reviving the
courageous
hearts
reviving the courageous hearts ______________________________________________________ a report by arakan rohingya salvation army
1
describing history of rohingya genocide, their resistance movements and emergence of arsa (r ef no: arsa/rp/01/2019)
TABLE OF CONTENTS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
5
1.0.
BRIEF HISTORY OF ARAKAN
6
2.0.
PRECURSOR TO ROHINGYA GENOCIDE
9
•
• • • •
2.1. Arakan under the Great Britain: 1942 Massacre of Arakanese Muslims and Aftermaths 2.2. Burma after Independence: Beginning of Rohingya Genocide 2.3. 1978 Exodus: “Operation Dragon King” 2.4. 1991 Refugee Exodus: Operation Pyi Thayar 2.5. 1993 Refugee Refugee Repatriation-Rohingya Post
10 12 13 15 15
3.0.
BRIEF HISTORY: ROHINGYA ARMED RESISTANCES AGAINST BURMESE TYRANTS
17
4.0.
FINAL STAGES OF GENOCIDE
21
4.1. Political Transition in Burma: Preludes to 2012 Violence 4.2. The 2012 Violence
22 22
ROHINGYA RESISTANCES IN RESPONSE TO 2012 VIOLENCE
25
• •
5.0.
• •
5.1. Rohingya Resistances and the 2016 Violence 5.2. Pre-planned in 2017: Largest Violence since 1942
26 28
6.0.
BACKGROUND: BACKGROUND : COMMANDER – IN –CHIEF OF ARSA
31
7.0.
ROHINGYA IN ARAKAN: BEFORE AND AFTER ARSA
35
• • • •
8.0.
7.1. Fighting Human Trafficking 7.2. Curbing Curbing Illicit Drug Drug Trades Trades 7.3. Containing Dowry Syndrome 7.4. Child Abuse
FUTURE ASPECT •
8.1. Final Notes
36 38 39 41 43 44
3
BIBLIOGRAPHY/REFERENCE BIBLIOGRAPHY/REFERENCE LIST
46
ANNEX I
49
ANNEX II
50
ANNEX III
51
ANNEX IX
56
ANNEX V
59
ANNEX VI
60
ANNEX VII
63
ANNEX VIII
67
4
executive summary
or hidden Genocide of Rohingya is no longer hidden from the world. It has been well The slow-burningExecutive Summary
planned and executed by the the successive governments or military regimes of Burma, now called Myanmar, as a matter of State’s Policy. Policy. The study of Rohingya existence and eradication of their population from their ancestral homeland clearly indicate the Genocidal Intent of the Terror State, Burma. The Genocidal process had begun well before the 1942 Rohingya massacre, led by Buddhist monks and Burma and Rakhine ultranationalist leaders who titled themselves as Thakin (Master), Thakin (Master), resulting in deaths of hundreds of thousands of (Rohingya) women, children and men. The Burmese governments have carefully crafted the genocidal process by inciting fear, spreading hate propaganda, institutionalising discriminations, means of dehumanisation and committing waves of mass killing and forced expulsion of Rohingya People. The Burmese Terrorist Army Chief, Snr. Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, admitted on 1st September 2017 that Rohingya is an unfinished business from WWII, once again indicating their Genocidal Intent. Over the last seven decades, various groups of Rohingyas’ resistance movements, both armed and unarmed, started in response to tthe he Burmese Genocidal government’s atrocities against their people, and to defend t heir lives and properties. Some groups have even laid down arms in good faith based on the government’s promises to restore the legitimate rights of Rohingya people. All the promises were later bluntly denied by the successive terrorist regimes and rather, they continued to gradually destroy the Rohingya people as a whole. Along the struggles for freedom from persecutions perse cutions and survival for their existence, the Rohingya people have always shown their desire to achieve their goals iin n peaceful manner. In doing so, they have mostly sought the help of international community and taken part in the Burmese political process, whenever opportunities were presented. Especially, contributions of the Rohingya Politicians during Parliamentary Democracy during PM U Nu’s time, in 1990 and 2010 elections were significant. However, during 2015 election, Rohingya’s were wilfully denied participation in the election process. Came in 2012, the Burmese terrorist government led by the tyrant former President Thein Sein orchestrated one of the worst ever genocidal violence in the history of Rohingya. As As the existence and human rights of the Rohingya people were not protected in the country, as a last resort, (ARSA) stood up against the Burmese genocidal tyrants in response to the genocidal violence. ARSA will continue its resistance to defend the people from the genocidal military in line with the right right to self-defence under International Law; and until all the legitimate rights of the Rohingya people and their native ethnic status are restored in Burma.
5
0.1. brief history of arakan
Arakan (now changed to Rakhine state officially) is an occupied state of modern-day Myanmar located in the western coastal side of the country. Like other ethnic groups of people living in the state, Rohingya is indigenous to the land of Arakan. Their forefathers have settled in Arakan since peopling began in the region. They have genealogical link to with the Hindu and Mahayana and Mahayana Buddhist Buddhist people of ancient ancie nt Arakan kingdoms, under (South (South Asian) Asian) Chandra dynasties, dynasties , of Dhanyavadi and a nd Vaishali Vaishali (or ( or Vesali/W esali/ Wesali) esali) periods. They belong to Indo-Aryan linguistic group of people of the Indian subcontinent speaking an I ndo-European language and hence, are genetically closely related with the sub-continental people. “The Burmese do not seem to have settled in Arakan until possibly as late as the tenth century A.D. Hence, earlier dynasties are thought to have been Indian, ruling over a population similar to that of Bengal. All the capitals known to history have been in the north near modern Akyab.”1 (Hall, 1968, p. 389) (*Burmese here is inclusive of Rakhines.) Forefathers of existing South Asian population of Arakan or modern day Rohingya people people professing Hinduism, ( Mahayana) Mahayana) Buddhism and Animism (at the time) ‘came into contact with Islam through Arab traders around 8th century A.D.’ 2 (Abdurrahim, 1963, p. p. 37) and majority of them accepted the faith of Islam afterwards. Over the time, the existing exist ing local South Asian (or Indian) population (accepting the faith of Islam) have mixed with Arabs, Persians and people from other parts of the world arriving in Arakan for trade, commerce and other purposes; and settling sett ling there. However, the Rohingya people still overwhelmingly carry South Asian (or Indian) ancestry ance stry.. The forefathers of the people known as Rakhine as Rakhine ethnic group — group — a branch of Burman (Burmese) race according to the late renown Burmese Historian Dr. Than Tun 4 — were the last significant group to have entered Arakan through a Mongolian invasion around 957 A.D. 5 and therefore, ending existing Indian Chandra dynasty of Wesali Wesali (Collis and Bu, 1925, p. 486) 486) and destabilizing existing local population. That led to a rapid and momentous political and cultural revolution in Arakan Arakan during (early) 10th century A.D. A.D. (U Aye Aye Chan, 1975-1976) and creating a new ethnic population now known as Rakhine who are closer to the Burman (Burmese) with an ethnic e thnic admixture of original south Asian inhabitants of Arakan. In 1406, Burmese forces from the kingdom of Ava invaded the Launggret, a Rakhine kingdom during the Lemro period of ancient Arakan, and deposed its King Min Saw Mon (alias Narameikh Hla). The king fled to Gaur, the capital of neighboring Bengal, for asylum. After 24 years in exile, in 1430, with the help of Bengal sultanate, King Min Saw Mon ascended back to his throne and carried a Muslim title name as King Suleiman Shan. As such, the golden era in the history of Arakan, Mrauk-U (Patthar Killa) Kingdom, began. 6 (Topich, (Topich, William J. & Leitich Keith A., 2013, p. 29)
______________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ ____ 1. Hall, D.G.E. (Daniel George Edward), 1968, A history of South East Asia, 3rd Edition, London: Macmillan, London and New York: St. Martin Press 2. Abdurrahim, M., 1963, Social and Cultural History of Bengal, Vol. 1, Karachi 3. Dr. Dr. Than Tun, 2004, 80th Birthday Bulletin, Open Letter to Than Tun, Rakhine Thahaya magazine, Yangon 5. Collis, M (Morris ) and Bu, S.S. (San Shwe), 1925, Arakan’s Arakan’s Place in the Civilization of the Bay, Journal of the Burma Research Society 15 6. U Aye Chan, 1975-1976, Assessment of Rakhine History, Rakhine Tasaung Tasaung Magazine, Rangoon Topich, William William J. & Leitich Keith A., 2013, The History of Myanmar, Greenwood: Greenwood: An Imprint of ABC-CLIO, LLC, Santa Barbar a, California
7
Though King Min Saw Mon and other successive kings were Rakhine (Theraveda) Buddhists, they all carried Muslim title names, the Persian language l anguage was adopted as the official language and Coins bearing the Kalimah (the Islamic confession of Faith, See Annex: I ) were used officially as a part of the pre-conditions by the Sultan of Bengal. Rohingya Muslims played key roles not only in the Administrations, the hybrid Buddhist-Islamic Courts, the Army but also in the t he Trade and Commerce. Therefore, both Rohingya Muslims and Rakhine Buddhists peacefully co-existed side by side until the Burmese King Bodaw violently invaded Arakan, expelled its people towards Bengal and incorporated it with Burma proper in 1784. After the first Anglo-Burmese war from 1824 from 1826, the British forces annexed and occupied Arakan and put it under their administrations. After waging three wars with Burmese, the British finally took control of whole Burma in 1884. When the British was giving independence to Burma, they made Arakan a part of the Union of Burma and handed over the faith fai th of its people, —Rohingya, Rakhine and others— in the hands of cruel Burmese ultranationalists. Come today, today, the Burmese terrorist military milit ary and government are on the course of destruction of the Rohingya as a whole and committing Genocide. Burmese want to own their homeland but disown them.
8
2.0. precursor to rohingya genocide
Rohingya children stand outside shelters at Naya para refugee camp in 1993. © UNHCR/Caroline Gluck
2.1. Arakan under the Great Britain: 1942 Massacre of Arakanese Muslims and Aftermaths On 1 September 2017, Myanmar army Chief Snr. Gen. Min Aung Hlaing said it was an unfinished business from World World War War II making making reference to the 1942 violence during WWII in which Burmese ultranationalists and Rakhine extremist colluded to destroy the population of Arakanese Muslims such as Rohingyas, Kamans and others; and thereby, clearly revealing Burmese intent to destroy the Rohingya population. When the Japanese advanced into Arakan in 1942, (Rakhine) Buddhists instigated cruel measures against the Muslim population. Thousands of Muslims (their exact number is unknown) were expelled from regions under Japanese rule in which Buddhists constituted a majority. The Muslims fled to eastern Bengal, to North Arakan, seeking refuge refuge in territories under British military rule. As they fled, many many were were killed or died of starvation. For their part, Muslims conducted retaliatory raids from British controlled territories where they were the majority, particularly in the vicinity of Maungdaw. Maungdaw.7 (Yegar, 2002, p.33) From early 1930s throughout 1939, members of a nationalist body of young Burmese middle class and University Students called Dou-bama called Dou-bama Asi-ayoun (Our Burma Association who titled themselves as Thakins (Masters) took a prominent role in a wave of serious anti-Indian rioting in Rangoon and other parts of Burma.8 (Baylyn and Harper, Harper, 2005, p.9) In the violent riots targeting both Hindus Hindus and Muslims of Indian origin, hundreds of people were killed. Eventually, during Second World World War, War, 500,000 Indians were chased out of the country by the elements of Thakin movement and young nationalists of Burma Independence Army.9 (Smith, 1997, p.101) The anti-Indian hate quickly turned into anti-Muslim hate due to the fact that most of the Muslims in Burma were of Indian descends and the violence quickly spread to the Arakan state, the native of Rohingyas or Arakanese Muslims, from Burma proper through the Rakhine Thakin ultranationalists. This anti-Indian hatred turning into Anti-Muslim hatred was compounded by the unfolding Japan-British War. In the war, local Rohingya Muslims sided with British forces; and Burmese and Rakhine Buddhists sided with the Japanese forces invading the country upon invitations by the Burmese Thakins. It created hostility for Rohingya Muslims in Arakan State and they became a common target of Burmese and Rakhine ultranationalists. 10 (Jilani, 1999, p.131) As the British forces withdrew from Burma or Arakan in early 1942, an administrative vacuum was created and later, administrative authorities reached to the hand of a Rakhine ultranationalist U Kyaw Khine and others.
