LAWATAN ENAM JAM PRESIDEN BARACK OBAMA KE MYANMAR

[Presiden Barack Obama menyampaikan ucapan  bersejarah di Universiti Yangon, Isnin 19 November 2012  (Photo: The Irrawaddy)]

Lawatan Presiden Obama ke Myanmar yang turut diiringi oleh Setiausaha Negara, Hillary Clinton pada Isnin  19 November 2012  dianggap amat bersejarah (walaupun hanya selama 6 jam).

Obama, yang baru beberapa minggu memenangi pilihanraya untuk penggal kedua, merupakan presiden Amerika yang pertama (yang masih memegang jawatan) melawat Myanmar – sebuah negara yang kini diperintah separa-tentera (tetapi mendakwa sedang melakukan reformasi ke arah demokrasi), setelah berada dibawah cengkaman junta militari selama 50 tahun. 

Myanmar merupakan negara pertama yang dilawati Obama dalam siri jelajah ke Asia Timur, termasuk Thailand dan Kemboja.

Sebagai menunjukkan tanda ‘goodwill’ dalam  perubahan politik menjelang beberapa hari ketibaan Obama, Presiden Thein Sein, sebagaimana  dilaporkan oleh berita antarabangsa, telah membebaskan sejumlah 518 tahanan dalam dua peringkat. 

Walaubagaimana pun, bilangan tahanan politik yang dibebaskan tidaklah ramai dan dianggarkan sekitar 2,000 masih lagi ditahan di penjara. 

Golongan hak asasi manusia masih lagi mendesak agar pemerintah Myanmar segera membebaskan kesemua tokoh politik yang masih dipenjarakan (dianggap oleh junta tentera dahulu sebagai penjenayah!)

Pimpinan Utama Majlis Ulama Rohingya juga mendesak semoga Presiden Thein Sein membebaskan ratusan (mungkin ribuan) tahanan masyarakat Rohingya yang ditangkap secara arbitrari sepanjang keganasan etnik yang tercetus pada awal Jun 2012 dahulu.

Presiden Obama sempat mengadakan pertemuan dengan Presiden Thein Sein dan pemimpin pembangkang Aung San Suu Kyi secara berasingan.

Selain bertemu dengan kedua tokoh penting tersebut, Obama juga memilih Universiti Yangon, yang menjadi pusat gerakan prodemokrasi, untuk menyampaikan pidato kepada aktivis masyarakat sivil dan para mahasiswa.

Perbincangan dengan Thein Sein dan Suu Kyi serta ucapan beliau di Universiti Yangon dilaporkan berkisar pada tema reformasi politik, keganasan etnik di Arakan, pelanggaran hak asasi manusia serta soal pembangunan dan mengatasi kemiskinan.  Apa yang memberansangkan, Presiden Obama ada membangkitkan diskriminasi dan keganasan yang dilakukan terhadap etnik Rohingya secara spesifik.

Presiden Obama dikatakan juga telah berjanji akan terus membantu  Myanmar, tertakluk kepada syarat Myanmar menunjukkan tanda-tanda bersungguh mahu berubah kepada pemerintahan  demokrasi.

Banyak telahan telah dibuah oleh pemerhati politik berhubung lawatan Obama ke Asia Timur sebaik memenangi pilihanraya untuk penggal kedua.

Ada yang menyatakan ia merupakan satu peralihan ke Asia Timur untuk menghantar satu mesej yang tersirat mungkin kepada China yang bersempadanan dengan Myanmar – setelah beberapa lama sebelum ini Amerika terlibat dalam  peperangan di Iraq dan Afghanistan.

Bersempena lawatan bersejarah Presiden Obama ke Myanmar ini seluruh masyarakat Rohingya menaruh harapan yang amat tinggi agar pemerintah Myanmar mampu merialisasikan penyatuan nasional (national reconcialition) dalam usaha reformasi politik yang diuwar-warkan sedang dilakukan oleh Presiden Thein Sein.  

Pakej pembaharuan politik baru ini wajib meliputi penyelesaian isu-isu utama seperti hak asasi manusia, pengiktirafan etnik Rohingya sebagai warganegara yang sah, pembangunan ekonomi, menangani kemiskinan,  penghentian keganasan etnik, menegakkan keamanan dan keadilan dengan memastikan  anggota polis dan tentera Myanmar bersikap profesionalisme dan tidak memihak dalam  penyelesaian konflik.

