Dr. Abid Bahar
Burma’s ethnic problems is over half a century’s old. Rohingyas are a
tiny minority who in Burma live mostly in the Arakan state in Western
Burma. There are records of genocidal campaign against Rohingyas going
on from the 30′s. It is obvious that under many decades of xenophobic
military rule with majority of Burma’s people not over 5th graders and
Burmese military’s 30% personnel from hardcore ultra nationalist Rakhine
Mogh background one can’t expect something better either from the
government or from the Rakhine populace for the racially different
Rohingya community. As a result the ever present perpetrators now blame
the victims as the perpetrators. Every indication shows that the present
massacres were systematically planned and executed by Rakhine leaders
one that is frequently mentioned in the media is Dr. Aye Chan. He has
characterized Rohingyas a “influx viruses” requiring extermination.” He
is known in the Rohingya community as the “Doctor of death.” (1)
Unfortunately, Rohingya massacre is not a new phenomenon, it was there
in 1942, 1978, 1992 and now in June 2012. Due to the influx of refugees
from Burma, both Rohingya, Rakhine and Chakmas, the Southern Chittagong
of Bangladesh historically has been flooded (up to Sangha River) by
Burmese refugees, most of whom however eventually became Bangladeshi
citizens.. Despite this historic trend, Rakhine Moghs still claim that
Rogingyas of Burma are Chittagonians.
In our time, to escape the oppressive Burmese regime’s atrocities,
when Burmese refugees both Rohingyas and the other Burmese ethnic
minorities floating all over the world for shelter, the ever proud
Burmese government shows neither any remorse nor responsibility. From
Rakhine Mogh’s repenting relentless anti Rohingya campaign, we see their
comments on the internet. The New Mandala records the Rakhine reaction
to a map drawn by the BBC showing the existence of Rohingya people in
Arakan.The following quotes written in Burmese illustrate the nature of
the campaign It records the Rakhine reaction:
Kick out all Muslim Kalar [Rohingyas, South Asians/Indians] from
Burma. If this doesn’t work, then kill them to death. It’s time for
Arakan to unite with each other.
Don’t assume that I won’t sharpen my knife. I am ready to make it
sharp for the sake of protecting our nation, religion and races against
those Bengali cheaters.
There is no Kalar in Burmese national races. These bastards run into
Burma during good time and also in time of starvation. Beggers, they
should be kicked out but do not deserve national identity card
[citizenship].
Why does BBC create problem like this? I cannot imagine why. Real
Burman like myself cannot feel [accept] it. I feel like my [ethnic]
relatives and siblings have been given away into the hands of Kalar.
Whichever history we look at, Rohingyas are not among our ethnic
siblings.
F@#$-ing Kalar, we will slap your face with shoes and cut your heads.
Don’t criticize the god with little of what you know. We will set you
on fire to death and turn the mosques into wholesales/retail pork
markets…
The New Mandala adds: “The main messages of the campaign, therefore,
are that there is no Rohingya in the Burmese history; the name Rohingya
was “invented” as if it should have existed in time immemorial to be
valid; Rohingyas are culturally and religiously different illegal
immigrants from Bangladesh who are cheating the history to claim the
land of Arakan; and Rohingyas (or Bangali-Muslim-Kalars) are threatening
to take over Burma. The intense campaign against Rohingyas shows that
minority people supposedly the victims of oppression are willing to
enact oppression on another oppressed group.”The anxiety is so strong
that the map and the article are taken to be giving away the country,
its religion and nations to Rohingya. What is most noticeable in this
campaign is not simply their rejection of Rohingya as an ethnic group of
Burma, but their strong, public comments with a genocidal tendency.”(1)
A neutral reader would see most of them have no understanding of what
is human rights. Human rights is understood here as being the rights of
their own group only but not a reciprocal obligation to their fellow
citizens belonging to other groups.
In denying the Rohingya existence in Arakan, a border land, these
Rakhine ultra nationalists surprisingly fail to understand that there
are also Rakhine people settled in Bangladesh as late as during the
British period who are now Bangladeshi citizens.
In their anti Rohingya remarks above we see some people show signs of
naive savages. Of course the tendency is historic for which Arakan was
called the “Mogher Mulluk” (land of anarchy.) Thus, a valid question to
ask: In the contemporary events in June 2012, who were the leaders that
were organizing the vigilantes, helping the Rakhine police, and
distributing imported arms from behind? Additionally, if the military
backed Burmese government is not involved, ( it brands Rohingyas are
foreigners) why can’t its deployed military men can’t stop the ongoing
violence?
There is no doubt that in most cases of dealing with state sponsored
genocide, the international community acts largely on political grounds.
This is true even about the UN’s performance.in certain cases. However,
it some UN organizations such as UNHCR, and some NGOs are the few
places Rohingyas get assistance.
It seems that for the Rohingyas, in the land of anarchy, the 1942,
78, 92 still revisits them in the 2012′s and it will continue to revisit
them unless the international community find the provocateurs that
first organized few hundred people to kill some Burmese Muslim people
traveling by bus. In the short term, it is also important to catch those
who planned and executed the subsequent genocidal activities in
Maungdou and in Akyab and take them to the International Criminal Court.
In the long term, to help Burma develop law and order, and mutual
respect and tolerance among citizens, it is necessary to help Burma
change its military imposed age old xenophobic education system tailored
to rule the country through divide and rule policy. (3)
It is true, something is truly wrong in Burma and in the contemporary
crisis, the UN should closely monitor the developments in Arakan. As
for the Rohingyas in particular, relying on the military backed
government for protection is as if trusting the crocodile to babysit the
Rohingya chicks. If Burma has a future against its over half a century
of ethnic problem, truly, it has to be only through Aung San Sui Kyi’s
democratic reforms and “the lady” they call her has to deal with every
Burmese people as if like a mother to her children, for, the military
government has sufficiently spoiled some at the cost of others
sufferings.(4)
Endnotes
(1) The New Mandala, “BBC under fire on Rohingyas,
“http://asiapacific.anu.edu.au/newmandala/2011/11/03/bbc-under-fire-on-rohingyas/;
RACISM TO ROHINGYA IN BURMA AYE CHAN’S “ENCLAVE” WITH “INFLUX VIRUSES”
REVISITED,Link:http://danyawadi.wordpress.com/2012/04/06/racism-to-rohingya-in-burma-aye-chans-enclave-with-influx-viruses-revisited/
(2) The New Mandala, “BBC under fire on
Rohingyas,”http://asiapacific.anu.edu.au/newmandala/2011/11/03/bbc-under-fire-on-rohingyas/
(3)Tell Me, What is Rohingya Genocide in Burma? http://burmadigest.info/2012/01/18/tell-me-what-is-rohingya-genocide-in-burma/,
(4) Abid Bahar, Burma’s Missing Dits, the Emerging face of Genocide. 2010.
