Members of the Rohingya ethnic minority
resident in Malaysia protest
on behalf of Rohingya being killed and disenfranchised
in Burma. One
of the many issues that remain unaddressed by Burma's apparently
reform government, human rights
activists
hope President Obama will
say something to help during his visit to the
country.
President Obama Must
Speak for Burma's Long-Besieged Rohingya Minority (The
Bangkok Post, Thailand)
"The Burma government
has continued to deny that the Muslim Rohingya people
are citizens - even though many families have been in the country for
generations. President TheinSein
famously suggested after the first wave of violence against them in July that the
group should be regarded as refugees and settled in a third country 'willing to
take them.' ... One hopes President Obama will use his visit to try and influence
TheinSein to make a
commitment to Rohingya citizenship."
A Rohingya Muslim woman and child in Burma earlier this month seeking refuge from fresh attacks against them from the ethnic Rakhine people - who are largely Buddhist - and government forces. The Rohingya Muslims have been heavily discriminated against by some of the country's Theravadan majority Buddhists for decades.
When Barack Obama arrives in Myanmar tomorrow, he will be
the first sitting American president ever to do so, and there are expectations that
he will make a bold gesture to encourage reform and democratization in the
country. The United States has already suspended sanctions on Myanmar and importantly,
has removed an import ban in recognition of the political and economic reforms
of President TheinSein.
While President Obama will be careful to maintain a generally
upbeat and encouraging tone during his visit, if he wishes to maintain the
credibility of the United States as a staunch supporter of human rights, there
are certain issues of controversy he will not be able to avoid. In this regard,
Mr. Obama is well positioned to be an instrument for positive change.
Writing on the Irrawaddy Web site earlier this month, Irrawaddy
founder AungZaw noted: "It is
safe to say Chinese influence on the Burmese public is almost non-existent, and
indeed, contrasts strongly with that of the United States. Washington's
engagement in Burma doesn't merely involve the government, but strong contacts
with opposition and civil society groups both inside and outside the
country."
The inclusion after the general elections of the National
League for Democracy (NLD) and party leader Aung San SuuKyi
was a monumental step forward, as have been steps taken to lift government
censorship. In both the parliament and the sphere of media freedom there is
still work to be done, and Mr. Obama may well address those issues during
meetings with President Sein. In particular, the
constitutionally-mandated inclusion of military officers in parliament and a
military "veto" on legislation undermine the core principles of a
democracy.
On Burma's political front, however, after its long isolation
imposed under a repressive military regime, things are proceeding as well as
might be reasonably hoped. The biggest obstacle to peace, prosperity and
freedom in the new Burma are longstanding ethnic divisions, and obviously,
these are not matters that a visiting American president can resolve. But Mr.
Obama can and should strongly urge the Burma government to strengthen its
overtures to ethnic groups. In Kachin state, where
there has been open fighting between government troops and the Kachin Independence Army and which has resulted in the mass
displacement of civilians, Mr. Obama should urge the government to accept the
presence of international monitors and negotiators.
Posted
by Worldmeets.US
In recent months, Burma's most worrying ethnic issue has
been violence in Rakhine state which is mostly
directed against the Muslim Rohingya minority. The White House has already made clear
that it will press the issue during Mr. Obama's visit. An
investigative report from Reuters,
published in today's Spectrum,
details the outbreak of violence at the end of last month. Several Muslim
communities were attacked by armed mobs apparently egged on by powerful local
political organizations, and were met with very little resistance from
government security forces. According to the Reuters report, when security forces finally responded with deadly
force, the violence abruptly ended.
Even assuming it has the best of intentions, herein lies the
dilemma for the Burmese government, which finds itself in a very difficult
position. For decades, the country has been relegated the status of a pariah
state, because the military routinely used force against its own people. Now, if
it fails to use force, the fragile reform process may be swept aside in a wave
of ethnic division. If instead, it acts make it clear that the rights of all
citizens will be protected, that may not be necessary.
Unfortunately, up to now, the government has continued to deny
that the Rohingya are citizens - even though many Rohingya families have been in the country for generations.
TheinSein famously
suggested after the first wave of violence in Rakhine
in July, that the group should be regarded as refugees and settled in a third
country "willing to take them."
Ahead of and almost certainly influenced by Mr. Obama's
visit, TheinSein on Friday
pledged to consider new rights for the Rohingya, but
stopped short of a commitment to citizenship.
One hopes that President Obama will use his visit to try and
influence TheinSein to
make such a commitment.
