Myanmar: UN Warns Hundreds of Thousands Affected by Aid Disruption in Rakhine State

2 April 2014 – The United Nations humanitarian wing is warning that life-saving assistance to hundreds of thousands of vulnerable people in Myanmar’s Rakhine state have been seriously disrupted following the recent attacks on the UN and non-governmental organizations (NGOs)[…]

Department of State: Statement by Marie Harf, Deputy Spokesperson: United States Concern Over Events in Rakhine State

The United States remains deeply concerned by the humanitarian crisis in Burma’s Rakhine State. Violent mob attacks on United Nations and nongovernmental organization offices worsened an already troubling situation stemming from restriction of the operations of a major humanitarian organization that provided health care services to 140,000 internally displaced persons and hundreds of thousands of additional individuals in need. Currently, large segments of the population do not have access to adequate medical services, water, sanitation, and food. The government has so far failed to provide adequate security and the travel authorizations necessary for the humanitarian aid workers to resume their life-saving services […]

Rohingya Women and Children Raped and Killed

On 13th January 2014, in the early morning at around 3 am, a group of police, security forces, military and Rakhine entered Kiladaung village, south of Maungdaw, Arakan State. They entered a house and demanded valuables, gold and money from the Rohingya woman living there. Her husband had hidden when they saw the security forces approaching. When the woman refused to give them her jewellery, the security forces raped and killed her. When her children began shouting, many villagers came and violence started […]

Commission Meets with Residents of Strife-Torn Rakhine

Representatives of the Myanmar National Human Rights Commission have met with community leaders and other residents of riot-torn Rakhine State.

Radio Free Asia reported that the Commission members urged the importance of containing communal violence in a bid to uphold human rights, following the deadly clashes that occurred last year […]

Joint Statement on Aung San Suu Kyi’s Outrageous Remarks on Muslims

Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK (BROUK) and Arakan Rohingya National Organisation (ARNO) strongly condemn Burmese opposition leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi for her outrageous comments on Muslims in an interview with BBC on Thursday, 24 October 2013.

Her remarks on Burma’s peaceful living Muslim minority communities are full of prejudice based on fanatical patriotism and islamophobia […]

Only One Side of the Story of Reform in Burma

By Khin Ohmar

The statement by Burma’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Wunna Maung Lwin, on 13 September at the 24th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, on the country’s recent reforms or “progressive developments,” made for interesting reading. Indeed, it seems to suit many, not least the Burma government, to impose a simplistic narrative on events in the country over the last two years. Yet such a narrative is only one side of the story […]

Women and Children Killed and Urgent Action Needed to Stop Attacks against Muslims in Thandwe

A systematic new attack against Muslims of Thandwe in Arakan State began on Saturday. During last few hours the Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK (BROUK) has received reports that many houses were burnt down in Dabru Shine village and Pauktaw village of Thandwe Township in Arakan State. According to our reliable source, some women and children were killed […]

The Dark Side of Transition: Violence Against Muslims in Myanmar

In its latest report, The Dark Side of Transition: Violence against Muslims in Myanmar, the International Crisis Group examines the recent violence against Muslim communities. Anti-Muslim violence is nothing new in Myanmar but has been growing in the past two years, the product of reduced authoritarian controls and a history of intolerant Burman/Buddhist nationalism. Issued on the day President Thein Sein begins a visit to Rakhine State, the centre of much violence, this report urges a stronger government effort to combat bigotry and protect its Muslim population […]

More Human Rights Defenders Imprisoned Despite Pledge to Free All Political Prisoners

The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA), a regional human rights group representing 47 member organizations in 16 countries across Asia, including Burma, slammed the Burma government for the conviction of ten individuals to three months in prison on 26 September 2013, in relation to a demonstration against the Shwe Gas Project in Arakan State – the latest in a series of recent cases of criminalization of human rights defenders under the Peaceful Assembly and Peaceful Procession Law. The regional human rights group called for the repeal of all provisions in the law that are in contravention of international human rights norms and standards, and for the release of the ten […]

Villagers Demonstrated Against an Arakanese Court Order

A group of villagers have staged a protest demonstration on Thursday in front of Kyauk Pru township court in Arakan following the court passed a verdict for imprisonment of ten community leaders.

The protesters, nearly 500 villagers expressed their dissatisfaction on the court order for three months imprisonment to their leaders, said U Hla Myint Kyaw, president of Kyauk Pru social network […]