URGENT MEMORANDUM: Save Human Lives, Stop Genocide Towards Minority Rohingya in Myanmar

Myanmar Ethnic Rohingya Human Rights Organization Malaysia (MERHROM) would like to draw your attention in regards to the recent attack on minority Rohingya Muslim in Thandwe, Arakan State of Myanmar which started on 29 September 2013. MERHROM strongly condemned the Myanmar government on the continuous attack on Muslims in Myanmar which took place over 60 years without the world knowing what we went through inside Arakan State. The continuous attack on Rohingya clearly proves the plan of the Myanmar government to eliminate minority Muslims across Myanmar. According to the government source only five (5) minority Muslim were killed, more than 100 houses were burnt down, three (3) Mosques were burnt down by the ethnic Rakhine and more than 500 minority Muslims are homeless. We afraid the numbers are higher as the Myanmar government is always keep the numbers low as what happen during the violence in June 2012 in Arakan State.

The International Communities must open their eyes. This is GENOCIDE against minority Muslims in Myanmar. This is the biggest crime against humanity. When the United Nations announced that the Rohingya is one of the most prosecuted ethnic groups in the world... that clearly showed how critical the situation is. However until now none of the concrete action has been taken by the United Nations and the Powerful World Leaders to stop the GENOCIDE against us.

Currently the government has impost the curfew in Thandwe for the Rohingya minority. The Rakhine community is free to move anywhere and continue their life as nothing happens. We are very concerns when the government impost the curfew on Rohingya. The source from back home reveals that more Rohingya died during the curfew in June 2012. This because the Rohingya are not allow to go out and fully under the control of security forces. When they cannot go out, they cannot buy food, medicine and other basic daily needs. More Rohingya died during the curfew due to diseases and starvation. While the government announced that they gave few hours for the community to go out it was not apply for the Rohingya. They only made the statement to show to the world that they are taking actions to resolve the problem created by them.

Since many decades ago thousands or million of minority Rohingya become the victims of GENOCIDE. The outside world do not know what exactly minority Rohingya went through for the past 60 over years. Nobody knows about it except the Rohingya as the Myanmar government fully guarded the minority Rohingya in Arakan State and no outsiders especially Media are allows to go into Arakan State. The Arakan State is the darkest corner of the World. Since 1942 the Myanmar government @ junta has conducted 34 Operation to eliminate Rohingya and Muslims from Myanmar (refer to the attachment). The Myanmar government will never stop until they achieve their target.

Currently there are gross human rights violations towards Rohingya prisoners in Buthidaung jail. The Rohingya were beaten severely, tortured and killed. The Rohingya women and girls were raped and killed. They were not given any treatment for their injuries and health problems. In the case of death, their body will be dumb at their village at night. They were not given food and drinks. We urge the United Nations to establish an Independent Commission of Inquiry Immediately to specifically investigate the gross human rights violations towards Rohingya prisoner in Buthidaung jail.

All World Leaders praising the Myanmar government for the Investment Opportunities. Why United Nations and the World Leaders play game on our lives? Do you think we are not human enough to be saved? Is it because we are Muslim, we are not deserve to be saved? We are dying day by day but the United Nations and World Leaders are busy talking about their investments with Myanmar government. We are dying in front of you but you are only looking and talking without taking real action to stop the biggest crimes against humanity - GENOCIDE.

The United Nations has sent an envoy to visits Arakan State as well as Meikhtila for many times. The envoys are the witness to the real conditions of Rohingya and Muslims in Myanmar. They already look at the impact of this violence on Rohingya. Then, what stopping the United Nations from taking further actions? Do you think our suffering does not enough for you to take further actions? What is the most Mandated body is waiting for while we are dying day by day under the cruel government.

We have everything in the world to save us from the GENOCIDE but it was not use to help us. We have the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) as a super solid declaration which guides us how we suppose to live in this world. The UDHR clearly state our rights in very detail way. Unfortunately in our case, NONE of these RIGHTS are belong to us. It is shameful that we only can see the UDHR in a paper but we cannot practice it in our life. All our rights have been taken away by our own government.

We have the International Criminal Court (ICC) to prosecute those who involved in the Crimes Against Humanity but it was not use to prosecute the Generals and the President of Myanmar who conducted the GENOCIDE against minority Rohingya and Muslims in Myanmar.

We have the United Nations Security Council who oversees the security issues around the world but it was not use to secure the Rohingya while we become the victims of GENOCIDE. We had urged the United Nations thousand times to take immediate actions to intervene but it was not done except sending their envoys and making reports. Thousands times we urged the United Nations to send the Peace Keeping Mission to Arakan State but is was not heard. As a result the Myanmar government continue killing the minority Rohingya and destroying our properties and Mosques.