______________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ __ 7. Yegar Yegar,, M, 2002, Between Integration and Secession: The Muslim Communities of Southern Philippines, s outhern Thailand and Western Burma/Myanmar, Burma/Myanmar, Lexington Books 8. Baylyn, C and Harper T, 2005, Forgotten Forgotten Armies: The Fall of British Asia, 1941-1945, The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts 9.Smith, M, 1997, Burma: The Challenge of Change in a Divided Society, Macmillan Press Ltd in Association with ST Antony’s College, Oxford 10. Jilani A, 1999, The Rohingyas of Arakan: Their Quest for Justice, 1st Edition, Taj Library
10
In effect, the Rakhine ultranationalists and extremists easily got control of the arsenal and weapons left behind by the British forces. Taking Taking advantage of the situation, the Burmese and Rakhine Thakins colluded against Arakanese Muslims (Rohingyas and others) and began massacring them in order to eradicate them. The violence considered as the worst ever in the history of the local Arakanese Muslims started on March 28, 1942, from Chanbilli and Lambaissor villages villages in Min Bya Township Township and later spread s pread throughout Arakan. It killed more than 100,000 Rohingyas, according to the local Muslim accounts, and forcing thousands of them from the South of Arakan to the North and the East Bengal and hence, permanently creating clear clea r demographic divides in Arakan as Muslim Majority north and Buddhist Majority South. Thereafter, from 1942 to 1945, Rohingya took control of Maungdaw, Buthidaung and part of Rathedaung; and ruled the regions under an administration called Peace Committee.11 (Jilani A, 1999, 1999, p.134) p.134) In May 1942, the t he British established Voluntary Voluntary Force known as V-force, a reconnaissance, intelligence-gathering and guerrilla organization, against Japanese forces during the Burma Campaign in World War II. The Rohingyas were recruited as members of the V Force (See the Logo in Annex II) as the British prepared to re-conquest Burma. The Rohingya proved to be very loyal to the British army and with their help playing a very crucial role, the British eventually took over Arakan again and then, whole Burma. Regarding Rohingya's loyalty and generosity, British Army Captain Anthony Irwin in his Burmese Outposts wrote: “Yet they (Arakanese Muslims) have come back with us and fought, and died with and for us. I sometimes wonder any other people in like circumstances can tell the same of story of loyalty and patience as can these Mussulmen Arakanese.”12 (Irwin, 1945, p.23) “They are living in a hostile country and have been for hundreds of years and yet they survive. They are perhaps to be compared with the Jews. A nation within within a nation, the apple tree hating growth of mistletoe, but not being able to destroy it. They are stoic to a degree. No amount of bullying will make them talk against their will. Bully them and they will shut up like clams. Be kind to them and treat them as human beings and and they will prove loyal and immensely hospitable.”13 (Irwin, 1945 1945 p.25) When the British retook over Burma, the Rohingya, for their part, also handed over the administration of Maungdaw, Maungdaw, Buthidaung and Part of Rathedaung under Peace Committee to the British in 1945. In return for their loyalty and generous help towards the British, according to the local Rohingyas, the British was said to have promised them to make the (Mayu) region autonomous for them.
______________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ ____ 11. Jilani A, 1999, The Rohingyas of Arakan: Their Quest for Justice, 1st Edition, Taj Library 12. rwin, A, 1945, Burmese Outpost, Collins 13. Ibid.
11
2.2. Burma after aft er Independence: Beginning of Rohingya Genocide Burma achieved independence from Great Britain in January 1948. Rohingya was not given any autonomous region but their destiny was left in the hands of hostile and cruel Burmese and Rakhine ultranationalists. Shortly after independence, the Burma Territorial Force (BTF), levies (auxiliary force) originally establis hed in 1945 under Burma Police Act14 (Myoe, 2009, p.76) composed of hostile Burmese and Rakhine Buddhists, began indiscriminately killing Rohingya Rohingya people, raping their women and burning burning their villages to ashes. The old Rohingya folks still alive today tremble hearing the name of the BTF. Such was the degree of terror and pains caused by the BTF to the Rohingya population. The violence by the BTF and other Burmese forces continued throughout early 1950s and expelled 250,000 Rohingyas to the neighboring East Bengal, the then east Pakistan, in 1951. 15 (Times of London, 1951) In an open letter to the Leaders of the Burmese government, Arakan Muslim Conference for the first time described their violence and atrocities crimes against the Rohingya Muslims as GENOCIDE in 1951. 16 (Arakan Muslim Conference, June 1951) (See Annex III ) Rohingya Muslims of Arakan, due to the political exclusion and getting subjected to the e xtreme measures of cruelties during and after Burma Independence, put up armed resistance to the BTF and other Burmese forces. The resistance movement was led by a young Rohingya singer Jafar Hussain popularly known as Jafar Kawwal from from Buthidaung Township Township known to outsiders as Mujahid rebels rebel s and to the locals l ocals as Furukiya. In a short s hort span of time, they pretty much took control of Maungdaw, Maungdaw, Buthidaung and parts of Rathedaung. The resistance group split into various factions later onward but their resistance continued throughout 1968.17 (Jilani A, 1999, p.168) In 1961, a major Mujahid rebel group le d by Robiullah chose to lay down their arms before the Burmese government as they promised them to fulfill all their demands for ethnic rights, political rights and other human rights. r ights. Brigadier General Aung Gyi, a member of General Ne Win’s 4th Burma Rifles rising up to Brigadier General, Vice Chief of Staffs, and number two in the Union Revolutionary Council led by General Ne Win’s Win’s 1962 military coup 18 (Ullah, 2016), during during his speech on the eve of the ceremony to honor the surrendering Mujahid rebels, said “we categorically recognize Rohingya as Ethnic minority.” 19 (Khet Yay Magazine, 1961, p.25 and p.26) However, soon after Dictator Gen. Ne Win seized power from Prime Minister U Nu through a coup d’état in 1962, he nationalized the economy and confiscated most of the properties and businesses of Burmese Indians. He ordered large-scale expulsion of the Burmese Indians from the country numbering approximately 300,000. Along with that, the situation of the ethnic Rohingya Muslims became worse than ever. General New Win Win planned out details and established the roadmap to destroy the Rohingya Rohingya people as a whole. whole. During his time, he carried out operation after an operation targeting the Rohingya population.
______________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ ____ 14. Aung Myoe, M, 2009, Building the Tatmadaw: Major Armed Forces Since 1948, Institute of South East Asian Studies, Singa pore 15. Times of London Correspondent, 1951, Muslim R efugees in East B engal, Times of London, Karachi, 26 December 16. Arakan Muslim Conference, Conference, 1951, STOP GENOCIDE of Muslims Who Alone Stand In-Between “COMMUNISM” and “DEMOCRACY” IN ARAKAN, Open Letter to the Burmese Government and the Democracy, Alethankyaw District Akyab Arakan Burma, June 1951 17. Jilani A, 1999, The Rohingyas of Arakan: Their Quest for Justice, 1st Edition, Taj Taj Library 18. Ullah, A, 2016, Brigadier General Aung Gyi and Rohingya Ethnic, Rohingya Vision TV, 30 May. URL: http://www.rvi siontv.com/brigadier-general-aung-gyi-and-rohingya-ethn siontv.com/brigadier-general-aung-gyi-and-rohingya-ethnic/ ic/ 19. Khet Yay Magazine, 1961, Speech by Brigadier General Aung Gyi at Mujahid Rebels Sur Surrender render Ceremony, Ceremony, Mayu Special Issue, Ministry of Defence, Union of Burma, 4 July
12
One of the worst operations carried out against the Rohingya under the dictatorship of General Ne Win was Naga Min (Dragon King) Operation in 1978. For the second time in the history of Rohingya, the RPF (Rohingya Patriotic Front) in its compendium described the atrocity crimes against Rohingya as GENOCIDE.20 (RPF, 1978)
2.3. 1978 Exodus: “Operation Dragon King” The Naga Min (Dragon King) operation was carried out by the Burmese immigration and military authorities in 1978 to expel the Rohingyas from the country with a false motive of national effort to register citizens citi zens and 21 screen out foreigners prior to a national census. (Elahi, 1987, p.231) Operation King-Dragon marked the military’s first organized attempt to discredit disc redit the Rohingya as Indigenous native people to Arakan, Burma. By May 1978, more than 200,000 Rohingya had to flee towards Bangladesh and this is reportedly in record that the Burmese Military had forcibly expelled them with widespread Army brutality; execution, rape and approximately Rohingya were thrown to detention, etc. 22 (Smith, 1991, p.241) p.241) An estimated 10,000 Rohingya died in Bangladesh refugee camps between May to December of 1978, through starvation and malnutrition. Followed by the agreement made between the governments of Burma and Bangladesh through the mediation of United Nations, in which Burma recognized the Rohingya as LAWFUL RESIDENTS (of Union of Burma).23 (Repatriation Agreement, 1978) 1978) (See Annex IV). Rohingya refugees began to return home. In the early months of the repatriation, only few refugees went back, but the number of returnees increased when the Bangladesh government made the camp conditions unliveable and reduced Food Rations. 24 (Smith, 1991, p.241) And within the year, year, more than half of the Rohingya voluntarily voluntarily returned to Burma. Historians characterize Operation Dragon King as a prelude to the 1982 Citizenship law. The contentious law established a list of ethnic groups eligible for citizenship. The law excluded the Rohingya, left them without access to public services and limited their freedom of movement (including their livelihood). 25 (Reid, 1994, p. 13-14) The late ultranationalist Rakhine historian Dr. Aye Aye Kyaw, Kyaw, made it unequivocally clear, cl ear, the 1982 Law was primarily intended to exclude Rohingyas from Citizenship eligibility by requiring the non-existent documentation to prove their residency before the first Anglo-Burmese War. War.26 (Aye (Aye Kyaw, Kyaw, 2012)
______________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ ____ 20. RPF (Rohingya Patriotic Front), 1978, Genocide in Bur ma against The Muslims of Arakan, Rohingya Patr iotic Front, Arakan (Burma) 21. Elahin, K Mahmoud, 1987, The Rohingya Refugees in Bangladesh: Historical Perspectives and Consequences," In John Rogge (ed.), Refugees: A Third World Dilemma, (New Jersey: Rowman and Littlefield) 22. Smith, M. (Martin) , 1991, Burma: Insurgency and the Politics of Ethnicity, London and New Jersey: Zed Books 23. Repatriation Agreement between the Government of Burma and the Government of Bangladesh, 1978 24. Smith, M. (Martin) , 1991, Burma: Insurgency and the Politics of Ethnicity, (London and New Jersey: Zed Books) 25. Reid, T (Tony), (Tony), 1994, Repatriation of Arakanese Muslims from Bangladesh to Burma: 1978-79 [Arranged Reversal of the Flow of an Ethnic Minority," Paper presented to the 4th International Research and Advisory Panel Conference,] University of Oxford, January 26. gggAye Kyaw, Kyaw, 2012, Burmese Language Interview to Irrawaddy News Magazine. [The late Aye Kyaw was a Monash University-trained Rakhine historian, who served on the Citizenship Drafting Committee established by ex-General Ne Win, the then despot. He emphatically stated that the new Citizenship Act was aimed specifically at de-nationalizing and disenfranchising Rohingyas, whom he considered the British colonial-era agricultural “coolies” from Chittagong, East Bengal.] http://www.http://www.mei.edu/publications/waves-genocidal-terror-against-rohingyas-myanmar-and-resultant-exodus-1978#_edn14 13
"1978 Refugee Exodus after King Dragon Operation (Credit: UNHCR/B. Gymsembergh)
2.4. 1991 Refugee Exodus: Operation Pyi Thayar Operation Pyi Thayar [Operation Delightful Nation] was a Military operation conducted by the Myanmar Armed Forces in Northern Arakan that took place between 1991 and 1992. 27 (Hodal, 2012) The flow of Rohingya exodus from Arakan to Bangladesh started in 1991 and 1992, when more than 250,000 Rohingya had to flee themselves from unlawful killing, enforced disappearance, arbitrary arrest, f orced labor, religious persecution, rape and and sexual violence violence at the hands of the Burmese army and the flow continued till the end of 1990s.28 (HRW, (HRW, 1993) (Lambrecht, (Lambrecht , 1995) Later, with the assistance of UNHCR and non-governmental relief agencies, the government of Bangladesh sheltered the refugees in nineteen camps located at Cox's Bazar in the country. The Rohingya repatriation started in September 1992, which was disrupted by Human Rights Watch (HRW) and other Humanitarian Organizations for the previous reports of forced repatriation. 29 (HRW, (HRW, 1993) 1993 ) Then in December 1992, UNHCR agreed a formal Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Bangladeshi government and in May 1993 began to interview re fugees individually in order to ensure that the Bangladeshi authorities were respecting the principle of voluntariness. But due to the survey that revealed that less than 30% Rohingya wanted to repatriate, so, the process was delayed till July 1994. 30 (HRW, (HRW, 1993) 1993 ) However, in the time span of 1993 -1997, nearly 230,000 refugees returned to home. Then in 1997, the Bangladeshi authorities sought to return as many refugees as possible before the deadline, where they forcibly repatriated more than three hundreds of Rohingya across the Naf River into Burma. 31 (AI, 1997) Since then, till today, more than 100,000 Rohingya refugees have been living as undocumented refugees in Bangladesh.
