(Bangkok) – Burmese security forces committed killings, rape, and mass arrests against Rohingya Muslims after failing to protect both them and Arakan Buddhists during deadly sectarian violence in western Burma in June 2012. Government restrictions on humanitarian access to the Rohingya community have left many of the over 100,000 people displaced and in dire need of food, shelter, and medical care.
The 56-page report, “‘The Government Could Have Stopped This’: Sectarian Violence and Ensuing Abuses in Burma’s Arakan State,” describes how the Burmese authorities failed to take adequate measures to stem rising tensions and the outbreak of sectarian violence in Arakan State. Though the army eventually contained the mob violence in the state capital, Sittwe, both Arakan and Rohingya witnesses told Human Rights Watch that government forces stood by while members from each community attacked the other, razing villages and committing an unknown number of killings.
The Burmese government should take urgent measures to end abuses by their forces, ensure humanitarian access, and permit independent international monitors to visit affected areas and investigate abuses, Human Rights Watch said.
The “Government Could Have Stopped This,” is based on 57 interviews conducted in June and July with affected Arakan, Rohingya, and others in Burma and in Bangladesh, where Rohingya have sought refuge from the violence and abuses.
The violence erupted in early June after reports circulated that on May 28 an Arakan Buddhist woman was raped and killed in the town of Ramri by three Muslim men. Details of the crime were circulated locally in an incendiary pamphlet, and on June 3 a large group of Arakan villagers in Toungop stopped a bus and brutally killed 10 Muslims on board. Human Rights Watch confirmed that nearby local police and army stood by and watched but did not intervene. In retaliation, on June 8 thousands of Rohingya rioted in Maungdaw town after Friday prayers, killed an unknown number of Arakan, and destroyed considerable Arakan property. Violence between Rohingya and Arakan then swept through Sittwe and surrounding areas.
Marauding mobs from both Arakan and Rohingya communities stormed unsuspecting villages and neighborhoods, brutally killed residents, and destroyed and burned homes, shops, and houses of worship. With little to no government security present to stop the violence, people armed themselves with swords, spears, sticks, iron rods, knives, and other basic weaponry. Inflammatory anti-Muslim media accounts and local propaganda fanned the violence. Numerous Arakan and Rohingya who spoke to Human Rights Watch reached the conclusion that the authorities could have prevented the violence and the ensuing abuses could have been avoided.
A 29-year-old Arakan man and an older Rohingya man each told Human Rights Watch, separately but in the same words, “The government could have stopped this.”
The Burmese army’s presence in Sittwe eventually stemmed the violence. However, on June 12, Arakan mobs burned down the homes of up to 10,000 Rohingya and non-Rohingya Muslims in the city’s largest Muslim neighborhood while the police and paramilitary Lon Thein forces opened fire on Rohingya with live ammunition.
A Rohingya man in Sittwe, 36, told Human Rights Watch that an Arakan mob “started torching the houses. When the people tried to put out the fires, the paramilitary shot at us. And the group beat people with big sticks.” Another Rohingya man from the same neighborhood said, “I was just a few feet away. I was on the road. I saw them shoot at least six people – one woman, two children, and three men. The police took their bodies away.”
In Sittwe, where the population was about half Arakan and half Muslim, most Muslims have fled the city or were forcibly relocated, raising questions about whether the government will respect their right to return home. Human Rights Watch found the center of the once diverse capital now largely segregated and devoid of Muslims.
In northern Arakan State, the army, police, Nasaka border guard forces, and Lon Thein paramilitaries have committed killings, mass arrests, and other abuses against Rohingya. They have operated in concert with local Arakan residents to loot food stocks and valuables from Rohingya homes. Nasaka and soldiers have fired upon crowds of Rohingya villagers as they attempted to escape the violence, leaving many dead and wounded.
“If the atrocities in Arakan had happened before the government’s reform process started, the international reaction would have been swift and strong,” said Adams. “But the international community appears to be blinded by a romantic narrative of sweeping change in Burma, signing new trade deals and lifting sanctions even while the abuses continue.”
Since June, the government has detained hundreds of Rohingya men and boys, who remain incommunicado. The authorities in northern Arakan State have a long history of torture and mistreatment of Rohingya detainees, Human Rights Watch said. In the southern coastal town of Moulmein, 82 fleeing Rohingya were reportedly arrested in late June and sentenced to one year in prison for violating immigration laws.
