Fighting in Burma’s Western state of Rakhine has left thousands of houses burnt down and an estimated 64 dead according to the Burmese government.

The victims were mostly Muslim Rohingya and satellite pictures released by Human Rights Watch show entire districts razed to the ground.

This recent rise in violence is but the latest in a long running civil war that has been ongoing since the country gained its independence from British rule in 1948. Shortly following Burma’s independence, the Burmese government, which mainly consists of Bamar people who make up two thirds of the population of Burma, created the Burmese constitution denying ethnic minorities constitutional rights or participation in government.

There are a total of 135 ethnic minorities officially recognized by the Burmese government as well as several unrecognized groups, the most notable of these being the Rohingya.

The exclusion of ethnic minorities from government is one the main reasons behind the civil war in Burma with many groups, such as the Shan and Chin people, having formed militias to fight for autonomy in their home areas as well as power in the decision-making process of the whole country.

The fighting has not solely been over ethnic minorities struggling to gain the power and rights they believe they deserve. The civil war is also being fought because, according to Burma Campaign UK the ”Burman dominated governments see their own race, culture and religion as the best and have been trying to impose it on others”.

This is particularly true of the Muslim Rohingya who mostly live in Rakhine state, which has been the center of violence last week and also last June. Called “one of the most persecuted minorities in the world” by the UN the Rohingya are officially stateless and not recognized as citizens in the Burmese Constitution. Despite the fact that they have resided in the country for centuries, the Rohingya are viewed by many Burmese as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. Thein Sein, the current president of Burma, has called the Rohingya a threat to national security and stated his willingness to hand 800,000 Rohingya over to the United Nations refugee agency to be settled in another country.

With the president of Burma publicly expressing such views, it adds credibility to remarks made by Tun Khin of the Burmese Rohingya organization in the UK, who claimed on channel 4 news that last weeks events were “proper planned by Rakhine National Democratic party”  and that the state incited the local Muslim population to attack the Rohingya. This is confirmed by Burma Campaign UK who say ”what has happened in recent months is clearly mainly instigated and implemented by Rakhine and Burman nationalists with a mixture of overt and tacit backing from the government.” The government also recognized that the violence was not spontaneous, saying in a press release  ”… there are persons and organizations who are conducting manipulation in the incidents in Rakhine State behind the scene”. However they could not be contacted for comment on the matter.

As well as inciting and backing violence against the Rohingya, the government could be guilty of failing to properly protect the Rohingya. This is certainly the view of Human Rights Watch who said,”In Arakan State, the Burmese government inadequately responded to the sectarian violence between the ethnic Arakan and Rohingya populations. When it finally did take action, state security forces targeted the minority Rohingya for killings, mass arrests and looting, causing massive displacement.”

These attacks by either the government or local population on the Rohingya people come shortly after the government made steps towards democracy with several small reforms. First was the release of human rights activist Aung San Suu Kyi in 2010 after 15 years under house arrest. There was then the first elections after 49 years of military rule, even if the elections were widely regarded as being rigged. While these actions were a move in the right direction, these reforms have only distracted the international community from what is happening to the Rohingya.

Right now, the Rohingya are the only ones the government are targeting. But what happens when Thein Sein has successfully got rid of the Rohingya, will it stop there? The international community must wake up and realize that it is not just the Middle East that is in the midst of civil war. We cannot continue to pick and choose which countries we help, and which we ignore. The Libyans and Syrians are not the only ones being persecuted by their leaders, the world needs to hear what is happening to the Rohingya and other minorities in Burma and act to protect them.

Image Courtesy : Government of Thailand [CC-BY-2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

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About the author

James Leng
My music is renowned amongst my friends, for being hideously bad. I love to cook all the time which is pretty useful considering I'm constantly eating. And then in-between eating and listening to awful music I do occasionally do a little bit of writing. To listen to my podcast go to http://lebureaudesport.ucajournalism.com/ask-james/ or add me on Twitter at https://twitter.com/lengy123

6 Comments for Burma’s Government Accused of the Violence in Rakhine State

Distortion

These article kept on parroting the myth that Rohingyas are “one of the most persecuted minorities in the world” . They have been committing armed robberies, gang rape, and murder in the host country. However, these bribed propagandist purposely kept a blind eye to it turning truth upside down. The same people will not say a thing regarding human rights abuses rampant in the Middle East, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, etc.. I am not surprise if this world will sooner or later be ruled by terrorists and their supporters. It will be he’ll on earth for everyone.

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James Leng

It is not a myth that the Rohingya’s are one of the most persecuted minorities in the world. They were referred to as that by the UN who I’m sure know more about the situation than me or you.
Have you seen the news recently regarding David Cameron’s trip to the middle east? The media have made a big deal of the human rights situations in the countries he is trying to sell to. I myself have written an article on the subject, you can read it at http://www.toonaripost.com/2012/11/world-news/david-camerons-arms-deals-with-middle-east-concern-human-rights-groups/.

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mandyswe

Thank you James Leng (Toonarian) for speaking up for the truth. Much respect to you jJames.

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mandyswe

What the world does NOT know in detail is that there are many Moghs from Bangladesh (similar blood to those in mainland Burma that entered Arakan region in 10th century and also live in Bangladesh) have entered Burma and are in prominent positions in Burma socially and politically because they are Buddhists. An example being Maung Aye. he was born in Bangldesh but he never had problems getting legal document in Burma while the Rohingyas were stripped from their legal documents showing ties to the land. These people in cahoot with Arakan Liberation Army who has agreed for cease fire with the Burmese government are actively driving out the Rohingyas from their ancestral land.

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mandyswe

I got the name backward. It is Aye Maung, chariman of RNDP (Rakhine Nationalities Development Party). RNDP operates with Arakan Liberation Party in their plan to wipe out the Rohingyas .

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James Leng

I’m glad you liked my article mandyswe.
I’m having a look into what you said now, seeing if I can find any more information on it to write an article. Do you have any evidence of your claim that I could have a look at?

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