Transcript Presentation - Auschwitz Institute for Peace and Reconciliation

BURMA/MYANMAR: PRONE TO MASS ATROCITIES

Karen State: 60 year conflict

Rohingya in Arakan / Rakhine state
“most persecuted”: at risk since 1982
Citizenship Law. Restrictions on marriage
& internal travel (Reg. Order 1/2009),
reproduction, religion, health & education.

Children of “unpermitted” marriages, or
over 2-child limit denied birth certificates
(Regional Order 1/2005)

Jun 2011: war resumed in Kachin state after 17-year
ceasefire, spilling into northern Shan state. 120,000 IDPs

Feb 2015: New war in Kokang, Shan state. 78,000 IDPs
8 Nov 2015 General Elections


Nobel Peace Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for
Democracy (NLD) party has won majority, but:
1.
Old parliament will start final session on 16 Nov – back up plan?
2.
Constitution prevents her from becoming President. (President can
be non-MP, picked from pool of 3 Vice-Prez each nominated by
military bloc [25%], upper
house, and lower house)
3.
Key portfolios of Defense,
Home Affairs, Border Affairs
dictated by military
4.
Military hold effective veto
power over constitutional
amendments.
5.
Military immune from prosecution under constitution.
6.
Military decides own budget
EXCLUDED
First election to exclude
Rohingya & others from voting,
running
Almost all Muslim candidates
disqualified
NLD & ruling party USDP did not
field any Muslims
3.2 – 4 million voters excluded:
Rohingya, minorities in conflict
and post-conflict areas, migrants
Up to 80% of voter registration
lists incorrect in some areas –
could not vote
This will be the first Parliament
in Burma’s history not to have
Muslims
1,171 seats : 330 seats People’s Assembly, 168 seats National
Assembly, 644 seats Division/State Parliaments, 29 seats for
ethnic reps in Division/State Parlts. PLUS 25% unelected military
bit.ly/1Mu7OPe
https://www.fidh.org/IMG/p
df/burma-bat-5_report.pdf
15 Oct 2015 National Ceasefire Agreement “limited milestone”
Signatories: Karen National Union (KNU); Democratic
Karen Benevolent Army (DKBA); KNU/Karen National
Liberation Army Peace Council (KNLA-PC); Arakan
Liberation Party (ALP); Pa-O National Liberation
Organization (PNLO); Chin National Front (CNF);
Restoration Council of Shan State/Shan State Army-South
(RCSS/SSA-S); All Burma Students Democratic Front
(ABSDF).
Most already have
ceasefires / peace
agreements. No
recent combat.
Represent 16,000
resistance troops.
Non-signatories: Arakan National Council (ANC); Kachin
Independence Organization/Army (KIO/A); Karenni
National Progressive Party (KNPP); Lahu Democratic
Union (LDU); New Mon State Party (NMSP); Shan State
Progressive Party/Shan State Army-North (SSPP/SSAN); Wa National Organization (WNO); United Wa State
Party/Army (UWSP/A); National Socialist Council of
Nagaland-Khaplang (NSCN-K); National Democratic
Alliance Army (NDAA).
Excluded: Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army
(MNDAA); Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA);
Arakan Army (AA).
Those in bold
engaged in combat .
Represent 48,000
resistance troops
Protection of Race and Religion’ Laws
Population Control Law (Signed into law 19 May 2015)
Allows for restrictions on the number of children a woman can have – requiring
“birth spacing” of 36 months. The law is triggered by requests from regional
governments to impose the law on any community in their state - likely to be
used to target Muslims and minorities. No enforcement provisions (dangerous).
Religious Conversion Law (Signed into law 26 August 2015)
Requires anyone wishing to convert to another religion to submit an application
to a township registration board and undergo an interview. Max two years’
imprisonment and a fine of 200,000 kyat (US$155).
Interfaith Marriage Law (Signed into law 26 August 2015)
Only for Buddhist women marrying outside their faith. Requires couples to
register as interfaith, give notice of their intention to marry so that others can
