ISSUE N°3 APRIL 2017

ARAKAN BULLETIN

A MONTHLY REVIEW OF EVENTS IN ARAKAN STATE

NATIONAL POLITICS

STATE COUNSELLOR INTERVIEW

In early May, in an interview with the BBC’s special correspondent Fergal Keane, State Counsellor Aung San Suu

Kyi denied that ethnic cleansing of Muslim Rohingya was taking place in Myanmar. Despite several reports

indicating that mass atrocities have been taking place, she stated “I don’t think there is ethnic cleansing going

on. I think ethnic cleansing is too strong an expression to use for what is happening”.1 In terms of

accountability, she stated that “military matters are to be left to the army.” She also stressed that “it is Muslims

killing Muslims as well, if they think they are cooperating with the authorities”. The Lady assured the journalist

that the government was trying to close up the divide between communities in Arakan state.

BY-ELECTIONS

Dr Aye Maung – Arakan National Party’s leader – won with almost 50 percent of the vote the Pyithu Hluttaw

seat in Ann Township (Arakan State). Observers said that his victory was helped by a campaign dominated by

1 BBC, Aung San Suu Kyi : No ethnic cleansing of Myanmar Muslim minority (6 April 2017),

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-39507350

KEY EVENTS OF THE MONTH:

In an exclusive interview with the BBC, State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi

stated about northern Arakan state, “I don’t think there is ethnic cleansing going

on. I think ethnic cleansing is too strong an expression to use for what is happening”

The Early Warning Project’s annual Statistical Risk Assessment ranked Myanmar

as one of the three most susceptible countries to perpetrate mass killing – for the

third year in a row.

Following the Interim Report recommendations made by the ‘Annan

Commission’, the Myanmar government has started the process of closing IDP

camps.

Rohingya refugees in Jammu, India, have been facing a renewed campaign of

threats. Additionally, the Indian government has been exploring ways to deport

them.

anti-Muslim sentiment and Rakhine nationalism.2 Reawakening fears of his electorate, he focused his speeches

on the threat posed by “Bengali Muslims” in northern Arakan state.

In the upcoming 2020 elections, Aye Maung allegedly intends “to form a collation with other ethnic political

parties”.3

INTERNATIONAL

UN-MANDATED FACT-FINDING MISSION

On April 27th

, 23 non-governmental and civil society organizations - including Human Rights Watch, Amnesty

International, FIDH and Fortify Rights - issued a joint open letter calling on States to push for the

implementation of the UN-mandated Fact-Finding Mission to Myanmar.4

The fact-finding mission was mandated during the 34th

session of the UN Human Rights Council. The resolution

tabled by the EU and co-sponsored by the USA and Australia was adopted by consensus. The Fact-Finding

Mission will investigate the human rights situation in Arakan state independently and fairly. Myanmar’s

government has strongly rejected any form of cooperation with the Mission.

The joint open letter stressed that “High-level and sustained international engagement will be needed to ensure

the authorities provide the Fact-Finding Mission with free and unfettered access to all the areas to which they

are seeking access”.5 If access to Myanmar and Arakan state is barred, the Mission “will try to reach witnesses

wherever they are, including Bangladesh”, according to an anonymous UN source.6

Meanwhile, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights is composing the Fact-Finding Mission,7 and

the Human Rights Council’s president is currently appointing its members. The Mission will include

international law, gender-based violence and military experts.