2.5. Rohingya Post 1992-1993 Refugee Repatriation Nevertheless, even after the return of many Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh following the repatriation agreement, the persecutions and atrocities against the Rohingya Rohingya people in Arakan have continued. In early 1990s, the Burmese junta created a new armed force called Nasaka, a border guard force, specially designed to target the Rohingya population. The Rohingya people were persecuted more than ever under that oppressive apparatus, Nasaka. Till its abolishment in July 201332 (Aurther, 2013) and replacement with Border Guard Police (BGP) later, Nasaka carried out countless at rocities and crimes of Genocide against the Rohingya
______________________________________________________
27. Hodal. K (Kate), (20 December) 2012, "Trapped inside Burma's refugee camps, the Rohingya people call for recognition", The Guardian. [Retrieved 25 September 2017]. URL: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/dec/20/burma-rohing ya-muslim-refugee-camps 28. (a) HRW (Human Rights Watch), (Oct 9) 1993, "Bangladesh: Abuse of Burmese Refugees from Arakan," Vol. Vol. 5, No. 17. (b) Curt Lambrecht. C (Curt), (March 1995), The Return Retur n of the Rohingya Refugees to Burma: Voluntary Repatriation R epatriation or Refoulement?, (Washington, (Washington, DC: US Committee for Refugees), March 1995. For a discussion of the repatriation from 1992 to 1995 29. HRW (Human Rights Watch), (Oct 9) 1993, "Bangladesh: Abuse of Burmese Refugees from Arakan," Vol. 5, No. 17 https://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/reports/BANGLADE93O.PDF .hrw.org/sites/default/files/reports/BANGLADE93O.PDF 30. Ibid. 31. AI (Amnesty International), Sept 1997, MYANMAR/BANGLADESH: MYANMAR/BANGLADESH: ROHINGYAS ROHINGYAS - The Search Search for Safety, Safety, (London), p. 4. https://www.amnesty.or https://www.amnesty.org/download/Documents/160000/asa130071997en.pdf g/download/Documents/160000/asa130071997en.pdf 32. Aurther, Aurther, M, 2013, Sudden Abolishment of NaSaKa Institution and its Aftermaths, Rohingya Blogger, 12 July http://www.rohttp://www.rohingyablogger.com/2013/07/the-sudden-abolishment-of-nasaka. 15
Rohingya Women Rounded Up by Burmese Military and Immigration Officials. Credit: SCRIBD - Maung Zarni
people: right from marriage restrictions, population control, travel restrictions, tortures, arbitra ry arrests and unlawful detentions, rapes of women, extrajudicial killings, forced labors to money extortions, including taxing on animals and plants belong to Rohingyas. In 1994, as the members of RSO (Rohingya Solidarity Organization) rebelled against Burmese (Myanmar) armed forces especially in the vicinity of Maungdaw and Buthidaung, the Burmese forces rather chose to go after unarmed Rohingya civilians: killed them indiscriminately i ndiscriminately,, tortured them and subjected them to enforced e nforced disappearances, instead of going after RSO members. The Burmese forces subjected the Rohingya villagers to forced labors and arbitrary arrests and unlawful detentions. In Akyab (Sittwe) in February in 2001, some Rakhine miscreants attacked local Rohingya residents and the Burmese junta backed the extremists. Dozens of Rohingyas were killed and many of their properties were destroyed. The persecutions and atrocity crimes against Rohingyas continued, in covert or overt form, until the violence in June 2012 considered to be the beginning of the full-fledged Genocide.
Rohingya after Fleeing Killings in Burma during Operation Pyi Thayar in 1991 (Credit: Edith Mirante/Project Mirante/Proje ct Maje)
16
3.0. brief history: rohingya armed resistances against burmese tyrants
Mohammed Jafar Habib alias BA Jafar, the Father of modern Rohingya armed revolutionary movements
Being put to serious task of maintaining their existence since Burmese independence, the Rohingyas were compelled to put up resistances to the brutal Burmese. As such, their human rights and existence were (are) not protected by laws in Burma (Myanmar), the Rohingya people have sporadically chosen to rebel against the Burmese tyrants as endorsed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights whereas it is essential, if man is not to be compelled to have recourse, as a last resort, to rebellion against tyranny and oppression, that human rights should be protected by the rule of law. law. Post 2000 CE, almost all Rohingya armed resistance movements that operated along International border chose a different paths of struggles for freedom, ethnic rights and other human rights of Rohingya, while some remnants of RSO were declared declare d defunct. Armed resistance movement leaders such as Mr. Nurul Islam, Dr. Mohamed Yunus, Prof. Mohamed Zakaria and others embraced non-armed political movements and activism especially in the western countries. Though their concerted efforts through activism and political lobbyism created some awareness of the decades-long sufferings of Rohingya around the world, which is laudable, nothing has really improved when it came to the plight of the Rohingya people back at home. Call it inaction or failure by the United Nations or other powerful inter national bodies, the condition of Rohingya was rather getting worse at home. The Burmese oppressive and genocidal apparatus such as NaSaKa, Police, Hlon Hteinn (paramilitary force) and Military Intelligence (MI) [abolished in Oct 2004 and later replaced with Sayapha (Military Sayapha (Military Intelligence Service)] have been silently and yet effectively destroying the very existence of Rohingya. They carried out all sorts of cruelties and oppressions against the Rohingya: from imposing restrictions on freedom of education, movement, worship, expression; restrictions on livelihoods; restric tions on marriages; imposing population control measures; and committing arbitrary arrests, unlawful detentions, money extortions, forced labors, enforced disappearances, tortures to sometimes extrajudicial killings. In short, the Burmese armed apparatuses unleashed reigns of terror and continued to commit most of the elements of Genocide against the Rohingya population between the period of 2000 and 2012. Thousands of Rohingyas have fled their homeland to escape from atrocities. Some of the known armed revolutionery/resistance groups of the Rohingyas against the Burmese tyranny since Independence of Burma are as follows: 33
______________________________________________________ 33. Jilani A, 1999, The Rohingyas of Arakan: Their Quest for Justice, 1st Edition, Taj Library
18
Mujahid Mujahid party founded by Jafar Hussain Hussain alias alias Jafar Jafar Kawwal (1948-1949 (1948-1949
Rohingya Independence Force (RIF) [formed in 1964, led by Master Sultan & Mohammed Jafar Habib alias B.A. Jafar
RIF name changed into Rohingya Patriotic Front (RPF) [in 1973, led by B.A. Jafar & Shuna Ali
In later years, it split into many factions
Mr. Nurul Islam joined RPF in 1974. RPF leadership restructured & led by B.A. Jafar & Mr. Nurul Islam
Dr. Mohamed Yunus joined RPF in 1975. RPF leadership restructured again & led by B.A. Jafar, Mr. Nurul Islam & Dr. Mohamed Yunus
A major faction led by Robiullah Robiullah surrendered surrendered before the Burmese army in 1961 and other small factions continued their resistance throughout 1968
Mr. Nurul Islam & Dr. Yunus prepared to leave RPF in Aug in 1978. RPF leadership rearranged: B.A. Jafar, Shabbir Hussain & Mostafa Jabbar
RPF divided into two in July 1982
RPF
led by Shabbir Hussain
RPF
led by B.A. Jafar
19
Rohingya Solidarity Organization (RSO) formed in 1982. Led by Mv Saiful Islam, Islam, Dr. Dr. Mohammed Mohammed Yunus Yunus & Mr. Mr. Nurul Islam
RSO divided into two factions in 1986
RSO temporarily led by Mv. Saiful Islam and then, Dr. Yunus
RSO led by Mr. Nurul Islam
RSO led by Dr. Yunus divided into factions in 1995
RSO led by Prof. Mohammed Zakaria
RSO led by Dr. Yunus
RPF led by Mr. Shabbir Hussain & RSO led by Mr. Nurul Islam merged in June 1986
Arakan Rohingya Islamic Front (ARIF) formed in 1987 led by Mr. Nurul Islam and Mr. Shabbir Hussain
ARIF, RSO (Dr. Yunus) & RSO (Prof. Zakaria) all three merged in Dec 1998
Arakan Rohingya National Organization (ARNO) formed. formed.
Post 2000, ARNO abandoned armed resistance and other remnants of RSO were declared defunct by experts
20
4.0. final stages of genocide
Inside Aung Mingalar, Mingalar, a Rohingya quarter of Sittwe, the capital of Burma's Rakhine State. The area, the scene of sectarian riots in June 2012, is now surrounded by checkpoints. Image: Adryel Talamantes Talamantes
4.1. Political Transition in Burma: Preludes to 2012 Violence Came 2010, it was a landmark year in Burmese history not because it was a real democratic transition but because the decades-long military regime or junta chose to establish a quasi-civilian or puppet government that would remain under their firm grip. Nothing much needs to be talked about Myanmar's faux democracy or her kind of civilian government and parliamentary par liamentary system. Perhaps the former f ormer despot Snr. Gen. Than Shwe learned from the falls of many dictators from power around the world and felt a need for his military junta with a dressing in the form of a (puppet) civilian government that will guarantee him a safe retirement and escape from accountability of all the atrocities crimes he had committed. Thein Sein, another despot from the gang from retired despot Than Shwe, won election held in late 2010 through a visibly sham election process reconstruct it as Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), another military-backed political party. He, then, created a puppet civilian government as planned, in their words a democratic government. Although the civilian government is constitutionally bound to bow before the military, the military did not want even slightest sign of democracy to progress afterwards and therefore, began to take all extreme and violent measures to maintain its supremacy in the country. On the other hand, there were continuous protests by the Rakhine people at home and abroad against Chinese Economic Projects in Kyaukphyu in Kyaukphyu and and other parts of Arakan. All these need to be contained or there was a need to divert their attention to quell the protests against the projects. Therefore, the Burmese military, military-proxy Buddhist monks and other military-controlled machineries began campaigns of psychological manipulations on general Burmese public of through hate speech and propaganda and hence, hence, triggering fear among them. They again chose to scapegoat the Rohingya, Rohingya, the the weakest minority in the country, country, for their selfish ends. They began portraying the native Rohingya people people as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, people who were considered as Lawful Residents by General Ne Win government in the 1978 Repatriation Agreement; and threats to Buddhism and National Sovereignty. Consequently, Consequently, the Burmese public, majority of whom had not even known an ethnic minority with an identity Rohingya even existed in the country, country, has suddenly begun viewing them as illegal immigrants and threats t hreats to their Buddhist religion.
