Incidents Since June 2012
The last incidents broke out on 3 June when 10 Muslims travelling from the capital Akyab to Maungdaw were killed by Buddhist fanatics. Hundreds of Muslims gathered at the central mosque in Maungdaw to protest the attack but hardline Buddhists and the Burmese police, who viewed the protest as a threat to their existence, attacked the local Muslims and killed and wounded many. The Burmese police branded the protest as an uprising against the state and ordered the punishment of the Muslims involved in the incidents. Together with Buddhist fanatics the police began raiding Muslim villages and towns. More than 300 Muslim villages, mosques and madrasahs were set on fire on grounds that they were sheltering the criminals. Mosques were besieged by Buddhist fanatics. According to independent human rights organizations, around 1,000 people have been killed and thousands of Muslims have been forced out of their homes and villages and into forests since violence erupted in June. Some Muslims set out with boats into Naf River and the Indian Ocean to each Bangladesh, but hundreds were drowned to death when the Bangladeshi government denied them entry into the country. It has been reported that some of the wounded have secretly crossed into Bangladesh with their own means to receive treatment. A large number of Arakanese with critical condition have been left to die. Aided by Nasaka (Burmese border security force), Hlun-tin (riot police) and the police, Rakhine Buddhists have been trying to displace the Rohingya. While curfew was in place, security forces and Rakhine groups went from village to village and set fire to Rohingya houses and fired on those escaping burning houses. Independent sources report that many Rohingyas were burned to death in the houses and the bodies were taken away in trucks, adding it is not possible to verify exactly how many had been massacred. Reports from an area knownas the fifth zone in Arakan state that at least one mosque and many villages had been set on fire. There are no independent media organizations in Burma but only a single media outlet that is supplied stories by the government. It is reported that in the region under curfew property of Rohingya had been looted by Rakhines and the Rohingya community had been living in fear. No end date has been set for curfew, sources report. Homeless people find themselves as the target for security forces once the night falls. About 4m Arakanese are facing the risk of deportation and violence acts such as their houses being raided and burned. A serious humanitarian crisis is unfolding in the region.
Life of Muslims in Burma
Current State Of Human Rights
1. Muslims continue to be killed in Arakan on a daily basis.
2. It is known that a large number of Muslims are currently jailed and are subjected to torture but their identities and exact number cannot be verified.
3. Women are being raped.
4. The ongoing travel ban and curfew imposed on the Rohingya population have completely paralyzed life.
5. Mosques, masjids, houses and villages are being set on fire and destroyed.
6. Masjids and madrasahs cannot be repaired without government permit. To monitor compliance with the regulation, masjids and madrasahs have to be photographed three times a year as a routine practice. If unpermitted maintenance is spotted, those responsible are sentenced to between six months and six years in prison plus a fine. No new mosques or madrasah have been allowed to be built in the last 20 years.
7. A photograph featuring all family members has to be handed to government officials every year. Families are required to pay taxes to the state for every child born and every family member died.
8. Muslims have no freedom of travel. A Muslim has to get permission and pay tax to travel from one village to another.
9. Muslims are forbidden from building their houses out of concrete; they have to make them from wood. The houses are considered as state property and if they are burned down accidentally, owners are sentenced to prison sentences as long as six years.
10. To set up a business a Muslim has to establish partnership with Buddhist. In this partnership, the Buddhist partner owns half of the business without investing any capital.
11. Muslims have to pay annual taxes for the livestock they own.
12. Muslims cannot marry without a permit. A couple wishing to get married has to pay a tax. Sometimes they are denied a permit even if they pay the tax.
13. Muslims are deprived of all public services. For instance, when they get sick they cannot go to state hospitals for treatment.
14. Muslims are not allowed into higher education institutions.
15. Muslims are forbidden to work in public sector jobs. Today there is not a single Muslim civil servant in Arakan.
16. Muslims cannot own fixed line telephones or cellular phones.
17. Muslims are not allowed to own motor vehicles.
18. When Muslims are accused of a crime, they are not give the right to defense and are immediately imprisoned. The police or the army have the authority to raid a Muslim house without a warrant and accuse its inhabitants of any crime. Raiding officers immediately jail the residents if they cannot get a bribe in return for not arresting them.
19. Muslims are subjected to curfew after nine o’clock at night and cannot visit their relatives or neighbors without permission from the police.
20. Muslims are forced to work for the state and Buddhists without receiving any wage in return.
21. Muslims have no right to citizenship. They carry white identification cards bearing the title “foreigner.” These cards are only for identification purposes and do not entitle card holders to any rights.
22. Muslims are not issued passports. They are provided a document to cross into neighboring Bangladesh and sometimes they cannot return to their country because their documents are not accepted.
