News @ M-Media

Category: English Version

  • Myanmar popular media, The Voice Weekly’s ill propaganda

    The Voice Weekly’s Chief Editor, Kyaw Min Swe

    October 28, 2012
    M-Media

    One of the most influential media in Myanmar, The Voice Weekly, posted a news on Oct 27 which captions “INGO and OIC have hands in whipping up the Rakhine conflict”. The report was just based on the Rakhine perspective, citing a Rakhine politician and a statement with no reasonable arguments. 

    The Voice Weekly is the publishing branch of Myanmar E-grass, a well-known academic and advocacy group. The organization’s academic director Dr. Kyaw Yin Hlaing is the secretary of the government-backed Arakan Conflict Inquiry Commission. The Voice Weekly is a leading news agency politicizing false news and biased perspectives about the Arakan conflict since June this year.

    News in detail is as follows:

    Yangon Oct 27

    U Myo Kyaw, secretary from Arakan League for Democracy (ALD) said that renewed violence in Rakhine state has been instigated by international non-government organizations resided in Myanmar and OIC (Organization of the Islamic Cooperation).

    The statement issued by ALD on 25th Oct states – “The violence happened in June has just calmed and come to pass again now, more diffuse than the last one, in Min Bya, Myaut U, Myay Bone, Kyaut Phyu, Kyaut Taw, Yathae Taung, Paut Taw townships. As such, it is seen that the Bengalis set ablaze not only their own houses but the Buddhist Rakhines’ too. According to the incidences, we believe that those conflicts have been taken place as the result of the manipulation by international and foreign organizations.”

    “If demonstration against OIC happened in Min Bya today, then tomorrow the violence would happen. As such, it is clear that there is a hand of foreign organizations behind curtain.” explained by U Myo Kyaw.

    On Oct 25, the president office declared that the manipulators behind the Rakhine violence will be exposed and legal action taken against them.

    State run newspaper describes that because of such renewed conflict, there are a total of 60 had been killed, 95 wounded and about 3000 housed were destroyed.

     

    Official Website of The Voice Weekly – http://thevoicemyanmar.com/

    Official Facebook Page of The Voice Weekly – http://www.facebook.com/thevoiceweekly

  • (Refugee News Updates) Refugees Run Out of Food and Fuel in Sin Tat Maw

    October 27, 2012
    M-Media
    Reporting by Zarni

    Refuees from Kyaut Phyu Fleeing Violence by Rakhines

    At 10:45 AM

    M-Media talked to a refugee from Kyaut Phyu who is now at Sin Tat Maw village, Sittwe.

    “We are on the bank of Sin Tat Maw village in Sittwe. We left Kyat Phyu on October 22nd and we arrived here on October 25th. There are groups of people traveling separately. Now we have more than 3,500 refugees with us. There is no security forces to protect us here”.

    Sin Tat Maw has 600 houses and local residents are helping the refugees arriving by boats.

    A refugee told M-Media, “Sin Tat Maw itself relies on Sittwe and it is a poor village. Local residents are giving food to us, but they are running out of food”.

    The refugee continues, “Other villages have threatened Sin Taw Maw for helping us. Villagers are afraid that they would be attacked as well. We already run out of fuel for our boats to leave Sin Tat Maw. Can nobody does anything to help us? We are sitting and waiting to die”.

  • News Report by Myanmar’s Islamic Religious Affairs Council on Arakan Terror

    News Report by Myanmar’s Islamic Religious Affairs Council on Arakan Terror

    The following is the unofficial English translation of news report released by Myanmar’s Islamic Religious Affairs Council on October 26, 2012. Original document is enclosed at the end.

    News from Arakan State, Myanmar

    3:15pm –  News from Sittway, 52 Muslim refugee boats are awaiting in the sea for permission to dock. They are in short of food and water. There are 5 dead bodies in the boat.

    3:15pm – On a hill in Myaypone township, 3000 Muslims are trapped. The are surrounded by terrorists at the foot of the hill.

    4:00pm – 14 Muslim refugee boats fled from Kyauk Phyu’s Pikesate village are not allowed to dock to any shore. They are awaiting for help and also in short of food and water.

    4:45pm – The terrorist are burning down Doha Muslim village in Pauktaw township.

    5:16pm – Muslim refugees from Kyaukphyu city have been fleeing to Thaechaung by boats.

    5:50pm – Muslim refugees are being transferred to rescue camps in Thaechaung (Sittway Township). In Pauktaw village,  Muslim refugees on boats are started to move to shore. No news of the number of boats accepted to dock.