In 2012 when the Myanmar government attacks the ethnic Karen, United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki Moon made an immediate announcement to send the peace keeping mission to Karen State. Then the Myanmar government immediately stops the attack. Ironically he is not doing the same despite of continuous demands from the Rohingya community across the word to send the peace keeping mission to Arakan State where thousands of Rohingya were killed, more than 150,000 Rohingya become homeless and dying in the temporary camp due to diseases and starvation. Is it because we are Muslim? Don’t we a human just like you? Why are we treated this way? Why the World keep quiet. What are you waiting for? Is it stated in any International Law that we can be treated this way? Is it stated in any International Law that we can play with human lives like this? As a Mandated Body, the United Nations must treat all race and ethnic equally without being prejudice to their religion. If not United Nations cannot functions effectively and it will lose its credibility as a Mandated body. We have no more time to talk and negotiate with the Myanmar government. This is the time to take action against Myanmar government who commit severe crimes against humanity. The failure of the United Nations to stop the GENOCIDE is the failure of the World Leaders and the International Communities at large.

More research has been done by the International organizations and non Rohingya Researchers around the world. Their finding shows the real situation of Rohingya base on their findings. Those findings clearly stated that Rohingya were prosecuted by the military regime and the current government for many decades. Their finding further shows the Rohingya are the victims of GENOCIDE in Myanmar. They have made credible recommendations towards the United Nations, World Leaders and the relevant parties but to no avail.

We cannot trust the Myanmar government will take action to resolve the conflict as they are the one who created the conflict in the name of ethnic conflict. The government always claims that the Rohingya community who started the problem but it was not like that. The world knows that we are Stateless in Myanmar, we are the minority, our hands were tight, our mouths were closed, and we are hopeless. We are not in the position to create any problem in the situation that we are fully under the control of the government. If it is real the problem is between the ethnic Rakhine and Rohingya, long time ago the Myanmar government can resolve the conflict as the Myanmar government is above all the ethnics.

The Myanmar government is not afraid of anyone and now become more braves as they know that all develop countries are looking for investment opportunities with them. But the develop countries must realizes that you cannot scarifies our innocent lives in the competition for the investments. Human lives must be given the first priority before anything else if we call ourselves as a develop nations.

We have to continue raise our voice to highlight the injustice towards the minority Rohingya in Myanmar. We have to continue urging and demanding the United Nations, Powerful World Leaders and International Communities to take REAL ACTIONS to end the GENOCIDE against minority Muslim in Myanmar. We are frustrated as until now there is no change in our situation. What makes the Myanmar government is so IMMUNE that the United Nations and the Powerful Countries cannot take actions against the President and the previous Generals for their Crimes Against Humanity?

In this very critical situation, MERHROM urge the United Nations Security Council, the Government of the United States of America, the British Government, European Union and the Turkish government to:

1. Prosecute the President Thien Sein and former General Thein Shwe as well as previous Generals for Genocide and Crimes Against Humanity. They must be brought to the International Criminal Court (ICC) for killing, raping, torturing, detaining and abusing Minority Muslims and other ethnics.
2. Urge the Myanmar government to amend the 1982 Citizenship Law to recognize Rohingya as a citizen of Myanmar.
3. Stop the economic and political relationship with Myanmar until they resolve the conflict and protect Muslims in Myanmar with equal rights.
4. We urge the United Nations to establish an Independent Commission of Inquiry Immediately to specifically investigate the gross human rights violations towards Rohingya prisoners in Buthidaung jail.
5. Urge the United Nations Security Council to send their Peace Keeping Mission to Arakan State Urgently to control and monitor the human rights abuses.
6. Urge the United Nations to establish an Independent Commission of Inquiry Immediately to investigate, monitor and access the situation of Rohingya in Arakan State.
7. Urge the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Malaysia (UNHCR) to speed their registration process for the Rohingya asylum seekers. At the moment the registration process is very slow and it will only left the Rohingya with no protection at all.
8. Urge the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Malaysia (UNHCR) to process the Resettlement of Rohingya refugees to the Third Countries due to increase persecutions by the Myanmar Government towards minority Rohingya.
9. Urge the Resettlement countries to accept Rohingya refugees due to very low intake of Rohingya refugees into their countries. At this critical stage we appeal the Resettlement Countries to accept the victims of GENOCIDE and give us the new life for our future generations.

We thank you for your Urgent Intervention to resolve the conflict and Save the minority Rohingya and Muslims from the state sponsored ethnic cleansing and GENOCIDE.

Thank you.

Yours sincerely,