4.2. The 2012 Violence Then, on May 28, 2012, a Rakhine woman named Ma Thida Htwe was allegedly raped and murdered murdered by three Rohingya boys in Kyauk Nimaw village in Rambre Rambre island of of Arakan state. Dr. Dr. Maung Maung Zarni, a Burmese Burmese scholar human rights activist said“the rape narrative of the Rakhine woman - the late Ma Thida Htwe - raped by Bengali men was patently false, but spread by President Thein Sein's men the likes of Major Zaw Htay (Hmu Zaw), Colonel Ye Htut (now deputy information minister) as a trigger event to set the fire fire of genocidal genocidal hatred hatred towards the Muslims. Ma Thida Htwe was NOT raped but was simply murdered - the doctor who examined her body told Ko Zaganar [a popular comedian], in no uncertain terms, that there was absolutely no evidence of rape on Ma Thida Htwe's dead body. The doctor was forced to sign the medical report which claims falsely she was raped. The rape story was spread by government agents on the social media and was
22
used as a launching pad to start waves of mass killings against the Rohingya and the Muslims across Burma or Myanmar.” 34 (Siddiqui, 2015) However, the three young boys were subsequently arrested and charged. But the state-led propaganda against the Rohingyas and other Muslim groups did not stop. On 3 June 2012, government backed thugs gruesomely massacred 11 Muslim pilgrims in ‘Taung Goup’ Township on their way back to Rangoon from Than Dwe Township of Arakan state. State-owned State -owned Television Television and Newspapers demeaned the murdered victims labeling them using derogatory slur Muslim slur Muslim Kalar , further instigating the country’s Burmese and Rakhine Buddhist citizens against the Rohingya and other Muslim groups in Burma. On Friday June 8, 2012, a huge crowd of Rohingya Muslims in Maungdaw gathered in the Central Mosque to offer prayers for the 11 murdered pilgrims. As they were prevented from offering prayers, they staged a protest. The Burmese armed forces waiting waiti ng in stand-by position shot into the crowd and created a chaos out of a non-violent situation. Then, all hell broke loose for the Rohingya people once again. On the same day (Friday), Major Zaw Htay or Hmuu Zaw, Zaw, the director of President's Office under Thein Sein, incited violence through his Facebook post in Burmese, which he called his personal opinion. (Following is its approximate translation.) "(Giving my personal view.) It’s It’s been learnt that Rohingya terrorists from the so-named Rohingya Solidarity Organization (RSO) have crossed into the country with arms. That means Rohingyas from foregin countries are entering the country. Since our troops has recieved the information in advance, we will annihilate them. (I) believe we have been already doing it. We don't want anyone to tell us anything such as humanitarian sympathy and human rights, regarding that. Besides, we don’t don’t want anyone, under the garb of saints with loving-kindness, to lecture us on peace and justice. We We don't want them to shout at at us with their (so-called) good talks. (Visit Maungdaw and Buthidaung regions in Rakhine State. Our native people are eating dirty food; living insecure lives on their own land. I feel very hurt because of that. Aftrer all, it’s it’s our nation; it’s it’s our land!) (I am telling this to all.) I am directly referring and telling this to all Political Parties, Members of Parliament, Civil Societies; and all those who become satisfied only when they can oppose (any good thing) and those who can eat and sleep well when they can criticize the President and (his) Government.” 35 (Hmuu Zaw, 2012) (See Annex V.) From that day onward, Burmese military milita ry,, security forces and paramilitary forces in collaboration with Rakhine Buddhist extremists led by Rakhine National Development Party (RNDP) Chairman U Aye Maung carried out large scale violence against the Rohingya people and arson attacks on their villages across Arakan state. Within days and nearly by 10th June, the t he violence spread to Akyab (or Sittwe), Pauktaw, Kyauktaw and others. They have indiscriminately shot Rohingya villagers to dead and summarily executed them. Thousands of Rohingyas were killed. They committed mass rapes of Rohingya women in many villages across Maungdaw and Buthidaung. Hundreds of people including children were arbitrarily arrested and unlawfully imprisoned. ( Many have died in the prison in later years) years)
______________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _____
34. Siddiqui, H (Habib), 2015 (Mar), Letter From America: ‘Hidden Hands’ Behind Communal Violence Violence in Myanmar - I told you so, Asian Tribune: http://asiantribune.com/node/86661 http://asiantribune.com/node/86661 35. Hmuu Zaw alias Major Zaw Htay, Htay, Director of then President President Office (and now State Counselor Office), 2012, Facebook Post on his former account named “Hmuu Zaw”, 8 June
23
Within days from June 10, they burnt down almost all Rohingya villages in Akyab and Pauktaw Townships Townships displacing over 140,000 Rohingya people. These violently displaced Rohingya people have been, since then, living in squalid IDP (Internally Displaced People) Camps and there has been no sign of resettling them to their original villages. Only one Rohingya quarter, Aung Min Galar, survived from the onslaught of arson attacks by Burmese armed forces and Rakhine extremists. The Aung Min Galar quarter has been ghetto-ed since then.The world has pressed the Burmese faux civilian government led by Dictator Thein Sein to stop the violence but he doubled it down. According to a post on the President Office’s website on July 12, 2012, Thein Sein he urged Mr. António Guterres, former head of UNHCR and now Secretary General of UN, during his visit to Naypyitaw, Naypyitaw, to resettle the whole Rohingya population to third countries. Thein Sein said “we will take responsibility of our ethnic nationals but it is impossible to accept those Rohingyas who are not our ethnic nationals and had entered the country illegally. The only solution is to hand those illegal Rohingyas to the UNHCR or to send them to t o any third country that would accept them." 36 (Telegraph, 2012) After destructions of Rohingya quarters and villages in Akyab, Pauktaw, Maungdaw and Kyauktaw, wide-spread attacks on the Rohingya slowed down from late July 2012 afterwards. Once again on October 21, they triggered a similar large scale violence in other Muslim minority townships such as Kyaukphyu as Kyaukphyu (a hotspot for Chinese seaport, gas and other ec onomic projects), Myebon, Min Bya, Than Dwe and Myauk Oo . Hundreds of people were shot dead and their residences and houses were razed under arson attacks. This time, the victims were not only Rohingya Muslims but also Kaman Muslims who are still considered Myanmar native citizens. Some of the violently displaced people built camps nearby safe areas, while majority of them fled to the IDP I DP camps in Akyab and Pauktaw. Since then, the Rohingya people in Arakan have been economically crippled and all their access to livelihoods severed to the extent that they t hey have had to rely on the UN and other foreign as sistances for their survivs urvival. Their freedom movement has been confined. Every aspect of Rohingya’s lives has been severed and their situation has got to the worst stage in the history. After a visit to Arakan state in February 2013, the former UN Human Rights Rapporteur Thomas Quintana compared the conditions of the Rohingya in one IDP camp with Open Prison. In short, it was a hidden genocide unfolding for decades coming out open. Lack of aid, protection, and facing violence and abuses forced tens of thousands of Rohingya to flee to the neighboring countries by sea since June 2012 with hopes of reaching to a safe haven. In that search, several thousands of Rohingya reached the shores of Bangladesh, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and many more thousands have disappeared in the deadly seas. 37 (UNHCR, 2016) According to UNHCR report in 2016 2016 more than 168,000 Rohingya have fled Burma since 2012 and Burma created a regional refugee c rises in the neigh boring countries.38 (UNHCR, 2016) Later in 2015, between the merging border of Thailand and Malaysia nearly 200 Rohingya mass graves were discovered, who were either killed by human traffickers or died due to intolerable dreadful journey.39 (Guardian, 2015)
______________________________________________________
36. Telegraph Report (republishing AP Report), 12 Jul 2012, UN refugee chief rejects call to resettle Rohingya, Telegraph: https://www.telegram.com/article/20120609/NEWS/306099946 37. UNHCR Report, 2016, Mixed Movements in South-East Asia, UNHCR Regional Office for South-East Asia: https://unhcr.atavist.com/mm2016 38. Ibid. 39. Guardian Report, June 2015, Malaysia migrant mass graves: police reveal 139 sites, some with multiple corpses, Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/may/25/malaysia-mgrant-mass-graves-police-reveal139-sites-some-with-multiple-corpses
24
5.0. rohingya resistances in response to 2012 violence
Rohingya refugees wading while holding a child after crossing the Naf River from Myanmar into Bangladesh in Whaikhyang on October 9, 2017. Credit:AFP
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.” — inevitable.” — John John F. Kennedy
The Rohingya elders have tried both means of struggles, armed and non-armed (peaceful), to liberate their people from oppression and slow-burning genocide. Their elders who had had put up armed resistance against the Burmese tyrants had to abandon their armed movements due to regional pressures and changing global geopolitical climate. Therefore, they began their resistance movements against the Burmese tyrants in non-armed political movements and peaceful activism. The period from 2000 to 2015 marked the longest period for non-armed peaceful resistance of Rohingyas against the Burmese military regime. However, in the absence of armed resistance, the brutal Burmese military terrorist regime got a freer hand to plan and execute final stages of Genocide against the Rohingyas. Rohingyas. The Burmese terrorist military – that do not understand human and diplomatic languages – began to carry out large scale genocidal violence in June 2012 and later. Therefore, as Rohingya’s existence and human rights were not protected in the country, as a last resort, (ARSA) rose up against the Burmese genocidal tyrants IN RESPONSE TO the Genocidal Violence they unleashed from June, 2012, onward. In their struggles for existence and survival, they have always made sure not to harm unarmed and unconcerned civilians and their properties. Their enemy is their oppressor: the brutal Burmese terrorist military-government.