object – if objections raised, the issue can be taken to court and the marriage
prevented. Penalty can be jail/ fines. Final version of law not yet released.
Monogamy Law (Signed into law 31 August 2015)
Restrictions on Burmese citizens living with another person or entering into a
second marriage while still married. Allows the loss of property rights and
criminal penalties of up to seven years’ imprisonment for consensual extramarital relationships.
Jan 2015: U Wirathu,
the self-styled Buddhist Bin Laden
& leader of the Organization for the Protection
of Race & Religion (Ma Ba Tha),
responds to concerns raised by
UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in
Myanmar Ms Yanghee Lee
about the 4 laws proposed by the OPRR known
as the “Race & Religion Protection Package”
ARAKAN STATE
Anti-Muslim, anti-Rohingya violence broke out in
June 2012, continuing in waves. 140,000 IDPs.
Discriminatory policies reinforced incl
restrictions on marriage & reproduction,
60,000 children w/out birth certs,
20,000 ++ children denied schooling since 2012,
5,000 excl from college.
Aid & access obstructed
Original “solution” of camps & mass deportation
diluted to segregation, now back as
“Rakhine State Action Plan”
Emptied land seized
Selective prosecution – for every Buddhist, at least 4 more
Muslims charged. Unfair trials.
Rohingya boatpeople doubled in 2014, boatpeople crisis in
May 2015 where thousands stranded at sea.
Oct 24, 2012: 29 members of immediate family killed,
including 7 children, their spouses & 18 grandchildren.
They were part of a group of 100 people attempting to
flee a potential attack by boat. The boats were
rammed by a flotilla of Buddhist (Rakhine) extremists
(reportedly incl boats of Sittwe’s Nobel Hotel owner).
Those who swam to shore were attacked by a group
armed with spears and swords. She was stabbed
several times including in the neck. 3 out of 100
people survived the mass killing including “M”.
She made it to an IDP camp in another part of the
state and was reunited with the other remaining
member of her family, a son, who had been away at
the time of incident.
She has partial voice loss. Suffers from PTSD.
Spends time at river to hear voices of her dead family
members, and see dead grandchildren playing.
There are indications that the navy were complicit:
That stretch of river is patrolled by the navy everyday,
but on days of mass killings, they were conspicuously
absent.
M, 50, ROHINGYA WOMAN
FROM PAUK TAW
On June 11, 2012 at 12noon, police, Rakhine
people, & Buddhist monks attacked the
village.
Police came first, shooting at the people.
The Rakhine villagers came after them with
catapults.
The 3rd group was monks throwing petrol
bombs. The houses started burning.
Her husband ran to their grocery store to try to
save something. He was caught.
His brothers who witnessed the killing told her
he was cut at the neck first, then he was
pierced in the chest with a spear, and then
they cut his arms and legs off and threw him
on the fire.
“ I am a defiler of the race”
A young man who allegedly had
illicit relations with a Jewish
woman is marched through the
streets for public humiliation
“ I am a traitor and slave of Kalar”
A young man being paraded
around Myebon in Arakan/Rakhine
state for trading groceries with
Kalar (derogatory term for
Muslims)
The ‘Solution’: Rakhine State Action Plan

Issued July, promoted in Sep 2014 at UNGA. Some positive points, but key issues:

Communities may be forcibly resettled using “vigorous security measures.”

Border hardening, increased militarization & weaponry for state, special new riot may increase the already high rate of extrajudicial killing, torture, and arbitrary arrest.

‘Citizenship Assessment’ to weed out “illegals’ amongst Muslim/Rohingya and
confine them in camps. Pilot project at Myebon Township in September: Less than
7% of the 3,000 applicants were awarded citizenship. i.e. approx one million Rohingya
may face indefinite detention in camps.

