#Current Affairs

Letter to the Editor: Mass Graves of Rohingya in Thailand — Appeal to ASEAN

Myanmar Ethnic Rohingya Human Rights Organization Malaysia (MERHROM) was deeply sad to hear about the finding of more than 30 graves of Rohingya in Sadao, Thailand. This news is not new to us. Ethnic Rohingya who fled prosecutions from the Myanmar government are vulnerable and always ended in this kind of situation. We became victims at every stage in our journey to seek refuge in neighboring countries. We became boat people in our journey to seek protection. Thousand of Rohingya died in the ocean over the years. Every years tens of thousands ethnic Rohingya men, women, children and elderly fled Arakan State due systematic prosecutions by the Myanmar government. We believe many more graves of Rohingya in Thailand as we continuously heard about it.

Published

May 13, 2015

MuslimMatters

MASS GRAVES OF ROHINGYA IN THAILAND: ASEAN MUST END HUMAN TRAFFICKING IN THE REGION.

Dear Chief Editors,

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For many years, Thailand has been giving bad treatment for ethnic Rohingya who seek refuge in Thailand. We were treated as illegal immigrant and faced deportation to Myanmar. Ethnic Rohingya are not illegal immigrants. We are asylum seekers who fled Genocide from the Myanmar government and should be given treatment as asylum seekers according to the International Law. It is well-known that Thai authorities are involved in the Trafficking chain but nothing was done by the Thai government to tackle the problem.

We feel very sad that ASEAN SUMMIT 2015 has just ended with the spirit of ASEAN COMMUNITY but today we heard about this shocking news. This is the time that the ASEAN Government must deal with the Myanmar government to stop the gross human rights violations towards ethnic Rohingya.

We felt very frustrated that the Rohingya’s plight was not discussed during the ASEAN SUMMIT 2015. We are suffering for very long time. We hope for the ASEAN SUMMIT 2015 to discuss our plight but it was not discussed and our fate remains the same. Rohingya issue is not only an internal issue of Myanmar but it is an internal ASEAN issue that needs to be resolved after long ignorance by the ASEAN Government.

Ethnic Rohingya in Myanmar faced continuous Genocide from Myanmar government. But there is no real action taken by the ASEAN Countries and the United Nations.

We call for the ASEAN Government to intervene with Myanmar to stop prosecutions towards ethnic Rohingya and recognize Rohingya as citizen.

We call the Thai government to prosecute all perpetrators in human trafficking including the government officials.

We call the United Nations to send an Independent Inquiry to Thailand for investigation and publish its report for further actions.

We call the Government of the United States to take up this issue with the ASEAN Governments to end Human Trafficking in the region.

Thank you.

Prepared by,

Zafar Ahmad Bin Abdul Ghani
President
Myanmar Ethnic Rohingya Human Rights Organization Malaysia (MERHROM)
Tel No: +6016-6827287
Blog: http://www.merhrom.wordpress.com
Email: rights4rohingya@yahoo.co.uk
Email: rights4rohingyas@gmail.com
https://www.facebook.com/zafar.ahmad
https://twitter.com/merhromZafar

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3 Comments

Dennis

May 15, 2015 at 7:55 AM

These Muslim rohingya were being prosecuted because they as Muslim will do the same to others if they become the majority. They have been wanting to be independent since 1947 and that is why the Myanmar will not take them in and also that is why no other countries want them including Muslim countries. They have no want to blame but themselves. If they sincerely want to live in peace with others, they should convert out of Islam to other religions and believe me, there will be many countries willing to take them including Myanmar.

Reply
- John Smith
  
  May 15, 2015 at 6:41 PM
  
  “These Muslim rohingya were being prosecuted because they as Muslim will do the same to others if they become the majority.”
  
  Blaming the victim for a crime they have not committed, with the crime their oppressors do to them. Hmmm yeah …
  
  “They have been wanting to be independent since 1947 and that is why the Myanmar will not take them in … If they sincerely want to live in peace with others, they should convert out of Islam to other religions”
  
  First you claim the problem is them wanting their independence, a political/civil rights decision. Then you claim the solution is their religion.
  Your solution does not follow from your premise.
  
  Humans are interesting. Many prefer to look away when there is a domestic violence problem. Ignoring the problem is easier than to face the truth. In this case there is no police to call and countries have to take responsibility themselves. That is the privilege and responsibility of being an independent nation.
  
  Some background information
  
  *Very brief YouTube videos*
  TestTube: What’s Happening In Myanmar?
  youtu.be/g4EWf-Gtw_E
  
  TestTube: Buddhists Are Killing Muslims In Myanmar
  youtu.be/_HHrIqaI6YM
  
  *Greed for Ilm Podcasts* (Ilm means knowledge)
  EP6 Myanmar News – Provocateurs Killing Muslims?
  greedforilm.com/myanmar-news-provocateurs-killing-muslims
  
  EP94 – Dr. Rowley On The Myanmar Muslim Genocide
  greedforilm.com/dr-nora-rowley-myanmar-muslim-genocide
  
  EP15 – Jamila Hanan talks about Rohingya genocide
  greedforilm.com/jamila-hanan-talks-rohingya-genocide
  
  Reply
Ismail

May 17, 2015 at 10:42 AM

I am now more convinced than ever regarding the fact that nationalism has no place in Islam.

The actions of self-professed ‘Muslim’ countries, Malaysia and Indonesia have been downright disgraceful regarding the treatment of Rohingya people. By some accounts the most oppressed people in the world, the Rohingya are struggling to hold on to their identity, their dignity and their homes. Malaysian authorities response to these poor souls was to label them as “illegal immigrants” and throw them in detention centers. And believe me, I’ve seen first hand accounts of the state of detention centers in that country.

I think the officials of these countries should ask themselves how our Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) would’ve acted. Would he be worried more about imaginary borders? Or would he lend out a hand, one Muslim’s hand to the other, regardless of their race, language or any other differentiating factors we Muslims are guilty of pandering about today? We all know the answer. Unfortunately the Rohingya are being made to pay for things beyond their control. In their own land, the Myanmar government refuses to recognize them as they’re not ethnically Burmese. The secular Bangladeshi government refuses to take them in despite religious, cultural and linguistic similarities with their own people, because after all, why would a secular government care about the plight of Muslims? Thailand, well say no more, their authorities are a disgrace. Malaysia and Indonesian authorities should be well and truly ashamed of themselves as well, but obviously shame is not something you associate with nationalists. After all,

“If you have no shame, then do as you please.”

Reply