May 22, 2024
Calling on organizations and individuals in Rakhine and across the country to immediately stop exploiting the lives, property and image of the oppressed Rohingya for political and military use
The terrorist military junta has consistently oppressed and committed torture, killings, genocide, and crimes against humanity against the Rohingya. Currently, with forced conscription orders, the military junta is forcibly using Rohingya as human shields and soldiers to perpetrate violence on its behalf.1 In a significant incident, almost 100 Rohingya, who were forcibly abducted and taken into the fighting by the military during the battle with the Arakan Army (AA), were massacred in Angumaw, Rathedaung Township, Rakhine region, in March of this year.2 In addition, the military junta is currently forcing Rohingya from the IDP camps in Buthidaung and Sittwe to protest the AA and is inciting a public misperception of Rohingya to cause further ethnic conflict. In April of this year, the terrorist military junta used Rohingya who had been forcibly recruited under its conscription orders to burn down more than 200 homes of ethnic Rakhine people in Buthidaung Town, Rakhine region, to intentionally create an ethnic conflict between the Rakhine and Rohingya communities. In addition to the fact that the military junta is working to create such ethnic conflict, the revolutionary forces and the public need to be especially prudent, aware, and understanding that the Rohingya people—who do not have a choice and face unparalleled hardships, having been locked down for many years—are being forced into patterns that the terrorist military junta wants to portray.
In this situation, it has been observed that organizations, media, and individuals are repeatedly using hate speech such as “Bengali terrorists” and “Muslim terrorists” to describe the Rohingya, as well as portraying all Rohingya as collaborating with the military junta. Such situations of indiscriminate accusations against an entire ethnic group and the religion they believe in are fomenting ethnic and religious conflict and increasing hatred among the public. As in other ethnic groups, it is important to note that, among Rohingya, there also are some who are collaborating with the terrorist Myanmar military junta for their own self-interest, but at the same time, there are many Rohingyas who oppose the military dictatorship. All of us need to understand and clearly distinguish that Rohingya armed groups, such as the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), Arakan Rohingya Army (ARA) and Rohingya Solidarity Organization (RSO)—which are collaborating with the terrorist military junta—do not represent all Rohingyas. We absolutely condemn and oppose any ethnic armed groups, including Rohingya armed groups, that are collaborating with the terrorist military junta and abusing the public. We are well aware that there are armed groups like ARSA in other ethnic communities who collaborate with the terrorist military junta and falsely claim to represent these communities. Since December 7, 2021, Rohingya communities and organizations have issued a public statement declaring that ARSA does not represent the Rohingya in any way.3 We urge the Arakan Army (AA) to take responsibility to be accountable to local communities for ensuring social harmony. It is also necessary to comply with the Geneva Conventions and International Humanitarian Law (IHL) not to wage battles in civilian areas and not to forcibly relocate villagers from the Rohingya villages.
Since the protection of civilians is a military code of conduct (a norm of customary IHL) that must be particularly adhered to during wartime, we specifically call on the Arakan Army (AA) to protect all civilians, whether they are ethnically Rakhine, ethnically Rohingya, or from other ethnic and religious groups living in region and allow access to independent international news media and humanitarian aid. On the other hand, although the AA has announced that they will not engage in extrajudicial killings or arrest ethnic Rohingya people, there are cases on the ground that have been allegedly committed by soldiers under the command of the AA. According to published reports,4 there have been massacres of entire Rohingya villages;5 Rohingya who were arrested, taken, and killed in hidden places; and illegal abductions of Rohingya in Thankyaukkhe Village and Ywetnyotaung Village in Buthidaung, and Thayetoak Village in northern Maungdaw, in April and May. According to eyewitnesses and media reports, the Arakan Army (AA) burned down and destroyed houses where Rohingya civilians lived in Buthidaung Town, on the night of May 17 at approximately 10 p.m., after the Arakan Army (AA) gained control of most of the town. This incident is a war crime and a crime against humanity.6 The undersigned revolutionary forces and civil society organizations specifically and seriously request the Arakan Army (AA) to carry out independent investigations of these matters and take action against perpetrators if there were violations. The safety of all people in Rakhine is of grave concern during the intense fighting between the terrorist military junta and the Arakan Army (AA). The oppressed and exploited Rohingya need protection, and it is crucial that another genocide is prevented. Along with political forces and civil society organizations of Myanmar, individuals in Myanmar are also responsible for civilian protection. It is vitally important to uphold the principles of human dignity and protection
for all. The Arakan Army (AA), responsible for the Rakhine region, has a special duty to protect all the people living in the Rakhine. We strongly urge the Arakan Army (AA) leaders and the Rohingya leaders to engage in dialogue and hold consultations as soon as possible. We are raising these concerns constructively, and we will support and strengthen activities for the peaceful coexistence and long-term stability of various ethnicities and religions in the future Arakan. We pledge to continue supporting the revolution that aims for the liberation of all people living in every part of Arakan.
Contact:
Captain Mulan, Blood Money Campaign, info@bmcmyanmar.com
Naw Aung, Defend Myanmar Democracy, communication@defendmyanmardemocracy.org
Khin Ohmar, Progressive Voice, info@progressive-voice.org
Remark: 195 organizations endorsed in this joint statement; 59 organization’s names are undisclosed because of security situation in Myanmar.