Segregation: Muslims (who are able to get citizenship) segregated from Buddhists

Develop State as a “tourist destination” and commercial hub by building hotels and
power plants on areas that Rohingya currently live.
Under 2014 Census:
NO Rohingya,
NO Myanmar Muslim
(only Bengali, Indian
or Pakistani)
Self identify as Rohingya:
not counted. Automatically
‘illegal”.
Obey govt & identify as
“Bengali”.
Apply for naturalized
citizenship
Indefinite
internment
in camps.
Citizenship application
fail. Become “illegal”
Get naturalized citizenship.
Live in segregation.




MONEY
International investors told to discriminate against Muslims
Coercive campaign against local Muslim businesses & boycotts against
foreign “pro-Muslim” companies, eg Ooredoo (Qatari telco)
In some villages, customers of Muslim businesses forced to pay a “tax”
Humanitarian aid also “taxed” at local level by extremists
ANTI-MUSLIM VIOLENCE
Anti-Muslim violence spread to Mandalay, Bago, Kachin, Shan,
Rangoon beginning March 2013.
Meiktila massacre included attack on Mingalar Zayyone
Islamic boarding school (120 students, aged 11 upwards).
School set ablaze; Killings incl decapitation, burning.
Survivors forced to pass body parts, charred corpses.
Eyewitnesses said police watched the killings
while other bystanders cheered and clapped.
Mostly muslims charged, not extremist Buddhist groups
Buddhist , Muslim & other groups now trying to protect
each other from extremist groups i.e. “969 movement”.
Extremists campaigning for law to criminalize inter-faith marriage.
During 2014 census Muslims were forced to adopt “Bengali”,
“Indian”, or “Pakistan” muslim identity in documents. Category of
“Myanmar Muslim” discontinued.
BENEFICIARIES

Former regime/current government, cronies, investors
- longterm & widespread resentment diverted

MILITARY
- imposition of martial law, - redeem credibility

Military enjoyed 131% budget increase since 2011:
2011-2012: 1.19 trillion kyat
2012-2013: 1.88 trillion kyat (+58%)
2013-2014: 2.24 trillion kyat (+19%)
2014-2015: 2.61 trillion kyat (+16.5%)
2015-2016: 2.75 trillion kyat (+5.4%)

President Thein Sein.
- “moderate” abroad, “anti-muslim nationalist at home
- re-branded as defender of Buddhism, popularity surge
- More popular than Aung San Suu Kyi in Rakhine state
- Director of President Office posts hate speech online,
ministers reflect similar approach

Business cronies, govt officials
- land cleared by force, grabbed or confiscated
- resistance to unpopular mega projects constrained
ELEMENTS

“REFORMS” refuse to halt impunity,
discrimination or economic injustice

LEGISLATION: Constitution, old & new laws
perpetuate gross inequality, justify arbitrary
land confiscation

INSTITUTIONS: no move towards rule of law,
independence, compliance with international
norms

POLICIES: Normalize diplomatic relations,
expand investment & trade.

State-sponsored impunity as “ethnic violence”

Ultra nationalism to distract from lack of rule of
law & other critical problems faced by
population

Justify skewed & inequitable development
instead of transitional justice

Media freedoms shortlived: approx 20 media
workers jailed in 2014, one killed in custody Oct.
Trend continues.
“There is no such thing as Rohingya”

The Burmese authorities, including the preceding military regime, have rejected that
Rohingya were an ethnic nationality group in Burma, often saying “there is no such
thing as Rohingya”. Even the Chair of the Myanmar National Human Rights
Commission, and the Secretary of the Myanmar Investment Commission, ministers
etc continue to reassert this in public. Diplomats have complained Burmese/
Myanmarese officials threaten to walk out of meetings if they hear the “R” word.

11 Feb 2009, regime Consul General in Hong Kong, Ye Myint Aung, wrote foreign
missions and local news insisting Rohingya were not from Burma calling them "ugly
as ogres." The envoy contrasted the "dark brown" Rohingya complexion with the
"fair and soft" skin of Burmese.

