," she says.
Her life improved after she switched to a school for refugees at the Harvest Centre. She now has friends, is earning top grades and dreams of working at the UN to help refugees.
"I pray to my god, my Allah, that I can stay in Malaysia forever," she says. "I don't want to go to other countries where it is not a Muslim place."
Her father, Hussein, 45, is not so optimistic, however. He struggles to feed his family. He lives in constant fear of the police. Although he holds a refugee card from the UN, it is not a legal document, so immigration officials can still detain him.
Hopes for change
International rights groups say arbitrary detentions of refugees and extortion by Malaysian immigration officials are common.
But a 2011 report by the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, noted that there have been "significant achievements" by the Malaysian government to reduce the number of arrests of refugees last year.
Still, Mr Hussein does not have an alternative. It has been 18 years since he arrived in Malaysia, but the UN has not been able to relocate them to another country.
The recent violence in Burma's Rakhine state makes it even more unlikely that they can return.
Rohingya refugees rally in front of the US Embassy in Kuala Lumpur Hundreds of Rohingya refugees rallied the US Embassy in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday
Clashes between Buddhists and Muslims have prompted the Burmese government to declare a state of emergency in the area.
Hundreds of Rohingya refugees showed up at the US embassy in Kuala Lumpur last Tuesday, calling for international intervention.
"We had hoped that opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi would change the situation in Burma," Zafar Ahmead Mohd Abdul Ghani, from the Myanmar Ethnic Rohingya Human Rights Organization Malaysia, said at the rally.
"But now, our hopes for her have been banished. We are very scared to go back home."
Meanwhile, Sharifah tries hard to fit in in Malaysia.
She now prefers to speak to her father in Malay rather than in the Rohingya language. She has adopted many Malaysian habits, ending her sentences with the word "lah", and wearing skinny jeans and colourful hijabs like young Malay teens.
However, she still feels unwelcome in the country.
Sharifah remains hopeful, though.
"I believe that Malaysia will recognise refugees," she says. "I don't know why in my heart I believe in this, but I do."
BBC News - Rohingya Muslims want to call Malaysia home
Not sure if it has been posted before just thought I should post it here.
livingdead
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I will be really suspicious if 3 of them committed suicide.
asad71
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http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-New...sacre-in-Burma
JI flays Muslim massacre in Burma
Our Correspondent
Thursday, June 21, 2012
From Print Edition
LAHORE
THE Jamaat-e Islami-Pakistan has strongly condemned the unabated massacre of Muslims in Burma by Buddhist terrorists for the last many days and asked the human rights groups to raise voice against the killings of innocent Muslim men, women and children.
JI Ameer Syed Munawwar Hasan urged the world community to exert its influence to stop the bloodletting of the Muslims in Arakan, Burma, by Buddhist extremists. He also appealed to the OIC and UNO to take effective measures to protect the Arakan Muslims.
He expressed sorrow that tens of thousands of Muslims in Arakan and Myanmar were being hunted for their faith, Islam. He said Buddhists had been committing atrocities to Muslims for the last many years but the world media and leaders remained silent and closed their eyes on the issue.
He wondered if Human Rights champions were aware of the Muslims’ genocide in Arakan.
Syed Munawwar Hasan said Arakani Muslims wanted to migrate to Bangladesh for safety but even the Bangladeshi border forces refused to let them in.
The huts and habitations of the Muslims were being set on fire, he said.
He appealed to the government and people of Pakistan to discharge their moral responsibility in this regard.
Meanwhile, Munawwar Hasan condemned the police raid at Madressa Taleemul Quran, Punjpir, Swabi, and the unlawful detention of In-charge and Chief Editor, Al Tauheed Wal Sunah, Maulana Tayyab Tahiri. He demanded a thorough probe into the police action and strict action against those responsible for that.
JI flays Muslim massacre in Burma
Our Correspondent
Thursday, June 21, 2012
From Print Edition
LAHORE
THE Jamaat-e Islami-Pakistan has strongly condemned the unabated massacre of Muslims in Burma by Buddhist terrorists for the last many days and asked the human rights groups to raise voice against the killings of innocent Muslim men, women and children.
JI Ameer Syed Munawwar Hasan urged the world community to exert its influence to stop the bloodletting of the Muslims in Arakan, Burma, by Buddhist extremists. He also appealed to the OIC and UNO to take effective measures to protect the Arakan Muslims.
He expressed sorrow that tens of thousands of Muslims in Arakan and Myanmar were being hunted for their faith, Islam. He said Buddhists had been committing atrocities to Muslims for the last many years but the world media and leaders remained silent and closed their eyes on the issue.
