June Atrocities

What looks like it may be genocide currently taking place, to the Rohingya Muslims in the Arakan State of Burma, has recently been drawn to my attention. I'm going to post my notes here as I try to get up to speed on this topic. I'm doing this because according to a source on the ground in Burma, every day more people are dying, and I want to pass on what I find as soon as I find it.

There is also news coming in from the ground and I will post updates on that soon. Word is that the most urgent need right now is for food, with people starving to death every day.

What I did not include below are the many numerous propaganda videos that are out on YouTube painting the Rohingyan people as terrorists. When researching I noted that several of these were uploaded to YouTube just before the violence broke out (posted around 5th June). I have seen similar such attempts by an oppressive regime (in Bahrain) to also paint the persecuted people as terrorists, therefore I am familiar with the style of such propaganda.

Definition of Genocide

Genocide Watch
Genocide Watch is issuing a Genocide Emergency Alert for the Rohingya of Myanmar

Background
April 2010 Restless Beings
A'ar Zaati Rohingya - 'We are Rohingyan'


March 2012 The Pullitzer Centre
Meet Greg Constantine: The Stateless Rohingya in Myanmar and Bangladesh



Arakan / Rohingya News 2012

11 June Al Jazeera
Violence erupts in Myanmar



11 June Reuters
Myanmar burning: dramatic images of mob violence - Rough Cuts



12 June The Nation
Myanmar turns down Malaysian aid for strife-torn Rakhine state

12 June Human Rights Watch
Bangladesh: Open Borders for Refugees Fleeing Burma

12 June UNHCR
Amid violence in Myanmar, UNHCR calls on Bangladesh to keep its borders open

12 June AFP
'Dozens dead' in Myanmar religious violence



12 June AFP
Troops patrol strife-hit Myanmar state




13 June AlJazeera
Inside Story - What is behind Myanmar's ethnic unrest? 



14 June AFP
Myanmar sectarian unrest displaces more than 30,000



14 June AFP
Bangladesh refuses more Rohingya fleeing Myanmar


15 June Human Rights Watch
Bangladesh: Letter to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina regarding obligations not to reject refugees 

15 June Myanmar International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
Myanmar Red Cross Society provides emergency assistance during Rakhine unrest

15 June Reuters
Left Behind In Myanmar's March to Democracy - Reuters Investigates


17 June AFP
Dozens dead after unrest in Myanmar's Rakhine state



18 June MSF
Myanmar: Victims of Recent Clashes Must Have Access to Health Care

19 June Amnesty International
Document - Myanman: Meet immediate humanitarian needs and address systemic discrimination

19 June UNHCR
UNHCR gears up for humanitarian response in Myanmar 

21 June AlJazeera
Muslim Rohingya protest in Bangkok



22nd June The Guardian
Rohingya refugees leave Burma to seek help in Bangladesh – video



22 June UNHCR
UNHCR alarmed at fragile security situation in Rakhine State

24th June Perdana Global Peace Foundation
Press Release: Persecution of the Rohingya

25th June Channel 4 News
Dangerous Waters for Burma’s Rohingya Minority (with video)



25 June AlJazeera
Myanmar's Rohingya forced back to sea



26th June Channel 4 News
Refugees ‘should go back to Burma’ (with video)

26th June The Guardian
Ethnic violence mars transition to democracy for Rohingya in Burma

29 June UNHCR
UNHCR redeploys further staff to Myanmar's Rakhine State as relative calm returns

29th June The Guardian
Burma's Rohingya refugees find little respite in Bangladesh (with video)

29 June Mizzima
12 aid workers detained in Rakhine State                         

2nd July Restless Beings
Voice The Rohingya Protest


4th July Restless Beings
Concentration Camps and Systematic Rape - Rohingya Under Persecution

5 July Mizzima 
Mass arrests of Rohingya in Rakhine State: BROUK

6 July Agence France Presse
10 aid workers held in Myanmar: UN

6 July Mizzima
Muslim states ask Suu Kyi to help end sectarian violence

6 July Mizzima
Biased police response to sectarian violence in Arakan: HRW  

6 July Mizzima
10 U.N. staff still in custody in Rakhine State 

9 July Burma Campaign UK
Situation in Rakhine (Arakan) State and the Rule of Law - Statement by 34 Organisations

12 July NYTimes (Op Ed)
Ethnic Cleansing in Myanmar

12 July The Platform
Burma’s Rohingya: A Denial of Citizenship and Human Rights

12 July AFP
US opens up investment in Myanmar

12 July Mizzima
Burma’s Human Rights Commission issues statement on Arakan State

12 July Mizzima
U.N. employees appear in Burmese Court: report 

13 July Reuters
10 U.N. staff and aid workers detained in Myanmar, some charged   

13 July Mizzima News
U.N. rejects Burma’s offer to resettle Rohingya                    

13 July The Guardian
Burma 'creating humanitarian crisis' with displacement camps in Arakan

13 July UNHCR
High Commissioner for Refugees wraps up mission to Myanmar, Thailand
High Commissioner Guterres in Thailand/Myanmar mission Briefing Notes

14 July Arakan Rohingya National Organisation (ARNO)
Rohingya Raised at ASEAN Meeting

14 July Arakan Rohingya National Organisation (ARNO)
Ethnic Cleansing in Myanmar

14 July Press TV
Suu Kyi silent on Muslims cleansing in Myanmar


15 July Financial Times
UN aid workers face Myanmar riot charges

15 July Arakan Rohingya National Organisation (ARNO)
ISNA Calls for Human Rights for Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar 

16 July Mizzima
Burma asked to explain UN workers arrests 

Kachin State

The notes below relate to abuses taking place in the Kachin State which are in the North state of Burma, included here to help with the understanding of the police and human rights violations of the Burmese government.