Setakat ini cabaran yang terpaksa ditempuh oleh Presiden Thein Sein amat besar.  Selain daripada Thein Sein (seorang bekas Jeneral) ramai dalam pemerintah sekarang ini terdiri dari bekas pegawai tinggi tentera.  Peralihan kearah pemerintahan demokrasi bermaksa kuasa mereka akan hilang.

Selain daripada itu, pemimpin-pemimpin agama Buddha juga perlu berubah dan hendaklah mendukung obor keamanan selaras dengan doktrin ajaran Buddhisme.  Mereka perlu mengikis sikap ‘racist’.

Pihak tentera dan sami-sami Buddha adalah dua cabaran yang terpaksa dihadapi oleh pemimpin pro-demokrasi.  Dua pihak ini (tentera dan sami Buddha) merupakan golongan pelampau di Myanmar yang sering dikaitkan dengan penyusunan program keganasan bagi penghapusan etnik kaum Rohingya di bumi Arakan.

Apa-apa pun, Myanmar perlu berubah. Myanmar perlu menyelesaikan politik perkauman untuk menjadi sebuah negara yang bertamadun, untuk membangun dan mengatasi kemiskinan tegar serta untuk mendapat pengiktirafan dan sanjungan antarabangsa.

Sekali lagi kami berharap Presiden Barack Obama akan dapat memainkan peranan yang lebih tegas dan terus memantau semoga pemerintah Myanmar berpegang pada janji untuk terus bergerak ke arah reformasi politik!

Ustaz Mohd. Jaber Mohd. Subahan

Pengerusi

Majlis Ulama Rohingya (MUR)

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HUMAN BEINGS SHOULD REFRAIN FROM INFLICTING HARM TO ANY LIFE ON EARTH!

[The above picture and quote was lifted from the internet.

If human beings could only understand the beautiful message from the Buddha, they will refrain from causing hurt or inflicting harm to any life on earth, including plants and animals.

As Muslims we should always remind ourselves of the need for self restraint as reflected in the following words of Prophet Muhammad: “Power consists not in being able to strike another, but in being able to control oneself when anger arises”.

It is only through love and respect for one another that we would be able to lead a peaceful life on earth].

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PERUTUSAN MAAL HIJRAH

PERUTUSAN MAAL HIJRAH

PENGERUSI & PIMPINAN UTAMA

MAJLIS ULAMA ROHINGYA (MUR)

MENGUCAPKAN

SELAMAT MENYAMBUT MAAL HIJRAH

(YANG JATUH PADA 1 AWAL MUHARRAM 1434H)

KEPADA

SEMUA MUSLIMIN DAN MUSLIMAT

SEMOGA TAHUN BARU ISLAM INI

MEMBERI SEMANGAT  DAN ILTIZAM

KEPADA KITA SEMUA

UNTUK MELIPATGANDAKAN LAGI USAHA

MENYEMPURNAKAN

TANGGUNGJAWAB DAN HUBUNGAN KITA

KEPADA ALLAH S.W.T

DISAMPING

MENJALINKAN HUBUNGAN BAIK SESAMA MANUSIA

(HABLUMMINNALLAH HABLUMMINANNAS)

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PRESIDEN OBAMA AKAN MELAWAT MYANMAR

Beberapa agensi berita antarabangsa telah melaporkan bahawa Presiden Barrack Obama akan mengadakan lawatan ke Myanmar; dalam lawatan ke beberapa negara di Asia Tenggara, termasuk Thailand dan Kemboja antara 17 -20 November 2012 ini.

Beliau merupakan Presiden Amerika pertama melawat Myanmar. 

Kemenangan beliau dalam pilihan raya baru-baru ini, untuk memulakan penggal kedua sebagai Presiden Amerika, membawa pengharapan yang tinggi di kalangan masyarakat dunia – terutama sekali masyarakat Rohingya yang begitu lama di diskriminasi di bawah pemerintahan kuku besi sejak enam dekat yang lalu.

Beliau dilaporkan akan bertemu dengan Presiden Thein Sein dan pemenang Hadiah Nobel, Aung San Suu Kyi. 

Adalah diharapkan Presiden Obama akan menekan pemerintah Myanmar supaya melakukan reformasi politik dan hak asasi manusia – khususnya konflik kaum serta menyelesaikan isu kerakyatan dengan mengiktiraf etnik Rohingya sebagai warganagera Myanmar yang sah.

Setinggi penghargaan juga diberikan kepada OIC di bawah pimpinan Setiausaha Agungnya, Profesor Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, yang menggesa Presiden Barack Obama membangkitkan isu kritikal keganasan terhadap masyarakat Islam Rohingya, semasa lawatan beliau ke Myanmar pada 19 November ini.

