Joint statement in response to the irresponsible racist statements in the parliament by the USDP Government Ministers against the

ethnic Rohingyas
Dated:14/09/2011 ThefollowingjointstatementisissuedbytheRohingyaorganizationsworldwideagainsttheresponsesofthe concerned USDP ministers (one of them is former police chief U Khin Yi, Minister for Immigration and Population) to the questions raised by the Rohingya MPs at the first formal parliamentary sessions on the issuesandproblems(humanrightsviolations)beingfacedbytheMuslimRohingyasofArakan. 1.TheresponsesoftheUSDPministersintheparliamentwerefullofhatredandaredeliberateattemptsto perpetrate human rights violations against the Rohingya people. We strongly condemn the Thein Sein governmentforitsbaselessandconcoctedallegationagainsttheRohingyapeople(ofillegalimmigrants)inthe highestpoliticalforum.Suchafoolishstatementoruncivilizedbehavioristantamounttocommittingcrimes againsthumanity. 2.SinceDictatorNeWin,forabouthalfacentury,gravehumanrightsviolationsandcrimesagainsthumanity havebeenperpetratedagainsttheethnicRohingyabywayinventingmakebelievestorieswhileputtingthe otherwisepeacefullylivingcommunitiesofRohingyasandRakhineatloggerheads. 3.TheirresponsiblestatementsandliesintheparliamentbytheTheinSeinregimeisnothingbutanopen threattocontinuedenyingtheRohingyapeopleoftheirrightsandfreedom,includingtheirrighttonationality andresidencewithinthebordersoftheState. 4. The unfounded and irresponsible accusation against the ethnic Rohingya by the USDP ministers as illegal Bangladeshiinfiltrators/BengalisnotonlycontradictswiththeRohingyahistoricitybutalsodisagreeswiththe annual reports and statements of the various International Governmental and NonGovernmental Organizations. The real story is the other way, as about 1.5 million Rohingyas, who have had to leave their homeland to escape persecution since 1942, are already in Diasporas in many countries of the world. InternationalcommunityandUNHCRhaveconfirmedthatthereisaprotractedemergencyinBangladeshas resultoftheinfluxofRohingyarefugeesfromBurma. IftheRohingyaswereillegalBengaliinfiltratorswhyTheinSeinandmanyotherformerSPDCministersassured theRohingyavotersofrestoringsoontheRohingyasrightsandfreedomduringtheirelectioncampaignsto northernArakan. 5. The open rejection of Rohingya people by Thein Sein government requiring them Form4 to travel from placetoplacelikealiensistantamounttomakingthemstatelessinviolationoftheinternationalcovenantsor treaties on reduction of statelessness and protection of minorities and the helpless people. We strongly denouncetheTheinSeingovernmentforhavingsuchwickedattitudestowardsRohingyas. 6.TheUSDPministershatefullytagtheRohingyachildrenasblacklistbabiesaccusingthattheirfathershave fled(infactpersecution)andillegallyenteredagainintoArakanandhaveproducedbabiesbyunlawfullyliving togetherwiththeirwiveswithwhomtheyhavelegalwedlock.ItisaclearviolationoftheChildsRightsunder Conventionsandinternationallaw.

7.ItisanaffronttothehumanityaswellastothepeopleandgovernmentofBangladeshthattheTheinSein governmentisfirmtocontinueapplyingthesocalledBurmaCitizenshiplawof1982,whichwasenactedin violation of the terms of international customary law, particularly to denationalize the Rohingya people by accusingthemofillegalBangladeshiimmigrants. 8. Thein Sein government was particularly critical of the Muslim Rohingyas common religion, culture, appearanceandlanguagewiththepeopleofBangladeshinordertoaccusethemasaliens.Hereitisworth mentioning that Burma is an ethnically diverse country. Not only the Rohingya, all ethnic peoples (Kachin, Kayah, Karen, Chin, Mon, Rakhine, etc.) living along all the Burma borders have common religion, culture, appearanceandlanguagewiththepeopleslivingintheadjacentcountries.Despitethistheministersmade theRohingyasspecialtargetforbeingMuslimswithaviewtoacceleratingitsethniccleansingpolicy. 9.TheextremeviewexpressedbytheUSDPdictatorshipimplyingtheneedfortheexterminationofRohingya asanationalsecurityplanrevealshowmuchtheyabhorandpreachsystematichatredagainsttheRohingyas (on grounds of ethnicity and religion). It is a serious concern that the foregoing statements of the Burmese civilianizedmilitaryregimeagainsttheethnicRohingyapeopleisathreattoregionalandinternationalpeace andsecurity. We,therefore,callupontheinternationalcommunity,UNSecurityCouncilanditsmemberStates,EU,ASEAN, OICtomounteffectivepressuresontheTheinSeingovernmenttoceaseitsongoinghumanrightsviolations againsttheRohingyas;toprotecttheirrightsandfreedomandlegitimateinterests;andtoprovidethemwith necessary assistance. Meanwhile, we demand that the USDP government immediately restore the fundamentalhumanrightsandfreedom,citizenshiprightsandethnicrightsoftheRohingyapeople. TheRohingyaorganizationsthatsignedthisJointstatement: 1.ArakanRohingyaNationalOrganization(ARNO) 2.BurmeseRohingyaOrganizationUK(BROUK) 3.RohingyaLeagueforDemocracyBurma(RLDB) 4.BurmeseRohingyaAssociationJapan(BRAJ) 5.BurmeseRohingyaCommunityinAustralia(BRCA) 6.BurmeseRohingyaCommunityinNorway(BRCN) 7.CanadianBurmeseRohingyaOrganization(CBRO) 8.FreeRohingyaCampaign(FRC) ForContact: TunKhin:+447888714866 KoKoLinn:+8801726068413 NaySanOo:+16468211475