RISK OF MASS KILLING

The Early Warning Project’s annual Statistical Risk Assessment ranked Myanmar as one of the three most

susceptible countries to perpetrate mass killing, for the third year in a row.8 The Project is a joint initiative of

the Simon-Skjodt Center for the Prevention of Genocide and the Dickey Center for International Understanding

(Dartmouth College) and aims at generating international pressure for efficient and early prevention of mass

atrocities. Their statistical forecast estimates ‘the risk of deliberate killing of more than 1,000 civilians within a

country by that country’s government or its agents’.9

INTERNATIONAL MEDIATION

2 Frontier Myanmar, Why did Aye Maung win in Ann? (April 3 2017), http://frontiermyanmar.net/en/why-did-

aye-maung-win-in-ann 3 Ibid.,

4 Human Rights Watch, Joint Letter to Governments on the UN Fact-Finding Mission on Burma (27 April 2017),

https://www.hrw.org/news/2017/04/27/joint-letter-governments-un-fact-finding-mission-burma 5 Ibid.,

6 IRIN, UN convenes Rohingya abuse investigation, but Myanmar says it won’t cooperate (4 April 2017),

http://www.irinnews.org/analysis/2017/04/04/un-convenes-rohingya-abuse-investigation-myanmar-says-it-won%25E2%2580%2599t-cooperate 7 Ibid.,

8 Early Warning Project, Countries most likely to Experience State-Led Mass Killing : Statistical Risk Assessment

2016 (12 April 2017), https://www.earlywarningproject.org/2017/04/10/countries-most-likely-to-experience-state-led-mass-killing-statistical-risk-assessment-2016 9 Ibid.,

According to a Bangladeshi foreign ministry official, Chinese special envoy Sun Guoxiang said that China was

ready to mediate between Burma and Bangladesh to handle the refugee influx.10

Most observers and analysts

suspect that China’s economic interests – including a development project in the special economic zone of

Kyaukphyu (Arakan state) - motivated such a move.

The gesture is not unprecedented as China already offered its assistance in conflicted North-eastern Myanmar,

where the two countries share a border. A few days later, Myanmar’s President’s Office spokesperson U Zaw

Htay rejected China’s offer.11

HUMAN RIGHTS

DETENTION OF MINORS

In March, Reuters revealed that children as young as 10 were detained on charges of consorting with

insurgents. This month, during a recent visit to Myanmar, UNICEF’s deputy executive director, Justin Forsyth,

discussed the issue with State Counsellor Suu Kyi and army chief Min Aung Hlaing, pushing for their release.12

The outcomes of his request currently remain unknown.

SECURITY

Several sources based in northern Arakan state have told the newspaper Frontier that the Arakan Rohingya

Salvation Army (ARSA) – the group which allegedly launched assaults on BGP outposts in late 2016 – was

planning new attacks in June. The sources claimed that the group was conducting training exercises with mock

weapons since late March in Maungdaw Township.13

Myanmar’s Minister for Information Pe Myint recently compared the situation in northern Arakan state to

“9/11 in America, we were targeted and attacked in a huge way”.14

In a statement last month, ARSA denied any

link to terrorist organisations but asserted its “legitimate right under international law to defend ourselves in

line with the principle of self-defence”.15

10

The Irrawaddy, China ready to mediate between Burma and Bangladesh over Arakan Refugees (26 April 2017), https://www.irrawaddy.com/news/china-ready-mediate-burma-bangladesh-arakan-refugees.html 11

The Irrawaddy, Burma turns down Chinese assistance in addressing refugee crisis in Bangladesh (28 April 2017), https://www.irrawaddy.com/news/burma/burma-turns-chinese-assistance-addressing-refugee-crisis-bangladesh.html 12

Reuters, UNICEF official seeks release of detained Rohingya children in Myanmar (10 April 2017), http://www.reuters.com/article/us-myanmar-rohingya-detainees-idUSKBN17C0LY 13

Frontier Myanmar, Insurgency in Rakhine planning new attacks : sources (21 April 2017), http://frontiermyanmar.net/en/insurgency-in-rakhine-planning-new-attacks-sources 14

ABC, Myanmar official compares Rohingya militant attack to 9/11 (26 April 2017), http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-04-26/myanmar-official-compares-rohingya-militant-attack-to-911/8474166 15

Frontier, Rohingya ‘Army’ stresses right to self-defence in first statement (29 March 2017), http://frontiermyanmar.net/en/rohingya-army-stresses-right-to-self-defence-in-first-statement