18 Oct 2011 Human Rights Watch
Burma: Army Committing Abuses in Kachin State

25 Jan Burma Campaign UK
Burmese Army Shoots Pregnant Teacher In Kachin State

15 March Human Rights Watch
Where Myanmar Keeps Trampling Rights

20 March Human Rights Watch
“Untold Miseries” Wartime Abuses and Forced Displacement in Burma’s Kachin State

20 March Human Rights Watch
Burma: Reforms Yet to Reach Kachin State

10 April Burma Campaign UK
UN Security Council Must Address War Crimes in Burma

11 April Human Rights Watch
Aid Sent to Civilians in Burma's Kachin State

18 May Burma Campaign UK
Gang-rape in church - impunity for sexual violence in Kachin conflict continues

Human Rights in Burma (in general)

2011 ICRC (International Committee Red Cross)
Myanmar Annual Report

23 Aug 2011 Human Rights Watch
Burma: A Fool's Paradise

25 Jul 2011 Burma Campaign
Burma Briefing No 14: War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity in Burma

31 Aug 2011 Burma Campaign UK
5,000 Call On William Hague To Secure Burma Crimes Inquiry

6 Sep 2011 Burma Campaign UK
Civil society gathers to brief EU diplomats on necessity for UN Commission of Inquiry for Burma

4 Nov 2011 Burma Campaign UK
UN General Assembly Fails To Act On Crimes Against Humanity In Burma

6 Jan Human Rights Watch
Burma's Prisons Should Not Be Off Limits to International Monitors

28 April Human Rights Watch
Burma: Ban Should Press for Lasting Reforms 

16 May Burma Campaign UK
Campaign 
to 
Stop
 Rape 
and 
Gender 
Violence 

25 May Amnesty International
Document - Myanmanr: Revisiting Human Rights in Myanmar

26 Jun Human Rights Watch
Report: Isolated in Yunnan (Kachin Refugees from Burma in China’s Yunnan Province)

11 July Burma Campaign UK
UK Government Report:  Human Rights Abuses Continue In Burma 

16 July Mizzima
U.S. investment rules won’t deter abuses: HRW

16 July IRIN
MYANMAR: Access to health a worry in Rakhine State


International Politics / Interests

6 April Human Rights Watch
The Burma Road to 2015

28 May The Statesman
India to aid Myanmar’s democratic process

8 June Reuters
Australia lifts sanctions against Myanmar, doubles aid

20 June Reuters
4 keys to investing in Myanmar - Decoder



6 July Mizzima
Thein Sein to visit Thailand on July 22

10 July Mizzima
Top U.S. trade officials heading to Burma

12 July Mizzima
U.S. companies now free to invest in Burma

13 July Mizzima
U.S business leaders to meet in Rangoon on Saturday

13 July Mizzima
Thein Sein, Clinton to meet in Siem Reap

13 July Associated Press
Clinton talks with reformist Myanmar president 

14 July Arakan Oil Watch
Canada announces embassy in Burma amid rush for country’s oil, natural resources


Oil

I have heard it suggested that the construction of a gas pipeline in the Arakan state maybe contributing to the unrest so have included news on this below to help understand the context in which the unrest is happening. I have also been told by an oil investigational journalist that in the early 90's there was a similar 'land clearance' for a pipeline in Burma that took place with 'sectarian' violence blamed, people put into camps, and killed - not had time to look into that properly yet  - someone reading this might?

10 Oct 2011 MENAFN
China-Burma Oil Pipeline Section 4 Starts Building in Oct

26 Oct 2011 Narinjara News
No plan to use Arakan gas for Arakan

26 Jan 2012 Narinjara News
2 Indian workers injured on gas pipeline construction site 

7 June Narinjara News
Public Frustration Growing Over Gas Pipeline Project in Arakan

18 June Mizzima
Ban Ki-moon called Burma gas pipeline a ‘win-win’

19 June The Wall Street Journal (the Dow Jones)
India, China to Explore Energy Assets

29 June Arakan Oil Watch
Farmers complain over gas pipe line

5 July AsiaEye
Sino-Indian Energy Cooperation in Burma: Toward an Integrated Asian Energy Market?


Catoons

Carlos Latuff
http://twitpic.com/a812ab

Action

Restless Beings Petition:
Lobbying The British Government: Ethnic Cleansing of Rohingya in Myanmar

ASEAN Freedoom Flotilla to Liberate Rohingya to be Launched

Press Conference

Restless Beings Press Conference
Media Statement - Support for Rohingya


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