Oleh itu, marilah sama-sama kita mendoakan semoga pertemuan Presiden Obama dengan Presiden Thein Sein dan pemimpin pembangkang Aung San Suu Kyi ini akan berhasil menamatkan keganasan terhadap masyarakat Rohingya dan membuka ruang kepada penyelesaian pelbagai isu politik – termasuk isu pelarian masyarakat Rohingya di beberapa buah negara (termasuk Malaysia). 

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WINNERS AND LOSERS IN MYANMAR VIOLENCE

[The original article may be viewed at: http://blogs.aljazeera.com/blog/asia/winners-and-losers-myanmar-violence]

Wayne Hay

Wayne Hay is a roving correspondent covering the Asia-Pacific region.

November 5, 2012 - 09:20

The lack of transparency, justice and clear policy is fuelling the violence and tension in Rakhine state, and providing plenty of room for speculation around Myanmar about the reasons for the fighting between Rohingya Muslims and Rakhine Buddhists.

We know that three Rohingya men were arrested and convicted for the rape and murder of a Buddhist girl at the end of May. We know that 10 Rohingya men were butchered five days later in an apparent revenge attack by Buddhists.

No one has been arrested for those killings and what has followed is a series of violent events which has seen more people killed, thousands of houses and other buildings burned down and around 100,000 people left homeless.

The government response has been weak, providing ammunition to those who believe elements within the political system are complicit in the crisis. Let's face it: If the power brokers in the country really wanted to stop the conflict from the very start, they could have.

It wasn't that long ago that the former military regime was brutally cracking down on any sort of overt dissent and, even though there is now a partially civilian government in charge, many of the same people are still running the country.

Political undertones

The government could have, as it has in the past, filled the streets of Rakhine state with soldiers in an instant. It says it has increased security around the region, but the visible presence of soldiers is minimal.

There are political undertones to the situation that tend to indicate it's more than simply communal tension boiling over.

It's easy to forget under this new dawn in Myanmar that there are still hardliners within the system, including the military, who are seeing their power and influence eroded by this thing called democracy.

They would argue that the armed forces are the only people who can keep the peace in Myanmar and a perfect way to prove that would be to, not necessarily start a conflict, but to not stop it, and possibly even encourage it to grow into something much larger than it should have.

Connected with the army is the country's largest political party, the Union Solidarity and Development Party, whose leadership is made up entirely of former army generals, including some hardliners.

The USDP has a huge problem on its hands called the National League for Democracy, the opposition party led by Aung San Suu Kyi.

The NLD is extremely popular and proved that by winning the 1990 election in a landslide only to be prevented from taking over the country by the military. It then won most seats in the by-election in April signalling that the USDP is in trouble ahead of the next general election in 2015, if a free and fair vote is held.

Speculation rife

The above mentioned may seem completely irrelevant to the ongoing tensions in Rakhine but on social media in Myanmar, speculation has been rife since early June that some people maybe seizing upon the violence to strengthen their positions and perhaps reclaim what they once had.

Key to that speculation was a mysterious meeting between top USDP official and former general Aung Thaung and a young Buddhist monk, known for his anti-Muslim stance.

Wirathu spent more than 10 years in jail for his involvement in clashes between Buddhists and Muslims in 2001 in the city of Mandalay. He was released late last year as part of the new government's round of amnesties.

Then, after the April by-election in which the USDP suffered an embarassing setback, Wirathu received a visit from Aung Thaung, a man known to be close to former dictator Than Shwe.

Photos emerged of what was a highly unusual meeting between a leader of the country's ruling political party and an ordinary monk, famous only for his anti-Muslim sentiment.

So why did they meet No explanation has been forthcoming but after the violence started in Rakhine, Wirathu was again at the forefront of rallies by monks who took to the streets in support of the President Thein Sein's statement that those in the Rohingya community who are not legal citizens of Myanmar should be detained and then sent to another country.

What does the USDP have to gain from the fighting in the west

Maybe hardliners would say the unrest proves that Myanmar is not ready for too much political change at once.

Maybe they would say Myanmar needs the "steady" hand of people who have experience in running the country, and not someone who has plenty of experience as an activist, but little experience as a politician.

Suu Kyi in dilemma

The fighting also puts Aung San Suu Kyi in a very difficult position. She's long campaigned for human rights, the rule of law and justice. Now she's working within the system as a member of parliament and the world expects her to continue to do those things, particularly when hundreds of thousands of people in her own country are being increasingly marginalised.

Her response has verged on non-existent. She's made a few weak statements such as saying she won't use "moral leadership" to back either side.