5.1. Rohingya Resistances and the 2016 Violence Everything has a limit. So has human tolerance. Nearly seventy five (75) years of persecution and genocide counting from 1942. The world has not simply done enough to save Rohingya, one of the most peace-loving and peaceful people. Rohingya could no longer take persecutions and genocide imposed on them by the Burmese tyrants with their hands folded in their chests. The crying voices of their children, their mothers, their sisters and their parents went unheeded and their plight went unaddressed even after an upturn of Genocide that started in June, J une, 2012. Thus, ARSA rose up against the Burmese genocidal military and other armed forces in Maungdaw Township on October 9, as it was destined to. And ARSA ARSA is a homegrown resistance movement with no links to foreign insurgent groups and ARSA’s ARSA’s rebellion against the Burmese tyrants as a last resort, armed a rmed with weapons in their t heir reach, is well within their very human right as the Burmese tyrant paid no heed to their legitimat e demands for equal human rights in Burma. However, as the genocidal Burmese military and security forces have unleashed reigns of terror once again. They went for unarmed and innocent Rohingya civilian population in Maungdaw, Buthidaung and Rathedaung under the label of clearance operation revealing their genocidal intent. The brutal military operation left nearly 5000 Rohingnya killed after afte r 9th Oct 2016, hundreds of women raped and a nd over left 300, 000 displaced with thousands of them later fleeing to Bangladesh. Following the horrible rapes on the Rohingya women, a racist Rakhine MP from Myebon Constituency Aung Win on November 7, 2016, passed a filthy comment on Rohingya women by saying ‘they are ar e very dirty. The Rohingya women have very low standards of living and poor hygiene. They are not attractive so neither the local Buddhists men nor soldiers are interested in them.” 40 (Time, 2016)
______________________________________________________
40. Kumar, Kumar, N. (Nikhil), Dec 2016, Reprisals, Rape, and Children Burned Alive: Burma's Rohingya Speak of Genocidal Terror,TIME error,TIME Report: http://time.com/4596937/burma-myanmar-r http://time.com/4596937/burma-myanmar-rohingya-bangldesh-refugees ohingya-bangldesh-refugees -crimes-against-humanity/
26
HRW Satellite Images Show 430 Burned Buildings revealed in late October 2016 and hundreds of rape accounts were reported by the Rohingya females, who survived from mass military rapes.41 (HRW, (HRW, 2016) In 2016, United Nations official said Myanmar is carrying out ethnic cleansing of Rohingya Muslims, after accounting stories of gang rapes, tortures and murders from among the thousands who have fled to Bangladesh.42 (HRW, (HRW, 2017) 2017 )
ARSA’s ARSA ’s Commander-in-chief Commander-in-chief & Soldiers in a discussion in 2016. File Photo
______________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ ____ 41. Human Rights Watch (HRW) (HRW) Report: Nov 2016, Satellite-Based Damage Assessment of Affected Villages in Maungdaw District, HRW. HRW. URL: https://www.hrw https://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/supporting_re.org/sites/default/files/supporting_re sources/hrw_burmadestruction_assessment_10nov2016_v3.pdf. 42. Human Rights Watch (HRW) Report, Jan 2017, Burma: Events of 2016, HRW. HRW. URL: https://www.hrw https://www.hrw.org/sites/default/.org/sites/default/ files/burma_2.pdf
27
5.2. Pre-planned in 2017: Largest Violence Violence since 1942 ARSA’s Soldiers during their Training Sessions. File Photo
Post ARSA’s rise up against the terrorist Burmese military and Security Forces in October and November 2016, ARSA has invested its resources more in community capacity building, social services and other empowerment initiatives, which will be described in details in upcoming sections. Armed Actions against the Burmese terrorising armed forces was the last resort of action. Once again, taking advantage of instable situation si tuation created in Arakan after June 2012 and unavoidable defensive attacks a ttacks ARSA conducted conducted on the Burmese terrorising armed forces on October 9, 2016, the Burmese terrorist regime squeezed and suffocated the Rohingya civilians in Arakan forcing ARSA once again to respond to them inevitably. At one night of 27 July 2017, in a mysterious case, two Rakhine men from Chaung Ywa village Ywa village Rathedaung went out for foraging food in the mountain were said to have disappeared. The local Rohingya villagers of Zeydi of Zeydi Pyin were accused of killing them and three villagers were subsequently killed by the Rakhine Buddhist extremists on July 29. From August 1, Rakhine extremists from neighboring villages besieged Zeydi Pyin. Barricades were erected at all the entry roads to Zeydi Pyin, Pyin, besieging the village
entirely and causing the villagers go on starvation. From August 4, the Burmese terrorist forces joined the siege put up by the Rakhine extremists and began conducting raids on villagers ’ homes. The siege, raids and violence were later extended to neighboring Rohingya villages. This was a precedent to a new phase of massive round of violence. ARSA was NOT involved in killings of six Mro Buddhist tribal people in South Maungdaw on 3 August 2017 and so, released official statement clearing the matter three days after. But with no evidence, the Burmese terrorist regime and its propaganda media outlets kept shifting the blame on ARSA. On 9 August 2017, citing this killing of the Mro tribal people as a security concern, Snr. Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, Chief of the Burmese terrorist military, held a meeting with Rakhine extremist leaders from Arakan National Party (ANP) led by U Aye Aye Maung, one of those who orchestrated massive genocidal violence on June 2012 and later. A day after the meeting, the Burmese terrorist regime led by Snr. Gen. Min Aung Hlaing and Daw Aung San Kyi decided to send its one of its elite battalions LID33 (Light Infantry Division 33, notorious for its brutalities and savageries in their offensive attacks against the ethnic
ARSA’s Soldiers during their Training Sessions. File Photo
28
groups in other parts of Burma or at least l east Daw Aung San Suu Kyi did not oppose oppose it if it was a unilateral decision by Min Aung Hlaing) to northern Arakan. LID 33 would be joined by another elite savage battalion called LID99. Both of these LIDs are linked with Min Aung Aung Hlaing and operate under his direct command. 43 (Reuters, 2018) All these heavy military build-ups with heavy artilleries were to be used against unarmed and innocent civilians and create violence out of a stable situation. All these were premeditated and executed well before August 25. They systematically suffocated suffocated the local Rohingya Rohingya communities. The ARSA members and fighters were cornered to the very end through covert operations by the Burmese terrorist military leaving ARSA with no option but to respond. It is important, here, to note that ‘ ARSA acted against Burmese terrorist t errorist armed forces in response re sponse to decades-long genocidal killing of Rohingya and contiual covert operations by the Burmese terrorist forces against the ARSA,’ not that they responded to ARSA’s ARSA’s defensive attacks. Therefore, it is very important for the world leading media to change this false narrative Burmese narrative Burmese Military carried carr ied out Operations in Response to ARSA Attacks, Attacks , a narative that creates a perfect pretext for the Burmese terrorist military committing and justifying genocide for decades. So, it happened. ARSA had to inevitably launch raids on the Burmese terrorist army and BGP, BGP, the most brutal oppressive apparatuses in Arakan carrying out atrocity crimes, in ARSA’s defence, on August 25, 2018. ARSA, a homegrown resistance movement still at its developing stage, has utilized its best capaci ty to protect all the unarmed and innocent civilians from the Burmese military’s onslaught that began after August 25. However, the Burmese terrorist military with bigger military advantages and high-end weaponries went after the Rohingya population and went on to exterminate them. In its report released on 22nd May 2018, Amnesty International alleged that members of ARSA massacred scores of Hindu civilians in northern Maungdaw on 25th Aug 2017 morning. ARSA called the Amnesty International accusations are unjustifiable — patently false in its statement and urged the group to share their witnesses, evidences and findings with the credible International investigation mission or agency. (Read the statement in Annex VI) In the initial month, a report from the Doctors without Borders (MSF, Dec 2017) quoted “at least 6,700 Rohingya, in the most conservative estimations, are estimated to have been killed, including at least 730 children below the age of 5.” 44 According to several authentic sources, through this operation Burmese terrorist army burnt down nearly 300 villages, executed more than 25,000 Rohingya women and adolescents raped, 19,000 women and made 34,000 children turned into orphans.
______________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _____ 43. Lewis, S., Siddiqui, Z., Baldwin, C., & Marshall, A. R.C., Jun 2016, Tip of the Spear: The shock troops who expelled the Rohing ya from Myanmar, Myanmar, A Reuters Investigation: https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-r https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/myanmar-rohingy eport/myanmar-rohingya-battalions/ a-battalions/ 44. Doctors without Borders (MSF), Dec 2017, MSF surveys estimate that at least 6,700 Rohingya were killed during the attacks in Myanmar, MSF Press Release: https://www.msf.org/myanmarbangladesh-msf-surveys-estimate-least-6700-rohingya-were-killed-during-attacks-myanmar
29
Beside killings and rapes, around around 43,000 Rohingyas survived bullet wounds, 36,000 were hurled into fire and nearly 116,000 116,000 Rohingya (mostly men) were beaten up by the Myanmar authorities. 45 (Daily Star, Star, Aug 2018) After military killed thousands of Rohingya, many families could not trace the dead bodies of their relatives and families. Rohingya who fled the massacre accounted the mass graves they witnessed wit nessed and the decomposing bodies. Later those were investigated by news agencies like AP (exposing Gu Dar Pyin massgraves) and REUTERS (exposing Inn Din massacre) in i n villages of northern Arakan (Rakhine). 46 47 (AP, 2018) (Reuters, 2018) The horrific operation wiped out 800,000 again to the camps in Bangladesh. This made Rohingya population around around 1. 3 million along with arrivals of 2016.In a recent report released by Human Rights Council, 6 military generals were referred to International Criminal Court after Rohingya encountered 70 years of Rohingya genocide.48 (IIFFM of UNHRC, 2018)
PHR documented the wounds of this Rohingya man at Balukhali refugee camp in Bangladesh. He was shot from behind by the Myanmar military while fleeing his village. credit: Physicians for Human Rights
______________________________________________________ 45. Daily Star Report (republishing Reuters report), report), Aug 2018, Killing of Rohingyas: Death toll could could be up to 25,000, Daily Star: https://www.thedailystar https://www.thedailystar.net/news/frontpage/killing-r .net/news/frontpage/killing-rohingyas-death-toll-could-be-over-10000-1622392 ohingyas-death-toll-could-be-over-10000-1622392 46. Neuman, S (Scott)., Feb 2018, AP Investigation Details Shocking Massacre, Mass Graves Of Myanmar Rohingya, AP Investi gation: http://www.wnpr http://www.wnpr.org/post/ap-investigation-details-shocking-massacre .org/post/ap-investigation-details-shocking-massacre-mass-graves-myanmar-rohingya -mass-graves-myanmar-rohingya 47. Wa Lone, Kyaw Soe Oo, Lewis S. (Simon) & Slodkowski A. (Antoni), Special Report: How Myanmar forces burned, looted and killed in a remote village, Reuters Special Report: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-myanmar-rakhine-events-specialreport/special-report-how-myanmar-forces-burned-looted-and-killed-in-a-remote-village-idUSKBN1FS3BH 48. IIFFM (Independent International Fact Finding Mission), Sep 2018, Report of the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar, Myanmar, UN Human Rights Council, Thirty Nith Session: http://www.rvisiontv http://www.rvisiontv.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/A_HRC_39_64.pdf .com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/A_HRC_39_64.pdf
30
6.0. background: commander-in-chief of arsa
Commander-in-chief Commander -in-chief of ARSA. File Photo
ATTAULLAH Abu Ammar Jununi , the Commander-in-Chief of ARSA, was born in 1978 from the Rohingya refugee parents seeking refuge in Karachi after f leeing the Burmese violence against the Rohingya in Arakan in early 1950s. Passionate and visionary from his childhood, he got his preliminary education in the city and pursued religious education in Saudi Arabia.
In his life and career caree r as a religious scholar, he has mostly spent his time leading prayers in mosques and organizing the Rohingya people to work collectively for their cause to end the decades-long Genocide of Rohingya in Burma. In his childhood, his passionate passi onate parents used to proudly tell him about their lives in Arakan and the country. country. And that has led him to study more about the history of his country of origin -- rather his ancestral land where he legitimately belongs to -- Arakan in Burma. Hearing the stories of abuses and persecutions of his r elatives remained in Arakan by the Burmese genocidal regime, his worries for the Rohingya people of Arakan have increased and hence, more affection for the people and the land. As such, he often used to console his friends and fellow Rohingyas Rohingyas when when they were down down with sorrows and hopelessness due to the inhumane atrocities a gainst the Rohingya by the Burmese army. In such situations, he always consoled them not to lose hope and advised them to refrain from disappointment. He has always been hopeful that a day will come the Genocide against the Rohingya people will end. And there will be a way for their freedom from unending cycle of oppression. However, he was about 35, yet he saw no one rising to take a strong stance to give the Rohingya freedom from the long-term oppression in the hands of brutal Burmese tyrants. Then, it came to a turning point. In 2012, when the genocidal Burmese government and terrorist military along with Rakhine extremists collaboratively committed brutal massacres of the Rohingya people, burned down their villages displacing more than 140,000 people, raped innumerable women and expelling thousands of them towards Bangladesh border. The state-sponsored violence shattered the existing hope of the Rohingya diaspora of reuniting with their family members in Arakan into pieces. Back in 2012, what the diaspora heard daily was their family mem bers, relatives relat ives and loved ones being bei ng killed by the Burmese terrorist armed forces in Arakan. The reports of inhumane sufferings of his relatives and others in Arakan motivated him to help them end the sufferings and boosted his spirit of fighting for their due legitimate rights. Even a person like him, known for consoling others to be patient could not help himself but to try all available means to salvage the Rohingya from the brutal Burmese tyrants after hearing their horrific sufferings. Such was the degree of horrific atrocities carried out against them in 2012! Initially, he wanted to establish civil/political organizations as other already existing Rohingya organizations in order to bring unity among the Rohingya and make them stand for their own fundamental and legitimate rights as one voice. But, later, as the Burmese genocidal regime said to expel the whole Rohingya population from the country and proposed the then UNHCR Chief Antonio Guterress to resettle them in third countries in July 2012, he felt that armed resistance against the Burmese terrorist armed forces was/is a compelling need on the way to achieving freedom and justice for his people. As it happens in every revolutionary movement, his own Rohingya people and organizations were unable to grasp his vision and said they were not in the position to defend, as they thought it was an impossible mission. Despite many abortive attempts, he knocked everyone’s door and tried to convince people, but the most people failed to understand the need to defend. defe nd. Those many unsuccessful attempts made him realize that no one would understand until they witnessed it first and felt its importance. 32
ARSA’s Soldiers walking in a queue. File Photo
So, he decided to leave his family and stable employment along with his beloved aging mother behind, and and set out on his mission of fighting for the rights of the Rohingya and salvage them from Genocide. And thus in 2013, he set his feet on the soil of his own land, Arakan, and started his mission of salvaging the Rohingya from the edge of extermination.