He wondered if Human Rights champions were aware of the Muslims’ genocide in Arakan.
Syed Munawwar Hasan said Arakani Muslims wanted to migrate to Bangladesh for safety but even the Bangladeshi border forces refused to let them in.
The huts and habitations of the Muslims were being set on fire, he said.
He appealed to the government and people of Pakistan to discharge their moral responsibility in this regard.
Meanwhile, Munawwar Hasan condemned the police raid at Madressa Taleemul Quran, Punjpir, Swabi, and the unlawful detention of In-charge and Chief Editor, Al Tauheed Wal Sunah, Maulana Tayyab Tahiri. He demanded a thorough probe into the police action and strict action against those responsible for that.
asad71
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http://youtu.be/XxnnUZCxED
SIO protests at Myanmar’s Kolkata consulate against killing of Muslims
By Zaidul Haque, TwoCircles.net,
Kolkata: Students Islamic Organisation of India on Wednesday staged a protest demonstration outside Myanmar’s Consulate office against the killings of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar in last few weeks. SIO officials wanted to meet the Consul General Mr. U. Kyaw Swe Tint, but Myanmar officials refused, but later through Police Official the Myanmar Consulate accepted a memorandum of SIO.
Along with SIO supporters, the protest demonstration was participated by other Muslim Organisations also. State President of Welfare Party of India Dr Raisuddin and State President of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind Md Nuruddin were also present in that demonstration and delivered their speeches.
Md Nuruddin said, Rohingya Muslims are historically citizens of Myanmar, but Myanmar’s Military Government is not willing to accept this historical truth. Thousands of Rohingya Muslims have been killed in last few weeks. They are being tortured. So, Rohingya Muslims fear life and destruction of their home, property. Rohingya Muslims are losing their ground in their homeland and being made refugees. They are being forced and pushed towards neighbor country Bangladesh. Now a large number of Rohingya refugees are living in inhuman condition on the boats in river or at no man’s land, nearby Bangladesh. They want to get shelter in Bangladesh, but Bangladesh does not allow them to enter their country. Mr. Nurddin expressed surprise over the silence of the Muslim world. He also condemned that, Consul General of Myanmar Consulate in Kolkata refused to meet their officials due to Myanmar Junta run government.
According to Myanmar’s rule any general public body cannot be allowed to meet with their Consul, claimed Myanmar Consul official. In this regards Nuruddin said, India Government should stop the consul office of Myanmar in India. Because, India is a democratic country. Every one has right to protest and no one can stop their voice. Nuruddin asked as how a Consulate Official denied accepting memorandum in our democratic country. If they violated people of India’s right the consulate should be closed by the India Government, he said.
State President of Welfare Party Dr Raisuddin said, Rohingya Muslim refugees are living in a very painful condition on the river. They are not getting water, food etc. So, they are willing to get shelter in Bangladesh and Bangladesh Government should allow them on humanitarian ground.
SIO’s state Campus Secretary Mafikul Islam said: We want this issue to be handled by United Nation. A huge number of Rohingya Muslim children is dying due to lack of food. Myanmar Government should take initiatives immediately.
The demonstration continued till 2pm when the Kolkata Police official assured them to take their memorandum to Myanmar Consul’s hand
State Secretary of Jamaat E Islami Hind Abdur Rafique, State General Secretary of SIO Nayimuddin Sk, Ex central Committee Member of SIO Shahnawaz Ali Raihan, state SIO official Sujauddin Ahmed, Farid Mondal and many other SIO official was present in this demonstration programme.
After the demonstration a delegation of SIO met Bangladesh consulate officials at Park Circus. They submitted a memorandum and appealed to the Bangladesh Government to allow Rohingya Muslim refugees to enter Bangladesh as they are continuously staying in painful condition.
SIO protests at Myanmar’s Kolkata consulate against killing of Muslims
By Zaidul Haque, TwoCircles.net,
Kolkata: Students Islamic Organisation of India on Wednesday staged a protest demonstration outside Myanmar’s Consulate office against the killings of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar in last few weeks. SIO officials wanted to meet the Consul General Mr. U. Kyaw Swe Tint, but Myanmar officials refused, but later through Police Official the Myanmar Consulate accepted a memorandum of SIO.
Along with SIO supporters, the protest demonstration was participated by other Muslim Organisations also. State President of Welfare Party of India Dr Raisuddin and State President of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind Md Nuruddin were also present in that demonstration and delivered their speeches.
