M-Media
2nd Aug 2013
It was reported that there is a racial discrimination against Muslims who work for Bus line between Thandwe and Gwa, the two famous towns in Rakhine state. The marginalization on religion in workplace is led by administration of Gwa and Road Transport Administration of Thandwe.
Some local Muslims reported their difficulties to Thandwe district administration, implying that town administration of Gwa released a letter which instructs Bus line supervisors not to allow Bangali-Mulims drivers and spares. [On every Myanmar bus there is a driver and another person called a spare who is responsible mainly for collecting fare] Road Transport Administration of Thandwe also instructed to follow that letter to the chair person of Thandwe-Gwa Bus line.
The letter specifically used the racially abusive words against Muslims referring them as Bangali. According to some locals, most of the Muslim drivers and spares are Burma citizens and they have the citizenship scrutiny cards. M-Media had been able to reach a Muslim Bus owner and he said, “We are kaman. Not Bangali. So this is the obvious oppression in the workplace and in daily business. But current Burma constitutions describes there is no restrictions in anything based on race and belief. So, as they had already broken the law, we also reported that to Thandwe district administration.”
M-Media realizes that there are so many such kind of cases happening especially in employment sector in Rakhine and which have been hardly reported.
Picture: The report of Muslim Bus drivers to Thandwe district administration