The last incidents broke out on 3 June when 10 Muslims travelling from the capital Akyab to Maungdaw were killed by Buddhist fanatics. Hundreds of Muslims gathered at the central mosque in Maungdaw to protest the attack but hardline Buddhists and the Burmese police, who viewed the protest as a threat to their existence, attacked the local Muslims and killed and wounded many. The Burmese police branded the protest as an uprising against the state and ordered the punishment of the Muslims involved in the incidents. Together with Buddhist fanatics the police began raiding Muslim villages and towns. More than 300 Muslim villages, mosques and madrasahs were set on fire on grounds that they were sheltering the criminals. Mosques were besieged by Buddhist fanatics. According to independent human rights organizations, around 1,000 people have been killed and thousands of Muslims have been forced out of their homes and villages and into forests since violence erupted in June. Some Muslims set out with boats into Naf River and the Indian Ocean to each Bangladesh, but hundreds were drowned to death when the Bangladeshi government denied them entry into the country. It has been reported that some of the wounded have secretly crossed into Bangladesh with their own means to receive treatment. A large number of Arakanese with critical condition have been left to die. Aided by Nasaka (Burmese border security force), Hlun-tin (riot police) and the police, Rakhine Buddhists have been trying to displace the Rohingya. While curfew was in place, security forces and Rakhine groups went from village to village and set fire to Rohingya houses and fired on those escaping burning houses. Independent sources report that many Rohingyas were burned to death in the houses and the bodies were taken away in trucks, adding it is not possible to verify exactly how many had been massacred. Reports from an area knownas the fifth zone in Arakan state that at least one mosque and many villages had been set on fire. There are no independent media organizations in Burma but only a single media outlet that is supplied stories by the government. It is reported that in the region under curfew property of Rohingya had been looted by Rakhines and the Rohingya community had been living in fear. No end date has been set for curfew, sources report. Homeless people find themselves as the target for security forces once the night falls. About 4m Arakanese are facing the risk of deportation and violence acts such as their houses being raided and burned. A serious humanitarian crisis is unfolding in the region.
Life of Muslims in Burma
Current State Of Human Rights
1. Muslims continue to be killed in Arakan on a daily basis.
2. It is known that a large number of Muslims are currently jailed and are subjected to torture but their identities and exact number cannot be verified.
3. Women are being raped.
4. The ongoing travel ban and curfew imposed on the Rohingya population have completely paralyzed life.
5. Mosques, masjids, houses and villages are being set on fire and destroyed.
6. Masjids and madrasahs cannot be repaired without government permit. To monitor compliance with the regulation, masjids and madrasahs have to be photographed three times a year as a routine practice. If unpermitted maintenance is spotted, those responsible are sentenced to between six months and six years in prison plus a fine. No new mosques or madrasah have been allowed to be built in the last 20 years.
7. A photograph featuring all family members has to be handed to government officials every year. Families are required to pay taxes to the state for every child born and every family member died.
8. Muslims have no freedom of travel. A Muslim has to get permission and pay tax to travel from one village to another.
9. Muslims are forbidden from building their houses out of concrete; they have to make them from wood. The houses are considered as state property and if they are burned down accidentally, owners are sentenced to prison sentences as long as six years.
10. To set up a business a Muslim has to establish partnership with Buddhist. In this partnership, the Buddhist partner owns half of the business without investing any capital.
11. Muslims have to pay annual taxes for the livestock they own.
12. Muslims cannot marry without a permit. A couple wishing to get married has to pay a tax. Sometimes they are denied a permit even if they pay the tax.
13. Muslims are deprived of all public services. For instance, when they get sick they cannot go to state hospitals for treatment.
14. Muslims are not allowed into higher education institutions.
15. Muslims are forbidden to work in public sector jobs. Today there is not a single Muslim civil servant in Arakan.
16. Muslims cannot own fixed line telephones or cellular phones.
17. Muslims are not allowed to own motor vehicles.
18. When Muslims are accused of a crime, they are not give the right to defense and are immediately imprisoned. The police or the army have the authority to raid a Muslim house without a warrant and accuse its inhabitants of any crime. Raiding officers immediately jail the residents if they cannot get a bribe in return for not arresting them.
19. Muslims are subjected to curfew after nine o’clock at night and cannot visit their relatives or neighbors without permission from the police.
20. Muslims are forced to work for the state and Buddhists without receiving any wage in return.
21. Muslims have no right to citizenship. They carry white identification cards bearing the title “foreigner.” These cards are only for identification purposes and do not entitle card holders to any rights.
22. Muslims are not issued passports. They are provided a document to cross into neighboring Bangladesh and sometimes they cannot return to their country because their documents are not accepted.
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