Feb 2009: Security forces were ordered to “reduce” the population of Rohingya
community by 75% to 25% on the Burma-Bangladesh border areas prior to the Home
Affairs Minister’s visit. When he realized the Rohingya population remained at 75% in
Maungdaw Township, he angrily asked local commanders what they have been doing
all this time.

Mar 2009: Leaders at ASEAN Summit adopted the bizarre term
“illegal migrants from the Indian Ocean” to describe Rohingya and deferred the
Rohingya issue to the non-binding regional form on
illegal human trafficking, commonly referred to as the
“Bali Process”.
“No Genocide…Rohingya is an invented term”
Since 2013: Most diplomatic missions, aid agencies, NGOS in Burma/Myanmar continue
to be bullied to avoid using the word “Rohingya”.

June 2014: UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights
in Myanmar (Burma) Yanghee Lee said “I was
repeatedly told not to use the term ‘Rohingya’ as this
was not recognized by the Government…the rights of
minorities to self-identify on the basis of their
national, ethnic, religious and linguistic
characteristics is related to the obligations of States
to ensure non-discrimination … a central principle of
international human rights law.”

14 November 2014: Arakan State Chief Minister
Maung Maung Ohn sends an open letter to UN SecGen Ban Ki-moon, criticizing him for using the term
“Rohingya” during a press conference in Naypyidaw.

14 November 2014: National Parliament objected to
UN Sec-Gen Ban Ki-moon’s use of the term Rohingya
as it “interfered with the sovereignty of Myanmar,”
“might harm the stability of the democratic
transition,” and the “people it refers to have never
existed officially.”
Saying the “G” word

In 2006, Altsean-Burma published a briefer that described the situation of Rohingya
as “a slow-burning genocide”.

However, since the “G” word has been so sensitive, most human rights orgs refer to
the situation as ethnic cleansing, mass atrocities, crimes against humanity.

Most humanitarian agencies will now cautiously acknowledge the situation as
“pre-genocidal”. 1 May 2015: Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM) identified early
warning signs of genocide in Burma.

Various govts frown on use of “genocide” - politically inconvenient, affect economic
engagement, draw an inflexible line. Some claim using the G word would worsen the
situation, as it would involve a drawn out legal debate.
Using the name “HMUU
ZAW”,president’s office director
Zaw Htay posts anti-Muslim
hate speech & images on social
media
OPTIONS?
Cooperative?
Coercive?
Political
Economic
Legal
Military
WORKING WITH
GRASSROOTS WOMEN
Women’s Internship Program,
5 months in Altsean, bringing
together young women leaders from
different ethnic groups
150 alumni serving as leaders /
project managers in key orgs
– human rights, economic rights,
environment, women, justice, peace,
women candidates/ political advisors
A multi-level, multi-sectoral network
of women against discrimination
Ethnic Mon alumni formed the only
all-women party for Nov 8 Elections
(other parties 6 – 20%,
currently only 4% MPs are women)
“Debbie with 2 bodyguards”
Altsean & FIDH first to
include Rohingya women in
UN advocacy
My Friend selfie campaign started by former political
prisoner and Rohingya woman activist Wai Wai Nu, jailed for
7 years, age 18-25. Sentenced to 17 year with mother, sister,
brother. Father sentenced to 47 years. Released 2012,
formed Women Peace Network- Arakan when violence broke
out against Rohingya. Passed law exams but not awarded
degree until UNSR intervened.
Like “Six Fruits” on FB
Like “Six Fruits” on FB
Like “Six Fruits” on FB
Debbie Stothard
Coordinator, ALTSEAN-BURMA
(Alternative ASEAN Network on Burma)
www.altsean.org
Secretary-General, FIDH
(International Federation for Human Rights)
www.fidh.org
Facebook:
Altsean Burma
Twitter:
@altsean