Date: 4th May 2013
Strongly condemn hostilities against Burmese Muslims
1. Under U Thein Sein’s government, Muslims in Burma have been targeted animosity and hostility to unprecedented level, in the form of distributing malicious pamphlets, disseminating of hate speech videos, organising public sermons by extremist monks which fanning enmity and hatred wide spread.
2. The level of verbal abuse, physical assaults, lootings and arson attacks on Muslims women, children and elders are to the highest historical peak under U Thein Sein’s government.
3. The same U Thein Sein’s government have used live bullets, crushed and crack down the peaceful protest of farmers from Letpadaung, who have been farming their own farms and standing up for their rights and livelihoods whereas heartlessly and immorally neglected to protect and safeguard Muslims of Meiktilar; watching coldly when the mobs attack and killed brutally including children, who were burned alive with wounds. All of these barbaric acts of commission and omission have been documented in videos, which have been witnessed in Burma including the whole world.
4. Although, President U Thein Sein has repeatedly stated and promised that effective action would be taken against to those who instigate hatred among citizens of different religions and people of different ethnic backgrounds. Until today, he has been knowingly and with full awareness neglected to take appropriate action against various individuals including monks and politicians who are responsible for spreading hatred and violence in the country. Furthermore, his government never took any preventive measures even though informed of imminent outbreak of trouble to avoid communal violence. Besides, this government has failed to provide adequate safeguards and security measures continuously during the periods of violence.
5. In fact, the negligence of U Thein Sein’s government on repeated acts of hatred and violence targeting against the religion of Islam and Muslims in Burma, has affected honour and dignity of our nation among the international community, to the extent that leads extremist in Indonesia plotted to blast Burmese embassy. We, as Burmese Muslims consider it a highly regrettable. We unequivocally condemn the violence and terrorism. At the same time, we would like to highlight U Thein Sein’s government that the government of Indonesia has protected and provided security for the Burmese embassy and the citizens of Burma residing in Indonesia, so has the government of Bangladesh, which has provided effective security for
its Buddhist minority in safeguarding their lives, their homes and their religious sanctuaries. It is absolutely imperative that U Thein Sein’s government should follow these examples and take effective and honourable actions in providing safety for its own citizens and minorities.
6. We strongly believe that, Burmese Muslims are not only would eschew violent activities under any circumstances, but also are fully prepared to resolve our internal differences among our own citizens with reciprocal respect and equitable dignity. But we are never going to acquiesce in the injustice shoved down our throats by a group of illegitimate military cohorts by 1982 citizenship law, branding our faith as ‘guest’ faith and our people as ‘guest people’ or alien entity, with total disregard our great history. All citizens of Burma have mixed heritage and ethnicity, and it is a total travesty of justice and an absolutely illegitimate act with full of prejudice and bigotry, to regard those with mixed Indian heritage as ‘guest citizen’ denied rights, while those with mixed Chinese heritage are in the minister position. We, Burmese Muslims will never accept this hypocritical perspective.
7. For a long time, there has been systematic and methodical, plotting and targeting, and victimization of Burmese Muslims, resulting in the loss of lives and livelihoods, to the extent of total desperation and utter dissolution for those who are at the receiving end. Although Burmese Muslims have been living in great mental anguish on a daily basis, due to lack of security and dignity, except from a handful of individuals, there has not been adequate support and sympathy from any significant quarters among national, political, religious and humanitarian top leaders, including the members of parliament; therefore their state of helplessness and agony has deepened and intensified immeasurably. We record their indifferences with heartbroken sorrow.
8. We strongly condemn the report of the Inquiry Commission on the Sectarian Violence Rakhine State which neglected the case of cold-blooded murder of ten Burmese Muslims in broad day-light in Taunggauk; which sated the Rohingya, the abused and victimized as dishonest illegal immigrants, stateless vagrants and vagabonds and failed to blame enough the Rakhine hate-mongers and extremists who were prime responsible for spreading violence in Rakhine State.
9. The welfare of Burmese Muslims is the welfare of the nation. The security of Burmese Muslims is the security of the nation. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the government to provide safety and security to Burmese Muslims. Under the jurisdiction of International Law, engaging in factional fighting and violence is tantamount to crime against Humanity if based on ethnicity or religion. We warn that the ultimate responsibility rests with the Government of Burma if the worsening situation is not remedied in time.
Burmese Muslim Association
Media Contact;
Kyaw Win +44-740-345-2378(UK) [email protected]; Ms. Yasmin +1 408 250 6227(USA) [email protected]; Kyaw Swa +44 782 842 6801(UK) kyawzwa@b-m-