1. Action Committee for Democracy Development (ACDD)
2. Ah Nah podcast – Conversations with Myanmar
3. All Young Burmese League, Australia
4. Alliance for Democracy in Myanmar (ADM)
5. Alliance of Students’ Unions – Yangon (ASU-Yangon)
6. Anti Dictatorship in Burma – DC Metropolitan Area.
7. Anti-Junta Mass Movement (AJMM)
8. Arakan Youth Peace Network
9. Athan – Freedom of Expression Activist Organization
10. ATN Ayarwaddy Youth Network
11. Aung San Su Kyi Park, Norway
12. Ayeyarwaddy West Development Organisation (AWDO), Magway
13. Ayeyarwaddy West Development Organisation (AWDO), Ngaphe
14. Bago Regional Support Team 4
15. Blood Money Campaign (BMC)
16. Burma Civil War Museum
17. Burma Human Rights Network (BHRN)
18. Burma Support
19. Burmese Women’s Union (BWU)
20. CAN-Myanmar
21. Chin Community in Norway
22. CRPH & NUG supporters Ireland
23. CRPH Funding Ireland
24. CRPH Support Group, Norway
25. CRPH, NUG Support Team Germany-Deutschland
26. Defend Myanmar Democracy (DMD)
27. Democracy Peace and Women Organization
28. Democratic Movement Strike Committee (Dawei)
29. Democratic Party for a New Society, Norway
30. Democratic Youth Council (DYC)
31. Doh Atu – Ensemble pour le Myanmar 32. Doh Ayay 33. Educational Initiatives 34. Equality Myanmar 35. Former ABSDF 36. Free Rohingya Coalition (FRC) 37. General Strike Committee (GSC) 38. General Strike Committee of Nationalities (GSCN) 39. Generation Wave 40. Global Myanmar Spring Revolution (GMSR – Japan) 41. Global Myanmar Spring Revolution (GMSR) 42. Historical Carriers Group 43. Human Rights Foundation of Monland 44. Inlighten Peninsula Tenasserim – IPT 45. International Society of Myanmar Scholars and Professionals 46. Justice for Myanmar 47. Kachin Association Norway 48. Karen Women’s Organization 49. Karenni Association – Norway 50. K’cho Ethnic Association 5 51. Keng Tung Youth 52. Knowledge Hub Myanmar 53. Kyae Lak Myay 54. Kyauktada Strike Committee 55. LASHIO UlC 56. Legal Aid For Human Rights 57. MAGGA Initiative 58. MATA စစ်က ိုင််းတ ိုင််း 59. Matu Burma Foundation 60. MilkTeaAlliance Calendar Team 61. Min Hla farmers Group 62. Minbu farmers Group 63. Minority Affairs Institute (MAI Myanmar) 64. Mon Association – Norway 65. Mother’s Embrace Foundation 66. Muslim of Myanmar Multi-Ethnic Consultative Committee (MMMCC) 67. Myanmar Baptist Churches in Norway 68. Myanmar Catholic Community In Norway 69. Myanmar Community Austria 70. Myanmar Community in Norway 71. Myanmar Cultural Research Society (MCRS) 72. Myanmar Freedom of Religion or Belief Network 73. Myanmar Hindu Community – Norway 74. Myanmar Muslim Organization – Norway 75. Myanmar Muslim Revolution Force 76. Myanmar Tourism Committee 77. MyaYar Knowledge Tree 78. Network for Human Rights Documentation – Burma (ND-Burma) 79. New Power Generation 80. New Rehmonnya Federated Force -NRFF 81. New Step 82. NLD Organization Committee (International) Norway 83. Norway Falam Community 84. Norway Matu Community 85. Norway Rawang Community 86. Nyan Lynn Thit Analytica 87. Olive Organization 88. People Defense and Supporting Force 89. Politics for Women Myanmar 90. Progressive Voice 91. Pwintphyu Development Organisation 92. RAISA Rohingya Southeast Asia Network 93. Rathedaung Society for Peace and Development (RSPD) 94. Rohingya Action Ireland 95. Rohingya Community in Norway 96. Rohingya Student Network (RSN) 97. Rohingya Union for Women Education and Development (RUWED) 98. Save and Care Organization for Ethnic Women at Border Areas (SCOEWBA) 99. Save Myanmar San Francisco 100. Save Myanmar USA 101. Shan MATA 102. Sisters 2 Sisters 103. Sitt Nyein Pann Foundation 104. South Dagon`s Saturated Blood of Revolution Strike Force 105. Southern Dragon Myanmar 106. Southern Monitor 107. Southern Voice 108. Southern Youth Development Organization 109. Spring Revolution Myanmar Muslim Community (SRMMC) 110. Support Group for Democracy in Myanmar (Netherlands) 111. Ta’ang Legal Aid Foundation-TLAF 112. Ta’ang Women’s Organization 113. Tamwe Nway Oo Channel 114. HTY Scout Channel 115. NOK Information & Scout Echo 116. Thaketa & Dawbon Scout Channel 117. Information & Scout News (Hlaing) 118. South Dagon Scouting Infos (SDG) 119. Kyimyindaing Scout Channel 120. Insein Scout Channel 121. North Dagon & East Dagon News 122. Youth Scout For Democracy (YSD) 123. Tanintharyi Nationalities Congress – TNC 124. Tenasserim Student’s Union Network- TSUN 125. Thint Myat Lo Thu Myar Organization 126. Union of Karenni State Youth (UKSY) 127. White Coat Society Yangon 128. Women Advocacy Coalition Myanmar (WAC-M) 129. Yangon Medical Network 130. Yangon Public Relations (YPR) 131. Youth for democratization of Myanmar (UDM) 132. Z Fighter News 133. Zomi Christian Fellowship of Norway 134. Zomi Community Norway 135. အညာလွင်ပြင်ရြ်ဝန််း 136. Women’s Peace Network (WPN)