7.0. rohingya in arakan: before and after arsa
ARSA’s Soldiers during their Training Sessions. File Photo
For decades, Rohingya have been deprived of all their fundamental and legitimate rights, persecuted and demoralized by creating a fearful environment. People have been rampantly killed and tortured; arbitrarily arrested and imprisoned; and women have been r aped and dehumanized. Restrictions on access to livelihood and economic opportunities, marriages, travel, religious prayers and construction/repairment of religious buildings have been imposed; and discriminatory discriminat ory and arbitrary taxation imposed on their domestic animals and livestock. Denied of higher education; continuous threats, intimidation, harassment; and the list of the atrocities against the Rohingya on-going. Such continuous physical and psychological abuses have been aimed at changing thinking process, attitudes and behavior of the Rohingya people; and to make problems out of non-issues and existing problems worse. As a result, over the decades, these genocidal persecutions and psychological warfare have led to the rise of various sets of serious social and economic problems among the Rohingya people. Black propaganda by the Burmese genocidal government of labeling ethnic Rohingya people as as Bengali interlopers (since late 1990s) has far-reaching negative psychological impacts on not only Rohingya people but also on general Burmese. Some of the Rohingya has begun feeling that they no longer belonged to their own land and the Burmese citizens viewing the Rohingya to be truly interlopers. As psychologically enslaved, the Rohingya has also felt that being persecuted is their fate. Rohingya women, molested or raped by the Burmese terrorist armed forces, have ofte n been socially marginalized (like (like in many other communities c ommunities around the globe). globe). They have usually struggled when it comes to their marriages. Furthermore, enforced disappearance, arbitrary imprisonments and extrajudicial killings by the Burmese terrorist military have, over the decades, significantly decreased the ratio of male population against that of female population in the Rohingya Community (in Arakan). On the other hand, Human Traffickers have mostly preyed the men, jobless or denied of access to livelihoods, and lured them to leave Arakan to search means of income elsewhere abroad, compounding the problem of demographic imbalance. These altogether created huge demands for men, exaggerating the extent of an existing socioeconomic problem in the community: the Dowry System. That is ‘a woman has to pay a huge amount of dowries, in monetary terms or assets, to a man whom she is marrying.’ Deprived of access to livelihoods or economic opportunities by the Burmese genocidal regime for decades, most of the Rohingya people have struggled to make their daily ends meet and find a means mea ns for their survival. They have often been robbed and their money extorted by the Burmese terrorists armed forces and authorities. That being coupled by the deprivation of education on the other hand, some Rohingya people have fallen prey in the hands of the Drug Lords in Myanmar to carry out their transnational illegal ille gal activities. activities . Over the years, this Drug Trafficking –involving these Rohingyas being exploited in the illegal trade– has grown in size and become an issue really challenging to the Rohingya Community at large and to the Government of Bangladesh. Therefore, psychological enslavement, dowry system, human trafficking, drug peddling, child abuses and other seriously challenging socioeconomic problems among the Rohingya originating from decades-long genocidal process by the Burmese terrorist regimes would have only got worse had not ARSA stepped up to challenge and curb them since its emergence. ARSA has reinforced the people the sense that they are the owner of the land and they are masters maste rs on their own right. And it has served the people by trying to stop social injustices and give them justice in their best capacity. It has helped the poor people, the orphans and the differently-abled people among many other social works.
35
However, because of the sensitivity surrounding ARSA, much theie important social services given to the Rohingya people over the years, to bring the social reforms and uplift the society psychologically, morally and socially, have been largely in the absence of wider public knowledge.
7.1. Fighting Human Trafficking Human trafficking was/is one major problem challenging the whole Rohingya community in Arakan. Profiteering human traffickers have always sought to exploit the desperate situation of the people for decades. Since the state sponsored violence in 2012, the human trafficking issue have worsened, where thousands of Rohingya denied access to livelihood and subjected to genocide in Arakan seeking for safe haven were deceived and trafficked to Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and others. Although many thousands successfully reached their destinations but many perished in deadly sea journey, while others became victims in i n the hands of human traffickers. In many cases, people who could not manage to give the full amount to the traffickers for their journey to Malaysia were kept as captives, made s laves and many women and girls were, reportedly, sexually and physically abused before selling of the sex industries in the region. On the other hand, facilitating human trafficking was/is yet another tool for genocidal Burmese regime to depopulate the Rohingya people in the country and deport them neighboring nations. The Burmese authorities cooperate with the human traffickers by smoothening exit sea-route and land-route for them to conduct their criminal activities. In return, those traffickers bribed the Burmese authorities and terrorist armed forces and sometimes, even they often lure the Rohingya people to leave the country (on behalf of the human traffickers) to take this deadly sea journey. At a time the movement of the ordinary Rohingya citizens were confined within their respective townships/areas, these human traffickers were allowed to roam free in many townships across Arakan state to look for their potential victims. Thus, after ARSA's emergence in Arakan, it took a strong stance against those human trafficking agents and syndicates. It effectively worked on the grassroots level to create awareness of the deadly risks involving in the sea journeys to Malaysia and Indonesia through Thailand, and educated them to understand that. It was not an easy task tas k to convince the common Rohingya not to fall in the traps of the human traffickers a nd embrace the sea journeys, especially because their homeland had been in apartheid condition and they were subjected to Genocide; and they thought leaving their homeland was the only easy way (out) from their living hell in the open prison: Arakan. Gradually, Gradually, with ARSA’s ARSA’s persistent and consistent consiste nt hard-works in cooperation of some educated people on the awareness creation, the message not to take deadly journeys and risk their lives in the process reached to the people. They were more informed to take their own decisions decisi ons whether or not to take these journeys. They became clearer cleare r on the importance of living l iving in their own land and deal with problem themselves rather than running away from them, unlike in the past.
36
Rohingya victims pass food supplies dropped by a Thai army helicopter to others aboard a boat drifting in Thai waters off the southern island of Koh Lipe in the Andaman sea on May 14, 2015. Credit: AFP
In effect, as less people were willing to take ta ke the deadly journeys and due to crackdown by the Thai authorities, human trafficking has significantly decreased, though it did not completely stop. However, ARSA has earned many enemies in the circle of the human traffickers and their associates, well-connected with the authorities and the powerful/rich people in Myanmar and in the Region, in the process of its fight against human trafficking.
37
7.2. Curbing Illicit Drug Trades: Myanmar has been the world's largest l argest opium producer and largest in the production of Ya Ya Ba or Methamphetamine, which is particularly produced in the golden tria ngle area bordering Myanmar, Laos and Thailand and surrounding region. The criminal Burmese military generals and members of other armed forces have themselves involved in conducting and controlling much of the drug trafficking networks. Using the money earned from the illicit trade, the Burmese military purchase weapons among many other things, while some observers suspect that much of these illegal monies are deposited in the bank accounts set up in one of her friendly countries, considered as an economic powerhouse in the region.
The men were held after 1.88 million tablets said to be worth around US$2.8 million were found in a military vehicle in the town of Maungdaw on Oct 1, 2017. Credit: REUTERS
On the lower level, Burmese policemen, intelligence officers, administrative officials and some Rakhine elite businessmen are much involved in trafficking drugs all the way from eastern Myanmar region into its western state, Arakan. In one particular spot in the chain of this illegal drug trade, some members of the Rohingya community - desperate, rendered jobless and denied access to livelihoods - are involved as drug carriers i.e. trafficking drugs from Arakan into Bangladesh for their drug-lords who are military officers, policemen, intelligence officers and Rakhine elites. [ It It is very important to understand that that these transborder drug peddlers are not only Rohingyas but also Rakhines; and hardly are any Rohingyas anywhere in a position to CONTROL any part of this drug-trafficking chain. chain.]] 38
Since late last decade, involvement of some Rohingyas in the drug trafficking chain has really become a daunting challenge to the Rohingya community community at large, destroying them in multiple fronts: psychologically, economically, socially and to some extent physically. Sudden rise of one section of the society in wealth earned from illicit drug trade created cr eated a huge income gap among them. And that, in turn led others to abandon their available traditional ways of livelihood for this illicit means, in attempt to reduce the increasing economic imbalance, leading to more socioeconomic problems. As some young members of the society began to consume drugs deteriorated their health, adding further woes to the existing problems. After the ARSA's rise as a resistance movement, one of the daunting challenges it faced while bringing reforms in the Rohingya society was fighting against the illicit drug trade involving highest ranking Burmese military officers and a nd others. It was risky r isky and extremely difficult. However, ARSA moved ahead and took the challenge head on irrespective to the back lashes it would face from the Burmese officials and their collaborators later. Initially, they broke the chains of drug dealers and burnt down their drug consignments. During its fight against a gainst illegal drug trades, t rades, ARSA successfully broke many of the influential drug rings. This incurred them i.e. the drug-lords and their carriers huge losses, with some of them eventually becoming enemies of ARSA and joining hands with the brutal Burmese regime (against ARSA). These drug dealers, some of whom were Rohingyas living in Myanmar, Bangladesh and in South East Asian region, affected by the ARSA's actions against the drug trafficking, have become indulged in character assassination of ARSA. They are educated-to-some-degree, wealthy, powerful, influential group of people in Myanmar Myanmar and the Region committed in acts to destroy its credibility through spreading rumors and propaganda. However, as its Commander-in-Chief has, in the past, several times urged the Rohingya people in Myanmar and across the globe to abstain away from indulging in such illegal drug businesses and consumption, ARSA ARSA is determined to continue its war against them.
7.3. Containing Dowry Syndrome: Dowry system had never been a serious s erious challenge among the Rohingya communities in Arakan till some thirty years ago, although it is a deep-rooted sociocultural issue in the communities/descends of Indian subcontinental people including the Rohingya. However, over the decades, especially post 1990s, the Burmese genocidal regime has increasingly persecuted the Rohingya people on multiple fronts of their lives: from extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, arbitrary detentions, tortures to forced labor. Most of the victims of these atrocity crimes have been overwhelmingly men, leading more men to flee their homeland Arakan to seek safe haven elsewhere. This has resulted in significant decrease of the number of male population against that of the female population, creating more demands for men, in Arakan. Plus, there have always been concern for girls' parents to marry them off as soon as they come of age due to constant fears of rape by the Burmese terrorist armed forces and political insecurity around them.