Longstanding persecution of the Rohingya minority and renewed violence have repeatedly raised fears of

radicalisation.16

DISPLACEMENT OF PEOPLE

INTERNAL DISPLACEMENT AND RESETTLEMENT

While Myanmar has strongly rejected the UN-mandated Fact-Finding Mission, the government has said it will

implement most of the recommendations made by the Advisory Commission on Rakhine State headed by Kofi

Annan. The Commission released its interim report on March 16, 2017 and recommended the closure of IDP

camps, specifically identifying three locations: Ramree, Min That Phar village and Na Nyin Taw.

More than 120,000 individuals have been living in IDP camps in Arakan state since 2012. UNICEF deputy

executive director Justin Forsyth stated “We are pleased with the recommendations for Rakhine”, including the

closure of IDP camps where the UN agency has been providing basic services in collaboration with the

government. After he met with IDPs in Sittwe and Pauktaw in early April, Forsyth stressed that “health facilities

are quite basic” and described that security concerns have triggered fears among parents to let their children

go to school and hospitals.17

On April 5th

, a Myanmar state official said that the Arakan state government will close three IDP camps.18

A

week later, Thaung Tun – a recently appointed National Security Adviser – said that the government had

already started the process of closing camps.19

Despite the Commission’s advice to “prepare a comprehensive

strategy towards closing all IDP camps in Rakhine State”20

, details of the process remain unknown.

Arakan State government secretary Tin Maung Swe said in April that local administration had started to resettle

some 1,152 households recently displaced by violence in model villages. Resettled households would allegedly

get “a 220-square-metre (2,400 sq ft) plot and about $150 to build a home”.21

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Myanmar voiced criticism of the government’s plan,

stressing that it could worsen tensions among communities. The document circulated by UNCHR relayed fears

expressed by villagers that they would lose access to their lands and fishing grounds, and get locked in ‘camp-

like’ villages. Instead, UNHCR Myanmar spokesman Andrew Dusek advised the government “to allow displaced

communities to return to their place of origin and have access to their previous source of livelihoods”.22

16

See for example Dhaka Tribune, US warns crackdown in Myanmar could radicalize Rohingya (3 December 2016), http://www.dhakatribune.com/world/2016/12/03/us-warns-crackdown-myanmar-radicalise-rohingya/ and Aljazeera, Rakhine crisis: restricted humanitarian access and risk of radicalization (10 November 2012), http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2012/11/20121179208947630.html 17

Myanmar Times, UNICEF calls for better healthcare services in Rakhine (11 April 2017), http://www.mmtimes.com/index.php/national-news/25679-unicef-calls-for-better-healthcare-services-in-rakhine.html 18

RFA, Myanmar’s Rakhine State to close three camps for refugees from 2012 violence ( 5 April 2017), http://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/myanmars-rakhine-state-to-close-three-camps-for-refugees-from-2012-violence-04052017155618.html 19

Reuters, Myanmar reiterates no ethnic cleansing of Rohingya Muslims, even as investigations go on (11 April 2017), http://www.reuters.com/article/us-myanmar-rohingya-idUSKBN17D0N9 20

Advisory Commission on Rakhine State, Interim report (16 March 2017), http://www.rakhinecommission.org/statement-kofi-annan-chair-advisory-commission-rakhine-state-interim-report/ 21

Reuters, U.N. criticizes Myanmar plan to resettle Rohingya in ‘camp-like’ villages (27 April 2017), http://www.reuters.com/article/us-myanmar-rohingya-resettlement-idUSKBN17T2BJ 22

Ibid.,

REFUGEES ABROAD

A NEW CAMPAIGN AGAINST THE ROHINGYA REFUGEES IN INDIA

In late April, the Chairperson of the Jammu & Kashmir State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) has requested a

detailed report on Rohingya refugees’ security from the Director General of Police (DGP) by May 30, 2017.23

