Rohingya Muslims defiant as ‘white card’ deadline arrives
Arakan News Agency Many fear that handing cards back to the government will leave them in an even more precarious state Holding up a small white card — the only form of identification he has ever possessed — Sultan Ahmed is steadfast. “I will not hand this card over to the authorities,” says the wiry […]
“Ashin Wirathu” back again to the Arakan state to incite against Rohingya
Arakan News Agency Buddhist extremist monk “Ashin Wirathu” the famous terrorist organization leader of 969 has returned once again to the Arakan State to implement racist rounds between Buddhist majority to incite violence and rioting against the Rohingya as Agency reporter said, adding that his visit focused this time on the city of Maungdaw, and […]
“Bin Mirdah” conveys the suffering of the Rohingya in Indonesia
Arakan News Agency Abdulaziz bin Mirdah director of Hayat Foundation conveys the suffering of Rohingya refugees from inside the prison on the island of Palawan, which is near Indonesian’s Sumatra. Bin Mirdah revealed the poor condition of the Rohingya prisoners who were detained since 2012 after fleeing massacres in Burma. Bin Mirdah described conditions of […]
Thailand detains 76 migrants found on train, including Rohingya
Arakan News Agency BANGKOK (Reuters) – Thai authorities said on Monday they had found a group of 76 migrants from neighboring Myanmar, including six suspected Rohingya, in a sign that one of Asia’s busiest smuggling routes is still thriving despite Bangkok’s vow to stamp out trafficking. It follows the discovery in January of a group […]
Rakhine chief takes tough line on UN request to move IDPs
Arakan News Agency A United Nations request to move more than 10,000 “highly vulnerable” displaced Muslims out of two camps in Rakhine State before the onset of the monsoon season has met with a tough response from the chief minister, who said they must first comply with the citizenship verification process. U Maung Maung Ohn […]
Burma: Human Rights Council urges Burma to address human rights violations but overlooks suppression of student protests
Arakan News Agency The 28th session of the UN Human Rights Council today passed, by consensus, a resolution entitled ‘Situation of Human Rights Myanmar’ and extended by one year the mandate of the UN Special Rapporteur on Myanmar. Regrettably while welcoming the government of Burma/Myanmar’s commitment to continue in the path of reforms, the Council […]
‘Hidden hands’ stoked Mandalay communal violence: NGO
Arakan News Agency The Justice Trust has just released a report, “Hidden Hands Behind Communal Violence in Myanmar: Case Study of the Mandalay Riots,” documenting the use of organized gangs of armed men to commit anti-Muslim riots under the guise of spontaneous mob violence. The NGO held a press conference in Bangkok on March 23 […]
Myanmar’s Stateless Muslims Struggle to Find a Home
Arakan News Agency When the United Nations agreed to assist Myanmar in conducting the country’s first census over 30 years, its government recognized 135 distinct ethnic groups among its 53 million residents. Although comprising of a population of 1.3 million—the equivalent of the U.S. city of San Diego—the Rohingya Muslim minority was notably absent from […]
2015 a ‘tipping point’ for reform process, says UN rights envoy
Arakan News Agency The prospects for constitutional change and a free and fair general election has made 2015 a “tipping point” for the reform process in Myanmar, United Nations special envoy Yanghee Lee said on March 16. Ms Lee was addressing the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva for the first time since assuming the […]
Hate speech against UN rapporteur ‘deplored’
Arakan News Agency The Coordination Committee of Special Procedures – the 53 independent experts and bodies appointed by the Human Rights Council with specific mandates on a range of issues and country situations – deplores the repeated hate speech and incitement to violence directed against the UN Special Rapporteur on Myanmar, Ms Yanghee Lee, according […]
Buddhist, Muslim Leaders Push For Peace In Conflict Areas
Arakan News Agency Buddhist and Muslim leaders in South and Southeast Asia are working to spread a message of peace and dialogue as interreligious conflict continues to threaten stability in Myanmar, Sri Lanka and other nations in the region. Religious leaders from 15 countries released the “Yogyakarta Statement,” named for the city where it was […]
NGO voices concern over religious defamation laws
Arakan News Agency Christian Solidarity Worldwide says it is deeply concerned about the violations of freedom of religion or belief and freedom of expression in Myanmar, amid growing religious intolerance, as illustrated by two current cases of “religious defamation,” according to a press release on March 17. The UK-based NGO spoke out on the day […]
Delegation of (ARU) and (GRC) have met Saudi diplomatic figures in Geneva
Arakan News Agency The delegation of Arakan Rohingya Union (ARU) and Global Rohingya Center (GRC) participating in the Geneva, Human Rights Council sessions have met with a number of Saudi diplomatic personalities and transferred the greetings of the Rohingya people in the world to offer the Kingdom for clear and obvious efforts to help and […]