ROHINGYA ARE INDIGENOUS TO BURMA

Press Release
31 January 2009

We strongly protest and condemn SPDC for its lie in ‘New Light of Myanmar’ dated 29th January 2009 - “Rohinja is not included in over 100 national races of the Union of Myanmar”. This is an evil design to deny us of our rights, and we rebut as follows:


1. The Rohingya are a people characterized by objective criteria, such as historical continuity, and subjective factors including self-identification, which need to define an indigenous people. They are a people having supporting history, separate culture, civilization, language and literature, historically settled territory and reasonable size of population and area in Arakan - they consider themselves distinct from other sector of the society.

2. Arakan was virtually ruled by Muslims from 1430 to 1531. The heyday of Arakan began with the influence and spread of Muslim civilization in Arakan. Coins and medallion were issued inscribing Kalema (the profession of faith in Islam) in Arabic script. Besides, practice of Muslim etiquettes and manners in the court of Arakan, the adoption of Muslim titles by the kings of Arakan and system of governance, the Muslim Quazi courts and literary activities, use of Bengali and Persian as court and official languages, etc. are the evidences of Muslim rule in Arakan.

3. The first President of Burma Sao Shwe Theik stated: “Muslims of Arakan certainly belong to one of the indigenous races of Burma. In fact, there is no pure indigenous race in Burma, if they do not belong to indigenous races of Burma, we also cannot be taken as indigenous races of Burma”.

4. Under Article 3 of the Nu-Attlee Treaty of 17 October 1947, and under Section 11(i)(ii)(iii) of the Constitution of the Union of Burma 1947,effected 4 January 1948, the Rohingyas are citizens of Burma.

5. Being one of the indigenous communities of Burma, the Rohingya were enfranchised in all national election - during the later colonial period (1935-1948), democratic period (1948-1962), Ne Win’s Socialist Programme Party (BSPP) period (1974-1988) and the last multi-party general election of 1990 held by the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC), the previous name for the ruling SPDC. In their exercise of franchise, the Rohingya elected their representatives to the Legislative Assembly, Constituent Assembly, the Parliament, People’s Assembly and People’s Council of different levels. Their representatives were appointed as cabinet ministers and parliamentary secretaries.

6. Recognizing Rohingya as an indigenous ethnic group, the previous parliamentary government (1948-1962) of Burma stated, “the Rhingya is as the same par in the status of nationality with Kachin, Kayah, Karen, Mon, Rakhine and Shan”. As such, Rohingyas participated as State Guests in the Union Day Celebration held in Rangoon on 12 February every year. Rohingya language was also relayed twice a week from the official Burma Broadcasting service (BBS) Rangoon, in its ‘Indigenous Races’ Broadcasting Programme’ from 15 May 1961 to 30 October 1965.

The Rangoon University Rohingya Students Association was one of the ethnic student associations that functioned from 1959 to 1961 under the registration numbers 113/99 December 1959 and 7/60 September 1960 respectively. In addition, the military regime affirmed in its official book “Sasana Ronwa Htunzepho” published in 1997, “Islam spread and deeply rooted in Arakan since 8th century from where it further spread into interior Burma”. “Myanmar Swezon Kyan” Vol.9, page 89/90 mentions that 75% of the population in Mayu Frontier is Rohingya. Francis Buchaman stated that he met Rohingya in 1795 at Ava.

7. In its “Position Paper on Persecution of Muslims in Arakan State” dated September 24, 1992, submitted to the United Nations, the National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma (exile government) affirmed that::-

* Muslim Rohingyas have lived in Arakan for centuries,
* Muslim Rohingyas are Burmese citizens,
* Muslim Rohingyas have the same rights and privileges as other citizens of Burma regardless of their ethnic beliefs or ethnic background.

The above evidences confirm that the Rohingya is a Burma’s ethnic nationality. Yet they are not tolerated and are systematically excluded and rendered ‘stateless’ in their own homeland because of their religious belief and ethnicity. They are dying alive facing ‘slow-burning genocide’, which has international jurisdiction with ‘individual responsibility’ of the perpetrators. Last not the least, the Rohingya need international protection.

For contact:-
Nurul Islam,

Phone:
+44 7947854652,
+ 880 31 671477

email:
info@rohingya.org
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afkjilani@yahoo.com
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Source: Kaladan Press