This request was motivated by the repeated threats occurring against Rohingya refugees in Jammu. An

estimated 5,107 Rohingya individuals currently live in Jammu – overall around 40,000 Rohingya took refuge in

India.24

False rumours that Rohingya refugees held improperly acquired Indian government documents triggered the

latest campaign against the Rohingya. On April 7th

, the Jammu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI) said

it would launch an ‘identify and kill’ operation if the government did not deport Rohingya refugees from

Jammu.25

On April 9 and 13, Rohingya’s belongings and dwellings were targeted by arson attacks. Advocate

Hunar Gupta also filed public interest litigation pushing the high court to pressing the local and national

governments to take action to deport Rohingya refugees from Jammu.26

Activists, businessmen and political parties have expressed fears that the increasing number of Muslim

refugees would change the demographic composition of the region, reducing Hindus to a minority.27

Risks of

radicalisation and terrorist attacks have also been pointed out.28

India is not a signatory of the UN Refugee Convention. Local newspapers reported that the Indian government

has actually been exploring ways to deport Rohingya refugees, likely under the Foreigners Act.29

CHILD REFUGEES AT RISK IN BANGLADESH

According to UNHCR, as many as half of the 70,000 estimated people who have fled to Bangladesh could be

children aged under 18 years.30

In an article dated of April 10, the UN’s refugee agency warned that ‘the

presence of so many unaccompanied minors raises serious protection concerns around the risk of child labour,

early marriage, trafficking and sexual exploitation’.31

It also described the actions currently undertaken for

23

Kashmir Reader, SHRC seeks report from DGP on Rohingya Muslims in Jammu (25 April 2017), http://kashmirreader.com/2017/04/25/shrc-seeks-report-dgp-rohingya-muslims-jammu/ 24

The Wire, With death threats and arson, life is precarious for Jammu’s Rohingya refugees (18 April 2017), https://thewire.in/124735/death-threats-arson-life-precarious-jammus-rohingya-refugees/ 25

Mail Online India, Rohingya community crackdown on the cards ovr terror concerns: Fate of around 40,000 Rohingya living in India to be sealed soon (10 April 2017) http://www.dailymail.co.uk/indiahome/indianews/article-4399472/Rohingya-community-crackdown-cards-terror-fear.html 26

The Wire, With death threats and arson, life is precarious for Jammu’s Rohingya refugees (18 April 2017), https://thewire.in/124735/death-threats-arson-life-precarious-jammus-rohingya-refugees/ 27

Ibid., 28

See Daily Mail UK, Rohingya community crackdown on the cards over terror concerns : Fate of around 40,000 Rohingya living in India set to be sealed soon (10 April 2017), http://www.dailymail.co.uk/indiahome/indianews/article-4399472/Rohingya-community-crackdown-cards-terror-fear.html 29

See The Economic Times, Govt exploring ways to deport 10,000 Rohingyas from J&K (3 April 2017), http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/govt-exploring-ways-to-deport-10000-rohingyas-from-jk/articleshow/57994850.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst & Business Standard, ‘Dispose of’ illegal rohingya immigrants, demands MP (April 6 2017), http://wap.business-standard.com/article/news-ians/dispose-of-illegal-rohingya-immigrants-demands-mp-117040600650_1.html 30

UNHCR, Rohingya orphans seek safe space to heal (10 April 2017), http://www.unhcr.org/news/latest/2017/4/58e4eac94/rohingya-orphans-seek-safe-space-heal.html 31

Ibid.,

those unaccompanied children: psychological counselling, community support groups in the refugee camps,

tracing and reunification with close relative and appointing guardians.

REPORTS

UNOCHA, Myanmar: Humanitarian Snapshot (20 April 2017),

reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/MMR_humanitarian_snapshot_apr17.pdf

Reuters, How a two-week army crackdown reignited Myanmar’s Rohingya crisis (25 April 2017),

http://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/myanmar-rohingya-crisis2/