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  • Emergency Rule In Rakhine May Be Lifted Soon, Says Myanmar Envoy

    — BERNAMA

    KUALA LUMPUR, June 11 (Bernama) — The emergency rule imposed on the Rakhine Region of Myanmar following clashes between Buddhists and Muslims last Friday is expected to be lifted in a few more days, Myanmar Ambassador to Malaysia U Tin Latt said.

    “Our President has declared a period of emergency rule on June 9 as the authorities struggle to contain explosive sectarian tensions following deadly clashes between Muslims and Buddhists in the region.

    “But our government will take an action on it and we hope it will be calm in two or three days,” he told reporters after attending a luncheon of Asean heads of delegation with Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman, here.

    Meanwhile, Anifah said the Foreign Ministry had not issued any prohibition order on Malaysians travelling to Myanmar.

    Media reports said the Myanmar president had declared an emergency in the region bordering Bangladesh following clashes last Friday in which seven were killed while 17 more were injured and hundreds of houses were razed.

     

    Source

  • Ten Myanmar Muslims were killed by Rakhine people in Western Myanmar

    Ten Myanmar Muslims were killed by Rakhine people in Western Myanmar

    Photo Credit-Google

    Ethnic Arakan, also known as Rakhine, killed ten Myanmar Muslims in barbaric and in-human manner yesterday in a sectarian attack. While a group of Myanmar Muslims were traveling back to Yangon from Arakan State on a bus, at Taung-kout, a small town of 300 residents, local ethnic Arakan had stopped the bus forcibly and looked bloodthirstily for Muslims. The eight travelers were dragged from the bus and beaten up till the end of their lives. The angry mob also assumed that the motorist is a Muslim and did not spare him.

    “At immigration check point, the vehicle has been stopped. The mob of 300 with motorbikes holding rods and knives blocked up and yelling that “Get off and face your end of life, if there any Kalas (derogatory term used by Buddhists against Myanmar Muslim)”.  A man responsible from the bus got off and had tried to persuade while the bus door was closed. He was pushed harshly by the mob and they got in the bus. When they found some Muslims, shouted that “Here is the Kalas, here they are” and started beating with rod. And then they dragged the victims and killed them in a very short period.”, the express owner explained while contacted by the phone.

    Photo credit-http://mandalaygazette.com

    This attack has a relatively long background history which is solely related to Ethnic Rakhine who has been launching very strange racist campaigns against ethnic Rohingyas who were allegedly and apparently called ‘illegal’ immigrants or Bangali.

    Intense campaign against Myanmar Muslims, derogatorily known as “Kalas”, started in November last year on social media such as Facebook. Thousands of Buddhists (both Rakhine and non-Rakhine) have been spreading hate messages in very blasphemous language. Although their target is seemingly the Rohingyas, they end up direct attacking Myanmar Muslims and Islamic norms.

    Participants in this campaign are not only those from Burma locals but also so-called pro-democracy and human rights activists residing under the cover of asylum in US, Canada, Europe, Australia and Thai.

    As there is government ignorance for this vulnerable condition, Ethnic Rakhine politicians are openly and violently against ethnic Rohingya. Therefore, the so-called blind Buddhist patriots have faith in whatever they spread and are forwarding the hate information.

    Almost every day in the past several months, tons of millions of hate messages were being spread on Facebook and forwarding mails. Redistribution become the duty towards every Buddhists too.

    Photo credit-http://mandalaygazette.com

    Minority Myanmar Muslims have also been trying to halt the hate campaign by approaching mainstream Burmese media. But they completely and intentionally ignore the cry for help. For instance, there is a vivid scene that the leading media was totally silent on the demolishing of two mosques and the act-of-like terrorists attack to Muslim homes in Northern and Central Burma in April this year.

    The campaign grows and hate messages continue to spread. The racists start speaking of eradicating all Muslims from Burma. Some even blame dictator Than Shwe for not killing all Muslims in the country like what the Nazi did.

    An important event leading to this sectarian attack was a rape-murder of a 26 year old woman by three local criminals allegedly the Muslims on May 29 – four days before this attack.

    Knowing that anti-Muslim sentiment is growing (not just Anti-Rohingya), ethnic Arakan news agency called Narinjara blew the whistle by racial profiling. It associated the criminals with Islamic religion, stirring local people’s anger. The Irrawaddy, one of the most well known opposition media, reported in a similarly way.