39
Shofika Begum, 18, shows decoration on her hands on the day she marries Saddam Hussein, 23, both Rohingya refugees, at the Kutupalong camp near Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, December 11, 11, 2017. Credit:
And these problems, compounded by the lack of economic opportunities and education as a result of decades-long denial of the right to higher education, have led to the rise of yet another serious socioeconomic problem among the Rohingya communities: the Dowry nearly emerging arrangement or a system in which a bride has to bring an amount of property or money to her husband on their marriage. Over the years, the amount of dowries that t hat a bride has to give to her potential husband have increased as the parents, increasingly worried about finding a good partners for their daughters, were ready to pay any amount of dowries for their marriages. While many families sold off their properties to give as dowries, some others took loans for that. However, this situation has made the marriage extremely difficult for girls or women belonging to the poor families. Therefore, many male members of these poor families left their homeland in their efforts to work elsewhere abroad and manage dowries for the marriages of their daughters or sisters, creating more shortage of men in the community at home. It exaggerated the problem and created a situation where the females were seen as burden and liability for the family. To combat this unhealthy and corrupt practice, prac tice, ARSA has worked on the grassroot levels le vels by visiting door to door, in villages where this practices were common. It has formed separate groups to create awareness about the evil consequences of this practice and educate the people that it is against the morality, the teachings of the religion and the international norms. It has encouraged the men in the community to exploit all the means of livelihoods whatever remains available under the condition of Genocide at their homeland, instead of leaving for any other countries, as one way to tackle this huge section of the dowry problem. 40
When it was deemed necessary, though it was not the best way to deal with the problem, ARSA convinced certain members of the community to abandon this shameful practices prac tices of dowry, who were, initially, unwillunwilling. It took a greater patience and perseverance persevera nce to slowly make the people aware and make them fee l responsible for such counter-productive practices. ARSA has enlightened them with the knowledge that they were/are harming their own community and destroying lives of mostly the poor people by practicing dowry. dowry. As a good result, ARSA has witnessed thousands of cases where the parties in marriages not practicing dowry anymore. Also, this reduced the gap of social inequality among the Rohingya at home and helped them see one another as equals. Though practice of dowry has significantly decreased, it still exists in certain sections of the communities or certain areas of Arakan and ARSAcontinues to combat it with its best capacity ca pacity.. Having said that, it is impossible to completely eliminate the corrupt dowry system from the Rohingya community under the current hostile political condition and ongoing Genocide. For that, the government of Myanmar has to fulfill Rohingyas' Demands, end the Genocide, serve them Justice and create a political situation favorable to them.
7.4. Child Abuse: Various forms of social abuses against children exist in different societies across the world. The Rohingya have not always been like they t hey are today. Extreme poverty, poverty, as men being the sole bread winners for their families, coupled with rendering them without education in the Rohingya societies in Arakan as a result of decades-long systematic oppression by the Burmese genocidal regime, have forced/force the poor families to engage their children in works, such as in farming, fishing and firewood collecting, to make thei r daily ends meet, instead of enrolling them in schools and allowing them to enjoy their childhoods. On the other hand, along with the adults, children are also often subjected to forced labors and beatings by the Burmese colonizing armed forces. Children, in effect, begin suffering psychologically at their early age and lose their childhoods. They are exposed to more emotional and physical abuses from their parents or elders when they fail to perform the works assigned to them. While struggling to support their families and in inability to handle the pressures from that, they lose their potentials to become someone of their wish and hence, their future. Moreover, there has always been a fear surrounding Rohingya parents for the security/future of their daughters as they are occasionally subjected to Rape by the Burmese terrorist military and policemen, leading them (the parents) to marry off their daughters in i n a hurry. The The underage marriages among the very young couples lead to the rise of domestic abuse cases as they continue to live together but are unable to adjust each other, compounding damages to the future of the community at large. This is a sensitive and delicate deli cate issue in the community and when mishandled, it could have bee n counter-productive. And therefore, it was one of the biggest challenges ARSA has faced since it started to work on bringing social reforms and improve the society. ARSA has created Groups for Awareness on Awareness on grassroots level in various areas to bring the people into realization about the negative consequences of engaging them in labor works instead of enrolling them in schools. schools. It has repeatedly made the people aware how children can shape their future if they are treated treate d well and be exploited by the Burmese genocidal regime if they are not provided education by utilizing all the means available. 37 41
It has set up a number of groups of volunteer teachers to provide education to young children when they are denied access to the government schools. Similarly, it has fought and still been fighting among illiteracy among adult men and women through training and education classes. In the educational classes ARSA has conducted for adults in the community, it has educated the community members time and again that domestic abuses are internationally prohibited and through religious classes they are not allowed in the t he religion, either. Instilling the sense of the i mportance of the education of children and maturity of a couple before settling them down in marriage, ARSA has always urged their fellow fe llow community members to refrain from solemnizing underage marriages among an extremely young couples. ARSA further conducted women empowerment programs for the women sett led down in marriages too early in their lives.With the knowledge that the child abuses and other forms of abuses will not be eliminated overnight under the current condition against the Rohingya people, ARSA's fight against all kinds of abuses go on with its best capacity ca pacity..
A victim of forced labour speaks during a Reuters interview in a village a t Buthidaung township in northern Rakhine state June 10, 2015. CREDIT CREDIT:: REUTERS
42
8.0. future aspect
ARSA’s Soldiers during their Training Sessions. File Photo
Future aspects of ARSA hold various goals in both social and political arena of Rohingya community. Its first and utmost priority is to defend its people from the aggressors and tyrants in the Burmese genocidal government and terrorist military milit ary.. And it will continue to do so until all the demands made by the Rohingya are fulfilled and their deserving rights restored with justice and dignity. ARSA will will not stop its resistance movement in various forms, both armed and unarmed, so long as the Genocide against the Rohingya is not stopped and perpetra tors of Genocide are not brought to justice through trials at International Criminal Court (ICC) or other International Crime Tribunals. Along with Rohingya’s legitimate struggles for their liberation, due rights and justice, ARSA vows to abide by the International Inter national Humanitarian Law (IHL) and will continue to refrain re frain from any activities going against the IHL. It will continue this rightful fight in line with the right to exercise self-defence prescribed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Finally, one of its ultimate future goals is to restore the Rohingya peoples’ ancestral rights and return their dignified, peaceful and prosperous lives, and continue to give them the rights to live like any other citizens of this country, and this world.
8.1. FINAL NOTES... The planned persecution of Rohingya was first detected as Genocide in 1951, when a large number of people took refuge in neighbouring East Pakistan, modern day Bangladesh. And once again, the same Genocide term was used by the Rohingya Patriotic Front (RPF) in its compendium which vividly described the atrocity crimes against the Rohingya people during the 1978 Dragon Operation. The brutal operation had expelled at least two hundred fifty thousand Rohingyas as refugees into Bangladesh. After each incident, the international community pressured the Burmese government (of the time) to accept the Rohingya refugees back to their native land i.e. into the country. country. Unfortunately, during the repatriation processes, the internati onal community and respective authoritative bodies had neglected to look into what the Rohingya people wanted. They ignored the need to secure the native Rohingya with their native rights (which is much more than mere citizenship in Burma) and other fundamental Human rights including Life Security in their ancestral homeland. The Burmese government has, gradually, but consistently, implemented its plan to eradicate the whole Rohingya population form the face fac e of Arakan. As a result, the World has witnessed hundreds of thousands of Rohingyas fleeing Arakan in small groups, families and individually in search of safety for their life elsewhere, in addition to mass exodus in 1991, 2012, 2016; and the largest being in 2017. Even after the 2012 state-sponsored massacre of Rohingyas, the International Community has failed to take any concrete action against the Burmese genocidal government and protect the Rohingya people from Genocide. For this reason, home-grown revolutionery/resistance groups like ARSA emerged to fight against Burmese government’s inhumane oppressions and genocide. Therefore, it is now necessary to create a Secure/Protected homeland for the Rohingya people. If the International Community and responsible International bodies continue to ignore the plight of Rohingya people and fail to bring the Genocide Perpetrators to Justice, the ARSA is, genuinely, concerned that the world would witness more loss of human lives and potentially unending conflicts in the region. Like any 44
other Ethnic Armed Organisations (EAOs) in Burma, the ARSA will continue its fight to end the Genocide and liberate its Rohingya people. Decades of systematic genocidal violence campaign have crippled Rohingyas physically and dismantled psychologically. psychologically. The ARSA has revived the courageous hearts; awakened the brilliant brilliant minds; and instilled revolutionary spirit. The revolutionary seed that awakening movement has sowed is being nurtured by the Rohingya people and it will only continue to grow. The ARSA is determined to continue its struggle and fight to end the Genocide; and for freedom from persecution for freedom from persecution, justice justice and legitimate human rights, according to ARSA's Code of Conduct and in line with the International Law. The ARSA will not give up until the last breath or until all its demands are fulfilled.(See Annex: VII)
COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF ARAKAN ARAKA N ROHING R OHINGY YA SALVATION ARMY AR MY (ARSA) (AR SA)
45
Bibliography/Reference Bibliography/Reference List: - Hall, D.G.E. (Daniel George Edward), 1968, A history of South East Asia, 3rd Edition, London: Macmillan, London and New York: York: St. Martin Press - Abdurrahim, M., 1963, Social and Cultural History of Bengal, Vol. Vol. 1, Karachi - Topich, William J. & Leitich Keith A., 2013, The History of Myanmar, Greenwood: An Imprint of ABC-CLIO, LLC, Santa Barbara, California - Yegar, Yegar, M, 2002, Between Integration and a nd Secession: The Muslim Communities of Southern Philippines, southern Thailand and Western Burma/Myanmar, Lexington Books - Baylyn, C and Harper T, 2005, Forgotten Forgotten Armies: The Fall of British Asia, 1941-1945, The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts - Smith, M, 1997, Burma: The Challenge of Change in a Divided Society, Macmillan Press Ltd in Association with ST Antony’s Antony’s College, Oxford - Jilani A, 1999, The Rohingyas of Arakan: Their Quest for Justice, 1st Edition, Taj Taj Library - Irwin, A. (Anthony), 1945, Burmese Outpost, Collins - Aung Myoe, M, 2009, Building the Tatmadaw: Major Armed Forces Since 1948, Institute of South East Asian Studies, Singapore - Jilani A, 1999, The Rohingyas of Arakan: Their Quest for Justice, 1st Edition, Taj Taj Library - Elahin, K Mahmoud, 1987, The Rohingya Refugees in Bangladesh: Historical Perspectives and Consequences," In John Rogge (ed.), Refugees: A Third World World Dilemma, (New Jersey: Rowman and Littlefield) - Smith, M. (Martin) , 1991, Burma: Insurgency and the Politics of Ethnicity, London and New Jersey: Zed Books. Repatriation Agreement between the Government of Burma and the Government of Bangladesh, 1978 - Smith, M. (Martin), (Marti n), 1991, Burma: Insurgency and the Politics of Ethnicity, (London (London and New Jersey: Jerse y: Zed Books) - Reid, T (Tony), 1994, Repatriation of Arakanese Muslims from Bangladesh to Burma: 1978-79 [Arranged Reversal of the Flow of an Ethnic Minority," Paper presented to the 4th I nternational Research and Advisory Panel Conference,] University of Oxford, January - Jilani A, 1999, The Rohingyas of Arakan: Their Quest for Justice, 1st Edition, Taj Taj Library - Dr. Than Tun, 2004, 80th Birthday Bulletin, Open Letter to Than Tun, Rakhine Thahaya magazine, Yangon - Collis, M (Morris) ( Morris) and Bu, S.S. (San Shwe), 1925, Arakan’s Place in the Civilization of the Bay, Journal of the Burma Research Society 15 - U Aye Aye Chan, 1975-1976, Assessment of Rakhine History, Rakhine Tasaung Tasaung Magazine, Rangoon - Khet Yay Yay Magazine, 1961, Speech by Brigadier General Aung Gyi at Mujahid Rebels Surrender CeremoCer emony, ny, Mayu Special Issue, Iss ue, Ministry of Defence, Union of Burma, 4 July - RPF (Rohingya Patriotic Front), 1978, Genocide in Burma against The Muslims of Arakan, Rohingya Patriotic Front, Arakan (Burma) - Arakan Muslim Conference, 1951, STOP GENOCIDE of Muslims Who Alone Stand In-Between “COMMUNISM” and “DEMOCRACY” IN ARAKAN, Open Letter to the Burmese Government and the Democracy, Democracy, Alethankyaw District Akyab Arakan Burma, June 1951 - HRW (Human Rights Watch), (Oct 9) 1993, "Bangladesh: Abuse of Burmese Refugees from Arakan," Vol. 5, No. 17. (b) Curt Lambrecht. C (Curt), (March 1995), The Return of the Rohingya Refugees to Burma: Voluntary Voluntary Repatriation or Refoulement?, (Washington, (Washington, DC: US Committee for Refugees), March 1995. For a discussion of the repatriation from 1992 to 1995. URL: https://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/reports/BANGLADE93O.PDF