Those old hands within the USDP and the army who are resistant to change will be enjoying watching how the NLD leader handles the situation.

They know she'll be coming under pressure from foreign governments and human rights organisations to say more in support of the Rohingya, but at the same time she knows that if she criticises the Rakhine Buddhists, she risks losing a lot of domestic support in a country where the Rohingya are largely seen as illegal immigrants.

Losing that support, means losing votes. Maybe she's beginning to learn what life is like as a politician in a country still fresh from being a military dictatorship, instead of being a democracy campaigner.

We will perhaps never know the truth behind the fighting in Rakhine but what we do know is that the residents of that part of the country, Muslim and Buddhist, are the losers and the international community is hopefully learning that these are still very early days in "democratic" Myanmar and forces resistant to change can still play a big role in determining the country's future.

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ETHNIC VIOLENCE ERUPTS IN MYANMAR AGAIN

[The news report below was lifted from ‘The Irrawaddy’  - “a newsmagazine published by the Irrawaddy Publishing Group, founded in 1992 by Burmese exiles living in Thailand. Wikipedia”]

Kyaukpyu’s Muslim Quarter Razed to the Ground

By LAWI WENG / THE IRRAWADDY| October 25, 2012 | 16

[Some 800 homes belonging to Rohingya Muslims were burnt down in Pauktaw on Thursday, Oct. 25, 2012 (PHOTO: Thi Ha / Facebook]

Several hundred Rohingya people have fled their burning homes in Kyaukpyu Township and taken to the sea after deadly clashes on Tuesday night.

A local source told The Irrawaddy that the entire Muslim quarter – more than 300 houses belonging to the Rohingya community was burned to the ground by Arakanese Buddhist [Rakhine] residents who were angry at reports that three local Rakhine men had been killed. An unknown number of Rohingyas were killed in Tuesday night’s violence.  Eleven persons were reportedly admitted to hospital after rival groups clashed with machetes and other weapons.

The following day, 80 boats full of fleeing Rohingyas were spotted heading to open water.  The source said that 54 boats departed from Kyaukpyu 12:30 in the afternoon and another 26 boats left around 5 pm.

“There is no one left in the Muslim quarter.” He said. “They have all fled and were heading to Sittwe.”

Sittwe is the capital of Arakan State.  The Rohingya boat people are thought to be seeking the shelter of a neighborhood in the city where security is overseen by state authorities.

A resident from Kyaukpyu Township told The Irrawaddy on Thursday morning that tensions were high in the town and that the army had been deployed.

Burma’s state-run media reported on Thursday that only 69 houses were burned down and 20 persons were wounded on Tuesday night, while on Wednesday morning one person was killed, eight were wounded and some 700 houses were torched.

The Burmese service of BBC radio reported on Wednesday that 20 Rohingyas and six Rakhine men had been killed in riots in Myebon Township.  It said that some 200 Rohingya people from Myebon had been made homeless and had fled in fear to the mountainous jungle nearby.

The resurgence in sectarian violence follows incidents earlier this week in Minbyar Township where one Rakhine man and two Rohingya women were killed.  The violence then spread to Mrauk-U Township.

Burma’s state-rn media reported on Wednesday that just two people were killed – one Buddhist, one Muslim – in Minbyar and Mrauk-U townships while 1,039 local houses were destroyed.

Thousands of people from both sides of the ongoing conflict have abandoned their villages in fear of reprisals and are currently seeking shelter in other locations.  Many Buddhist Arakanese are reportedly sheltering in Buddhist temples, according to a local source.

The Arakan State government has imposed a curfew in Minbyar and Mrauk-U following the unrest, which began on Sunday night.

Hundreds of Rakhine students protested in Sittwe on Wednesday, claiming that they were unable to study under the security conditions in the city.

Some 70,000 people are estimated to have become homeless since the sectarian violence ignited in June.

Meanwhile, Burma’s opposition party National league for Democraccy on Thursday urged the Burmese government to take further security measures to stop the ongoing violence in Arakan State and re-establish peace and security in townships such as Kyaukpyu, Minbyar, Mrauk-U and Ann.

The 88 Generation Students group also released statement calling on all people in Burma to work together to resolve this conflict, stressing that a solution must be based on democracy and human rights.

[Source:  http://www.irrawaddy.org/archives/17309]

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IS MYANMAR SERIOUS ABOUT NATIONAL RECONCILIATION?