Md Nuruddin said, Rohingya Muslims are historically citizens of Myanmar, but Myanmar’s Military Government is not willing to accept this historical truth. Thousands of Rohingya Muslims have been killed in last few weeks. They are being tortured. So, Rohingya Muslims fear life and destruction of their home, property. Rohingya Muslims are losing their ground in their homeland and being made refugees. They are being forced and pushed towards neighbor country Bangladesh. Now a large number of Rohingya refugees are living in inhuman condition on the boats in river or at no man’s land, nearby Bangladesh. They want to get shelter in Bangladesh, but Bangladesh does not allow them to enter their country. Mr. Nurddin expressed surprise over the silence of the Muslim world. He also condemned that, Consul General of Myanmar Consulate in Kolkata refused to meet their officials due to Myanmar Junta run government.
According to Myanmar’s rule any general public body cannot be allowed to meet with their Consul, claimed Myanmar Consul official. In this regards Nuruddin said, India Government should stop the consul office of Myanmar in India. Because, India is a democratic country. Every one has right to protest and no one can stop their voice. Nuruddin asked as how a Consulate Official denied accepting memorandum in our democratic country. If they violated people of India’s right the consulate should be closed by the India Government, he said.
State President of Welfare Party Dr Raisuddin said, Rohingya Muslim refugees are living in a very painful condition on the river. They are not getting water, food etc. So, they are willing to get shelter in Bangladesh and Bangladesh Government should allow them on humanitarian ground.
SIO’s state Campus Secretary Mafikul Islam said: We want this issue to be handled by United Nation. A huge number of Rohingya Muslim children is dying due to lack of food. Myanmar Government should take initiatives immediately.
The demonstration continued till 2pm when the Kolkata Police official assured them to take their memorandum to Myanmar Consul’s hand
State Secretary of Jamaat E Islami Hind Abdur Rafique, State General Secretary of SIO Nayimuddin Sk, Ex central Committee Member of SIO Shahnawaz Ali Raihan, state SIO official Sujauddin Ahmed, Farid Mondal and many other SIO official was present in this demonstration programme.
After the demonstration a delegation of SIO met Bangladesh consulate officials at Park Circus. They submitted a memorandum and appealed to the Bangladesh Government to allow Rohingya Muslim refugees to enter Bangladesh as they are continuously staying in painful condition.
Bhairava
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Still he is only 'surprised' ?
I'm surprised that he is still unaware that every country thinks for itself and when Bangladesh - the closest to the Rohingyas have refused to harbor them from the massacre why would arbis,persians etc even give a fig about what is happening ?
They dont consider south asian muslims as their equals anyway.
kalu_miah
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Hindu nationalists are allergic to any hint of Muslim solidarity, what can I say.
alaungphaya
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Proof. Give some proof. That's all I ask. I think your argument is they don't have picture-phones in Arakan. Rubbish.
Bhairava
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That is so not true.
Burmese treatment of ethnic Tamil merchants there is nothing short of horrible.
I personally know of many families who were big merchants in Burma who fled to India after being oppressed there.
alaungphaya
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When was this?
Bhairava
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Muslim solidarity that does not even allow oppressed Rohingyas from entering a Muslim country as refugees...What can I say ?
Please read "Parching the Land?: The Chettiars in Burma" by Sean Turnell.
http://www.pdfcari.com/Parching-the-Land?:-The-Chettiars-in-Burma.html
It happened after the military coup in '62
alaungphaya
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That was when the Burmese Socialist Programme was enacted. Many private business owners lost their property. Though there were racial overtones at the time, it would be disingenuous to imply that it was a racial purge. Furthermore, the chettiars have a particularly notorious reputation as they were specifically imported by the British to be money-lenders where no Burman was allowed to do so. This was inevitably going to be a point of contention.
To say that there is widespread racial discrimination now, however, would be unfair.
TopCat
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It is Bangladesh, Malaysia, Pakistan, Saudi who hosts most of the Rohinigiya Muslim. Can you name any non muslim country who host more than a 1000 Rohingiyas?
LaBong
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How many Rohingyas are living in Pakistan and KSA as refugees? Please don't go PDF-Bangladeshi mode and claim a number off your head.
However, 7000 Rohingyas have registered to UNHCR in Delhi alone. According to Human Rights Watch, there are an estimated 100,000 refugees from Myanmar living in the north-east of India.
Rohingyas in India are treated far better than what their ummah brothers in BD or KSA treat them.
India's Myanmar refugees get visas after month of protests in Delhi - The National
Zabaniyah
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Pakistan:
Derek Flood: From South to South: Refugees as Migrants: The Rohingya in Pakistan
You forgot Malaysia
And it is the best for them:ROHINGYA INFORMATION CENTER MALAYSIA - Home
Although, I heard they are mistreated by the Saudis.
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