46
- AI (Amnesty (Amnesty International), Sept 1997, MYANMAR/BANGLADESH: MYANMAR/BANGLADESH: ROHINGY ROHINGYAS AS - The Search for Safety, (London), p. 4. URL: https://www.amnesty.org/download/Documents/160000/asa130071997en.pdf - UNHCR Report, 2016, Mixed Movements in South-East Asia, UNHCR Regional Office for South-East Asia: https://unhcr.atavist.com/mm2016 https://unhcr.atavist.com/mm2016 - Human Rights Watch (HRW) Report: Nov 2016, Satellite-Base d Damage Assessment of Affected Villages in Maungdaw District, HRW. URL: https://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/supporting_resources/hrw_burmadestruction_assessment_10nov2016_v3.pdf. - Human Rights Watch (HRW) Report, Jan 2017, Burma: Events of 2016, HRW. URL: https://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/burma_2.pdf - Doctors without Borders (MSF), Dec 2017, MSF surveys estimate that at least 6,700 Rohingya were killed during the attacks in Myanmar, MSF Press Release: https://www.msf.org/myanmarbangladesh-msf-surveys-estimate-least-6700-rohingya-were-killed-during-attacks-myanmar - IIFFM (Independent International Fact Finding Mission), Sep 2018, Report of the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar, UN Human Rights Council, Thirty Nith Session: http://www.rvisiontv.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/A_ .rvisiontv.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/A_HRC_39_64.pdf HRC_39_64.pdf - Ullah, A, 2016, Brigadier General Aung Aung Gyi and Rohingya Ethnic, Rohingya Vision Vision TV, TV, 30 May. URL: URL: http://www.rvisiontv http://www.rvisiontv.com/brigadier-general-aung-gyi-and-rohingy .com/brigadier-general-aung-gyi-and-rohingya-ethnic/ a-ethnic/ - Aye Aye Kyaw, 2012, Burmese Language Interview to Irrawaddy News Magazine. [The late Aye Aye Kyaw was a Monash University-trained Rakhine historian, who served on the Citizenship Drafting Committee established by ex-General Ne Win, the then despot. He emphatically stated that the new Citizenship Act was aimed specifically at de-nationalizing and disenfranchising Rohingyas, whom he considered the British colonial-era agricultural “coolies” from Chittagong, East Bengal.] http://www.mei.edu/publications/waves-genocidal-terror-against-rohingyas-myanmar-and-resultant-exodus-1978#_edn14 - Times of London Correspondent, 1951, Muslim Refugees in Eas t Bengal, Times of London, Karachi, 26 December - Hodal. K (Kate), (20 December) 2012, "Trapped inside Burma's refugee camps, the Rohingya people call for recognition", The Guardian. [Retrieved 25 September 2017]. URL: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/dec/20/burma-rohingya-muslim-refugee-camps - Aurther, Aurther, M, 2013, Sudden Abolishment of NaSaKa Institution and its Aftermaths, Rohingya Blogger, 12 July http://www.rohingyablogger http://www.rohingyablogger.com/2013/07/the-sudden-abolishment-of-nasaka. .com/2013/07/the-sudden-abolishment-of-nasaka. - Siddiqui, H (Habib), 2015 (Mar), Letter Let ter From America: ‘Hidden Hands’ Behind Communal Violence Violence in Myanmar - I told you so, Asian Tribune: URL: http://asiantribune.com/node/86661 - Hmuu Zaw alias Major Zaw Htay, Director of then President Office (and now State Counselor Office), 2012, Facebook Post on his former account named “Hmuu Zaw”, 8 June. J une. (See Annex V) - Telegraph Telegraph Report (republishing AP Report), 12 Jul 2012, UN refugee chief rejects call to resettle Rohingya, Telegraph. URL: https://www.telegram.com/article/20120609/NEWS/306099 https://www.telegram.com/article/20120609/NEWS/306099946 946 - Guardian Report, June 2015, Malaysia migrant mass graves: police reveal 139 sites, some with multiple corpses, Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/may/25/malaysia-migrant-mass-graves-police-reveal-139-sites-some-with-multiple-corpses - Kumar, N. (Nikhil), Dec 2016, Reprisals, Rape, and Children Burned Alive: Burma's Rohingya Speak of Genocidal Terror, TIME Report: http://time.com/4596937/burma-myanmar-rohingya-bangladesh-refugees-crimes-against-humanity/ - Lewis, S., Siddiqui, Z., Baldwin, C., & Marshall, A. R.C., Jun 2016, Tip of the Spear: The shock troops who expelled the Rohingya from Myanmar, A Reuters Investigation: https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/myanmar-rohingya-battalions/
47
- Daily Star Report (republishing ( republishing Reuters report), Aug 2018, Killing of Rohingyas: Death toll could be up to 25,000, Daily Star: https://www.thedailystar.net/news/frontpage/killing-rohingyas-death-toll-could-be-over-10000-1622392 - Neuman, S (Scott)., Feb 2018, AP Investigation Details Shocking Massacre, Mass Graves Of Myanmar Rohingya, AP Investigation: http://www.wnpr http://www.wnpr.org/post/ap-investigation-details-shock.org/post/ap-investigation-details-shocking-massacre-mass-graves-myanmar-rohingya -Wa Lone, Kyaw Soe Oo, Lewis S. (Simon) & Slodkowski A. (Antoni), Special Report: How Myanmar forces burned, looted and killed in a remote village, Reuters Special Report: https://www.reuters.com/artihttps://www.reuters.com/artic l e / u s - m y a n m a r - r a k h i n e - e v e n t s - s p e cialreport/special-report-how-myanmar-forces-burned-looted-and-killed-in-a-remote-village-idUSKBN1 FS3BH
48
Annexes Annex I
49
Annex II
50
Annex III
51
52
53
54
55
Annex IV
56
57
58
Annex V
59
Annex VI
60
61
62
Annex VII
“In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful”
Date : 10 March 2017 Ref No: ARSA/PR/01/2017
PRESS RELEASE
Rohingya is an ethnic, indigenous and native to Arakan (Rakhine), has been there for several thousand years even before the nation called modern day Burma (Myanmar) came to exist in the world maps.
Arakan takes pride of several independent Kingdoms which had nothing to do whatsoever with the Burmese Colonial Empire from the first day of the world until 1784 in which the Burmese King, Bo Daw Phaya Maung Waing, invaded and colonised Arakan with brutal military offensive attacks.
Rohingyas have always been subjected to Genocide and Crimes against Humanity committed stage by stage by the successive Burmese regimes and governments for decades since 1970s in attempting to exterminate them totally from their native land, Arakan.
Nowadays, the international community begins to witness that the successive Burmese regimes and governments have been committing Genocide and Crimes against Humanity against Rohingya community for decades.
In view of that, the United Nations recognises Rohingya community as the most persecuted people in the world and also acknowledges that persecutions of Rohingya community by the successive Burmese regimes and governments amount to Crimes against Humanity. Page1 Page1 of 4
63
We were hoping that situations of Rohingya community would improve to a certain degree of satisfaction when Aung San Su Kyi led National League for Democracy (NLD) party formed the government in the early 2016.
It becomes clear that Aung San Su Kyi led government is not in any capacity to change the situation in any way while they themselves are being held as political hostages by the Burmese brutal Junta to bargain political leverage at the international arena especially with UN, US, EU and etc.
Therefore, in current Burmese political landscape, it is also essential to deal with Commander-in-chief Ming Aung Hlaing (constitutionally installed King of Burma) who is the mastermind of on-going atrocities faced by Rohingyas.
We were also hoping that international community would take necessary measures including sending peacekeeping forces into Arakan State, as it is morally responsible, to protect Rohingya community from being subjected to Genocide as well as Crimes against Humanity which are recognised as international crimes in the Statute of the International Criminal Court.
We would like to express our sincere thanks wholeheartedly to international organizations (namely, the UN, OIC, EU, ASEAN) and recent numerous international delegations to Arakan State (especially to Ms. Yanghee Lee, the UN Special Rapporteur) for their tireless efforts to save humanity, and welcome for more international initiatives in various sectors inside Arakan adequately in the future.
Nevertheless, it is very unfortunate that Rohingyas are still locked up in various concentration Camps across Arakan without any proper access to essential needs for survival as humans and endless persecutions continue as usual against Rohingya community and destructions to their ancestral villages, places of worship, properties of public importance and private properties.
Therefore, We [ARAKAN ROHINGYA SALVATION ARMY (ARSA), which was initially known as the FAITH MOVEMENT] come forward to defend, salvage and Page 2 of 4
64
protect Rohingya community in Arakan with our best capacities as we have the legitimate right under international law to defend ourselves in line with the principle of self-defence.
We, in doing so, declare loud and clear that our defensive attacks have only been aimed at the oppressive Burmese regime in accordance with international norms and principles until our demands are fulfilled.
We do not associate with any terrorist group across the world.
We do not commit any form of terrorism against any civilian regardless of their religious and ethnic origin as we do not subscribe to the notion of committing terrorism for our legitimate cause.
We, as it has been proven, assure the safety and well being of all ethnic communities, their places of worship and properties in Arakan State.
We also seek political, financial, technical and logistics supports and assistances from any member of legitimate international community to strengthened our legitimate cause in accordance with international norms and principles.
We hereby demand, in accordance with international human rights norms and principles, that the Burmese Junta regime and the government must:
1)
Reinstate the Indigenous Native Ethnic Status of Rohingyas;
2)
Issue them the Citizenship identity cards;
3)
Allow immediately to resume resume international international humanitarian humanitarian relief works in all affected areas;
4)
Initiate and expedite expedite the the UN led international international independent investigation and enquiry team into Arakan;
5)
Hold all the perpetrators of acts of violence violence accountable accountable for the crimes that they have committed;
Page 3 of 4
65
6)
Allow all bona bona fide fide Rohingya Rohingya refugees refugees and diasporas diasporas around around the the world world to return safely to their native land, Arakan;
7)
Restore Restore their their rights rights to freedom freedom of movement, movement, freedom freedom of assembl assembly y and freedom of association;
8)
Remove all restrict restrictions ions to to form political political parties parties and and participa participate te in politi politics; cs;
9)
Allow them to practice practice their religious religious rites rites and and cultural cultural ceremonies; ceremonies;
10) Allow all all Rohingyas Rohingyas from IDP Camps Camps across Arakan Arakan to return to their their places of origin immediately under the supervision of international observation; 11) Release all the Rohingya Rohingya arbitrary arbitrary detainees detainees nationwid nationwide e without delay; delay; 12) Stop using using Rohingyas Rohingyas as forced labourers labourers and human human shields shields at all time; 13) Rebuilt Rebuilt their places places of worship and other other public public as well as private buildings which were destroyed throughout the violence at the expense of the Burmese government; 14) Return all ancestral ancestral lands lands and titles that that were unlawfully unlawfully confiscated confiscated and grabbed from Rohingyas; 15) Allow Rohingyas Rohingyas to participat participate e in trade and commercial commercial activities; activities; 16) Allow their their children children to have full access to proper proper education education without without any let or hindrance; 17) Allow them them to serve serve in public public services services proportionat proportionately; ely; 18) Refrain Refrain from interfering interfering in marriages marriages and family family planning of Rohingyas; Rohingyas; 19) Restore Restore their rights rights to enjoy other other rights and privile privileges ges that are accorded accorded to all indigenous natives of Burma; 20) Provide Provide adequate adequate legal and administrat administrative ive measures measures to accomplish accomplish all the above mentioned demands.
COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF ARAKAN ROHINGYA SALVATION ARMY (ARSA) END Page 4 of 4
66
Annex VIII
reviving the
courageous
hearts