Members of the Rohingya community within and outside Myanmar were initially encouraged by the news that the Myanmarese Government had signed an agreement with the OIC to allow it to establish a liaison office in the country to coordinate the delivery of humanitarian aid to Myanmarese citizens of Rohinyga decent. However, this hope was quickly dashed when President Thein Sein promptly withdrew his Government's agreement with the OIC after Buddhist monks from Sittwe and Mandalay staged forceful  but peaceful demonstrations in these two cities on 10 and 12 October respectively.

President Thein Sein’s flip-flop decision to dishonour the one-month old agreement with the OIC shows that it is still too early to believe that his government is really serious in embarking upon political reforms that he had assured the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon of during their meeting at the UN HQ in New York last month.

The Majlis Ulama Rohingya (MUR)’s leadership is of the opinion that Thein Sein may be engaged in a shrewd political game in which hatred towards the Rohingyas is quietly allowed to fester in the country while no genuine efforts are made towards bringing about national reconciliation between the Buddhists and Rohinya communities.

We repost below a more in-depth report on the response of the OIC towards the cancellation of the Mynamar-OIC agreement. The original article may be viewed at: http://www.irrawaddy.org/archives/16610

17 Oct 2012

By LAWI WENG / THE IRRAWADDY| October 16, 2012 |

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has blasted the Burmese government for reneging on its commitment to allow the group to open an office in Burma, saying that it is not serious about humanitarian issues.

Speaking to The Irrawaddy on Tuesday from the OIC headquarters in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, the director of the Muslim Minorities and Communities Department, Talal Daous, said, “It is an unfortunate thing to happen, because this office is only for humanitarian purposes.

“We have already signed an agreement, but it seems the government of Myanmar [Burma] is not serious about humanitarian issues,” he said.

Hla Thein, a Muslim community leader in Rangoon, said, “The current announcement by the President’s office not to allow the OIC to base [in Burma] is favorable only to the Rakhine people.

Naypyidaw’s move to backtrack on its agreement with the Islamic bloc came after

Buddhist monks led demonstrations in several cities across the country to protest the decision to allow the OIC to open an office.

The President’s Office in Naypyidaw issued a statement on its website on Tuesday saying that it is the wishes of the people that the OIC not be given the right to set up an office in Burma.

However, Talal Daous said that the OIC had not received any official statement from the Burmese government and is still waiting for an answer.

The OIC signed an MoU with the Burmese government on Aug. 11 to open offices for humanitarian purposes in Rangoon and Sittwe. A delegation from the OIC then traveled to Arakan State in September to inspect the aftermath of communal clashes between Muslims and Buddhists in the strife-torn region.

The OIC said that it intends to distribute humanitarian aid to victims from both the Arakanese Buddhist and Muslim Rohingya communities without discrimination.

“We are also urging the international community to help the victims,” said Talal Daous. “From a humanitarian point of view, we are seeking to help all people who were effected by violence.”

He said that the victims continue to suffer.

Hla Thein, a Muslim community leader in Rangoon, said, “The current announcement by the President’s office not to allow the OIC to base [in Burma] is favorable only to the Rakhine people.

“No one will trust this government,” he said. “The Myitsone dam was a similar case when they signed an agreement, but then withdrew it again.  In fact, they should not sign an agreement in the first place if they’re going to act like that.”

Chris Lewa, an NGO coordinator working with the Rohingya in western Arakan State, said, “I can understand why people feel threatened by an OIC presence in Sittwe, although I don’t see why the OIC should not have a diplomatic presence in Yangon [Rangoon] as other regional bodies do.

“The Burmese government has now changed its mind as it already has too many conflicts on its hands and does not want to antagonize people, especially monks with a strong moral authority, and it wants to avoid at all costs any further unrest [which] could be exploited and spread beyond Arakan.”

Lewa, who visited Sittwe as a consultant for Refugees International in September, said, “A lot of humanitarian funding has already been pledged but so far little has actually materialized through the UN and the Myanmar Red Cross Society. The serious dilemma is the issue of segregation. That is why aid has focused on emergency assistance for the displaced—building shelters, food relief and drinking water. But there is an urgent need to also provide better sanitation, health services and education.”

Hla Thein said that Rohingya refugees who do not have enough food will face starvation.

According to Lewa: “The segregation policy in Sittwe is shocking and unacceptable and it will only increase tensions. The government should take drastic action to stop and prosecute extremist Rakhine elements harassing the Muslim population and actively work for a solution and to restore peace and the rule of law.

“Humanitarian assistance alone is not a solution,” she said. “Development assistance should help both communities in the long term once life in Arakan State returns to normalcy. If people in Burma feel that the OIC presence is an interference in the internal affairs of the country, they and the monks should immediately and urgently take responsibility to resolve the conflict peacefully.”

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