    As the attack broke out, some campaigners posted on Facebook, rewarding an offer of $300 US to those who can go for sex assault against Muslim women, and $500 US to those who can kill.

    Commenting on the sectarian attack on Radio Australia, two local men said the attack was intended to look for May 29 rapists. This proved to be inaccurate as all three accused have reportedly been arrested according to their own credible media.

    Ethnic Arakan have threatened Muslims in other part of the country of similar attacks.

    Meanwhile, majority of the Burmese citizens fear that the Burmese government facing political deadlock due to various protests (labor, farmer, electricity) are diverting political attention by creating religious riots.

    Related news on world media –

    More Photo ==>http://mandalaygazette.com/127478/atheism-agnosticism-buddhism-christianity-hinduism-islam-judaism-new-age-pagan-earth-based-religions-religious-concepts-self-help-spirituality-wicca-witchcraft-religion-spiritualit

    Singapore News => http://news.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne+News/Asia/Story/A1Story20120604-350347.html

    Lebanon News => http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/International/2012/Jun-03/175549-nine-dead-in-myanmar-attack-govt-official.ashx#axzz1wl16Cn00

    Singapore Strait Times => http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_806885.html

    Iran News => Press TV => http://presstv.com/detail/2012/06/03/244486/mob-kills-nine-people-in-myanmar/

    Thailand => Bangkok Post => http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/asia/296477/nine-dead-in-myanmar-mob-attack-govt-official

  • Time to Justice for racial abuses

    Time to Justice for racial abuses

    The Quran requires a Muslim to obey and be loyal to those in his charge. Prophet Muhammad (sa) added “You should listen to and obey your ruler, even if you [despise him].” While national loyalty does not forbid dissent, that dissent must be expressed legally and peacefully — never violently.

    So, we abide by this teaching of Islam. Now, let us express this news which is spreading like a jungle fire especially on social media. Contrary to true Democratic values, the so called Myanmar leading media remains silence still even there was a violent attack which had claimed innocent Muslim lives.

    According to one of the leading medias in Myanmar, The Voice Weekly’s facebook page, it is confirmed that 10 innocent Muslim had been brutally killed by some Rakhines on the Than Dwe-Yangon highway road. On Sunday afternoon 5pm, the victims had been pulled off from the Yoma Thitsa express and killed, reported by the voice weekly.

    On May 28, in Kyaut Ni Maw Village, Yan Byee, there was also a rape incident against a teenager accusingly committed by 3 Muslims. The voice weekly furthermore explained that might be the reason behind this. They, the angry mob did it as a revenge. And details is yet to be published by the voice weekly.

    We can find some other news reported on b-m-a.org captioned as “10 Burmese Muslims has been killed by Rakhines while religious-oriented journey“. b-m-a activities listed down the name of each victims which are as follows:

    It claims that those Muslims are from Tachan Pai Mosque located in Yangon visited to Than Dwe for their religious-oriented purpose. And on their way back to Yangon from Than Dwe Mosque on 3rd June, 30 Rhakhine Buddhists killed them with knives at Taung Goute, a town situated on the way. The license plate of the express which had carried the victims is 7 (Ga) 7868 and it was also burnt. The other 5 Muslims escaped.The corpses were buried in Than Dwe on 3rd June evening. The victims are ten in total and 2 out of this are from Than Dwe township located in Rakhine State. 6 are from Taung Twin Gyi and other 2 are from Myaung Mya. The Rakhines are putting the life-threatening to the Muslims from other towns of Rakhine state too.

    This news is also mentioned on thithtoolwin.com, one recent popular media in Myanmar. Since in the 3rd June morning, there was some pamphlet and photos distributed in the market of Kyaut Ni Maw Village regarding the sex assault happened a week ago. So, the Rakine locals were getting angrier and did not hesitate to attack the express which carries some Muslim passengers, said by a local. He added, “While the mob tried to stop the vehicle, the motorist notice that and tried to turn the vehicle back. But failed to do so as the vehicle was blocked by other two vehicles of the angry mob.”

    One Muslim writer on news.mmsy.info criticized that the incident happened today of killing 8 or 10 innocent solely based on the news of the past rape victim which is unnecessarily expressed in the manner of putting match into the gas tank and did not foresee well of the consequences.

    Additionally, reported by thithtoolwin.com, one local from Taung Gote said, “We should notice that racial violence out of this kind of incident can lead a wrong way while our country is heading towards the change.”