    6:10pm – Around Sittway (Bomyat, Wireless, Tapine, fishing dock station), about 20 Muslim refugee boats are not allowed to dock and are still in the sea.

    6:15pm – With the help of the Navy, about 20 Muslim refugee boats are allowed to dock at Maungdaw.

    Special request:

    In Kyauknimaw town, starting from this morning (26 October), Rakhines are moving their belongings to the nearby towns/villages. Tonight (26 Oct), the news are spreading that in Kyauknimaw Town Arakan, terrorists will attack and kill Muslims. At the moment, Muslims are feeling that they have no choice but just sitting and waiting to be killed. Urgent rescue and protection are requested by Muslim residents as their lives are being threatened. It is said that safety measures are too weak.

    Regards.

    (Signed By)

    Alhajj Myint Shwe
    Vice Chairman

  • Statement by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on the Arakan Conflict

    Statement by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on the Arakan Conflict

    New York, 25 October 2012 – Statement attributable to the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General on the fresh outbreak of violence in Rakhine, Myanmar

    The most recent outbreak of communal violence in five townships in Northern Rakhine is deeply troubling. The widening mistrust between the communities is being exploited by militant and criminal elements to cause large-scale loss of human lives, material destruction, displaced families as well as fear, humiliation and hatred affecting the people from all walks of life.

    While the Secretary-General notes the clear recognition at the highest political levels in Myanmar of the need to contain this communal violence, he calls on the authorities to take urgent and effective action to bring under control all cases of lawlessness. The vigilante attacks, targeted threats and extremist rhetoric must be stopped. If this is not done, the fabric of social order could be irreparably damaged and the reform and opening up process being currently pursued by the government is likely to be jeopardized.

    Myanmar is striving to be an example of tolerance and moderation in Asia and the world. Such events must not be allowed to tarnish its efforts. The United Nations is ready to do whatever is necessary to alleviate the situation and bring tranquility and harmony to the region.

    http://www.un.org/sg/statements/index.asp?nid=6391

  • Appeal by a US Physician to the State Department

    Dear US State Dept,

    In the last 4 days in the mid-Rakhine region, what appears to be large mobs of Rakhine monks and civilians have forcibly evicted over 1000

    Rohingya families, killed reportedly anywhere from 200-500 Rohingya and burned down 4 Rohingya villages. This violence occurred reportedly with military and police in attendance and without any attempts to stop the violence. The few fire brigades that have reportedly responded have made no attempt to put out the fires.

    This current violence was immediately proceeded multiple Buddhist organization’s resolutions forbidding financial and further contact and aide to Rohingya with threats including label of traitor.

    The AP story from Yangon that has hit the international news today reports that the violence above is bilateral aggression with Buddhist casualties and property destruction. This was verified by the Myanmar government spokeperson for Rakhine Myo Thant and Rakhine State

    Attorney-General Hla Thein. These two gentleman are members of the ruling regime, which has been implicated in attacks on Rohingya in June and July by human Rights Watch’s report “The Government Could have Stopped This.”

    President Thein Sein’s most recent call for more benevolence toward Muslims in Burma was nice but ineffective in halting third party aggression nor absolving the State of any role in direct violence and other human rights violations of Rohingya.

    The US and international community will not step in to stop the violence, nor call this violence genocide or ethnic cleansing which

    obligates intervention. The violence is at such a high and diffuse level that Rohingya are not able to go outdoors to collect money from banks, or get to transportation out of Rakhine. They are still turned away from close by Bangladesh. The Rohingya are trapped in Rakhine.

     As much as I absolutely agree that the Rohingya have the right to stay where they and their ancestors have lived, Rakhine, Myanmar, aka Burma.

    Rohingya in harms way and threatened by harm who are inside Burma, especially Rakhine, should have the freedom to chose whether to stay or leave. I believe survival and life free from humiliating and torturous persecution is their priority. Right now they do not have the choice because they are trapped in Rakhine. They are sitting ducks with Rakhine violence increasing and State security forces watching, not intervening.

    I propose the US take the lead in negotiating a facilitated exodus for the Rohingya who chose to leave. The OIC has proposed ~200 million dollars in relief. Have this money go for immediate transport, refuge and long term resettlement of Rohingya, if they chose. It is not undoable. The Muslim world is upset specifically about the lack of US and other Western country attention let alone aggressive negotiation or intervention on behalf of the Rohingya. Other rational and irrationalanger is being funneled into complaints about the plight of Rohingya.

    Please don’t let this be another Bosnia, Nazi Germany and Rwanda where the international community steps in only in time to dig up or bury the dead.

    Thank you,

    Nora E. Rowley MD MPH