“The Burmese authorities should immediately release details of detained Rohingya, allow access to family members and humanitarian agencies, and release anyone not charged with a crime recognized under international law in which there is credible evidence,” Adams said. “This is a test case of the government’s stated commitment to reform and protecting basic rights.”
Burma’s 1982 Citizenship Law effectively denies Burmese citizenship to the Rohingya population, estimated at 800,000 to 1 million people. On July 12, Burmese President Thein Sein said the “only solution” to the sectarian strife was to expel the Rohingya to other countries or to camps overseen by the United Nations refugee agency.
“We will send them away if any third country would accept them,” he said.
Burmese law and policy discriminate against Rohingya, infringing on their rights to freedom of movement, education, and employment. Burmese government officials typically refer to the Rohingya as “Bengali,” “so-called Rohingya,” or the pejorative “Kalar,” and Rohingya face considerable prejudice from Burmese society generally, including from longtime democracy advocates and ethnic minorities who themselves have long faced oppression from the Burmese state.
Burma’s new human rights commission – led by chairman Win Mra, an ethnic Arakan – has not played an effective role in monitoring abuses in Arakan State, Human Rights Watch said. In a July 11 assessment of the sectarian violence, the commission reported on no government abuses, claimed all humanitarian needs were being met, and failed to address Rohingya citizenship and persecution.
“The Burmese government needs to urgently amend its citizenship law to end official discrimination against the Rohingya,” Adams said. “President Thein Sein cannot credibly claim to be promoting human rights while calling for the expulsion of people because of their ethnicity and religion.”
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The response has generally been quite quiet.
Just the below poster have described even in 21st century what the Myanmar President have said at UN...
"Besides, Burmese president already said that these illegally entered Bangladeshis will be sent to third countries through refugee camps. For that, why other Muslim countries could not accept these Muslim refugee to settle in their countries instead of blaming Burmese people. "
This clearly outline how apartheid this regime are. They are targeting minority only cause of their color, ethnicity and religion by saying they are illegal migrants when they are living their for centuries as an independent Kingdom from Myanmar.
This is no wonder why international community slapped sanction on Myanmar for the last 30 years.
It is not only Rohingyas but also 16 other minority groups making up 1/3 of the populationfighting for independence. This is how minorities are treated under this apartheid regime. Rohingyas suffered most as they are muslim, cause of their look and ethnicity.
Even noble prize winner "aung san suu kyi" and news papers termed them with racist word like "Kalar".
International community should slap tough sanction on Myanmar for this neo nazizm.
1st lie he said about history. Whether arab trader story true or nor but we have direct reference how there were Bengali connection with Arakan. That region was always independent from Myanmar but in 1406 attacked by bamar king of ava and he fled to Bengal. After 24 years the king attacked the region again with the help of bengal army and recapture the land. As a gratitude gave up half of Arakan to Kingdom of Bengal and converted to Islam and took the name Solaiman Shah. Since then he brought thousands and thousands Bengalis to settle there for agriculture and administrative work. They kept following many islamic and bengali tradition until British capture the land in 1786 and merge it with Myanmar in 1822 for better administrative purpose. In fact during that time dutch and british brought many bengalis to settle there for agricultural work.
Please google "Kingdom of Mrauk U".
This is the history of these Rohingya muslims those who have been living there for centuries. This makes sense for them to ask for independent Arakan as it was before brotish came. Arakan was never part of Myanmar to begin with until British merge it with Myanmar.
There are several other reason for asking for independence as they have been targeted and genocide have been carried out on them since 1950s.
Sounds exactly how Lebanese treat Palestinian refugees.
“The majority need to have mercy on the minority. The majority have to be more compassionate and have more understanding. Don’t lose your temper,” she said, adding that “some people won’t agree with me saying so.”
These so called "Rohingyas" claims that they are Arab traders who settled there in 8th century. Can you believe ther fake history?
In 1947, Rohingyas in Burma formed Mujahid Party which supported jihad movement in northern Rakhine state. The aim of Mujahid Party was to create a Muslim Autonomous state in Rakhine. Those ex-citizens of Bangladesh so called "Rohingyas" DID ask for islamic state and fought against Burmese Army in the past.
Please study the history.
Besides, Burmese president already said that these illegally entered Bangladeshis will be sent to third countries through refugee camps. For that, why other Muslim countries could not accept these Muslim refugee to settle in their countries instead of blaming Burmese people.
Please know this - Burma had great Muslim leaders in the past, Burma still has great Muslims in the present.
Think what if your country is invaded by a group of people and they are asking to be recoganized as ethnic minority.