    We think that the solution delves deeper for the authorities. As they are beating around the bush of millions of tons of racial abuse against Myanmar Muslims on social medias, people who brings hatred towards “Kalas”, a derogatory term used against Myanmar Muslims, have space to misrepresent or interpolate or putting personnel feelings to some local news, which certainly lead to this kind of brutal man-slaughtering attack. Our rule is “The dissent must be expressed legally and peacefully — never violently.” Hence, again We vehemently cry for justice.

  • Mosque building halted in Burma’s Kachin state

    Mosque building halted in Burma’s Kachin state

    Construction of a Muslim mosque in Kachin state’s jade-rich Hpakant township in northern Burma ceased on April 12 when a group of monks and their supporters intervened and proceeded to dismantle the partially built structure.

    According to eyewitnesses a group of about 30 monks and dozens of their followers came to the construction site in the Shan Kone quarter of Seng Tawng at 4 pm demanding that building stop.

    The group then set about taking down what had already been built.  Within about 8 hours most of the building was destroyed, according to witnesses.  The site of the mosque is now under guard by soldiers from the Burma army.

    The monks and their supporters were apparently upset that the mosque was being built without proper permits and decided to take matters into their own hands, according to local residents.
    In Burma government authorities often delay or refuse to allow proposed churches and mosques legal authorization to begin construction. Many existing churches and mosques are in legal limbo because proper permits cannot be obtained.

    It is unclear if the group of monks and their supporters in Seng Tawng were encouraged by government authorities to take such provocative action as they did on Thursday.  Previous acts of communal violence that have taken place in Burma are alleged to have been orchestrated by government agent provocateurs.

    For many years the US state department has listed Burma as a country that engages in the persecution of religious minorities.

    Although most Kachin are Christian, Kachin state is home to a large Buddhist population, some Animists and significant Muslim and Hindu minorities.  The state capital Myitkyina also has a Sikh temple.  Due to Hpakant’s jade mines the township has many migrants from across Burma.

     

    Credit -http://www.kachinnews.com/

  • Myanmar Muslims’ properties and houses are arbitrarily being destroyed!

    In Kanma Township, Magwe Region, Myanmar, its mosque, houses and properties of ten Myanmar Muslims were demolished on 13th April 2012.

    “At night, they are still destroying Thein Lwin’s house in Yaenantthar Village near Kanma Township,” Nyi Nyi Lwin and Maung Maung Ni, victim Myanmar Muslims, said.

    “While men were demolishing Al-hajjah Wah Wah’s house, women took her valuable goods away lawlessly and forcefully, and so she lost 0.7 Viss of gold (more than 1 kg of gold) and about 7 million Kyats (Myanmar currency,) during attack,” Nyi Nyi Lwin, who is now evading, narrated.

    “And they attacked the Mosque too, leaving nothing at all,” he continued.

    The main triggering factor for this terrible attack is competition for business between Wah Wah, a Myanmar Muslim business woman, and other non-Muslim business group supported by local authorities of USDP, the major political party of the present Myanmar government.

    In the beginning of April, Wah Wah won fairly and officially the auction for business ferry licence which was formerly monopolized by the group who has a strong relation to USDP.

     But this group did not want to transfer the business to her and requested her to hire these boats for a week. Thus she accepted their request and asked them to give the boats back when a week completed.

    At that time, they refused to transfer the business to her and asked her by force to continue this hire.

    Moreover, Win Naing, a USDP politician at Hluttaw(Myanmar Parliament), threatened her to transfer this business to his group, telling that if not, they would create a Muslim-Burma riot.

    That is why, she unwillingly transfered this boats to this group again. After this event, on 13th April, two non- Muslim local guys started to fight a Muslim visitor, and so Muslims reported and charged this case to local police station but the police force took no action.

    “At this night, the local people start to attack Muslims’ houses, shops and the Mosque,” Nyi Nyi Lwin added.

    On this day, houses of Jabbar, Habilay, Zay Zay Oo, Pishow, Wah Wah, Eisop, Aung Moe Lwin and Raja’s shop had been destroyed.

    Up to now, the local authorities announce nothing and take no action for this sorrowful transgression. The transgressors continued destroying, attacking to Habilay’s shop and Thein Lwin’s house who is Wah Wah’s brother on 14th April.

    For negligence of the government authorities to victims and some USDP authorities’ involvement in this riot, Myanmar Muslims are feeling very unhappy for their helpless situation and unsatisfied due to such unlawful act in the newly democratized country.