Growing pressure from international community

 

The US House Foreign Affairs Committee on Tuesday urged Myanmar to end discrimination against its Rohingya minority, saying human rights were vital as the once pariah nation embraces democratic reforms. It approved a resolution that calls on the country formerly known as Burma to "end all forms of persecution and discrimination" against the Rohingya, a mostly Muslim people who are not even recognised as citizens.

Representative Ed Royce, the chairman of the committee, voiced alarm at violence against Rohingya as well as Myanmar's restrictions on medical aid group Doctors Without Borders.

"Sadly, this is what happens when a government refuses to recognise its own people," AFP quoted Royce as saying at a hearing. "The government of Burma cannot claim progress toward meeting its reform goals if it does not improve the treatment of Rohingya Muslims and other minority groups.”

The resolution, which does not threaten specific US counter-measures, heads to the full House of Representatives where its approval is virtually certain as it enjoys support from both parties.

Two major waves of unrest in Rakhine state have left around 140,000 people displaced and sparked anti-Muslim violence elsewhere in Myanmar that has left about 250 people dead.

Separately, Myanmar's ambassador to Washington, Kyaw Myo Htut, welcomed a report by the National Bureau of Asian Research that mostly called for efforts to sustain Myanmar's reforms but also warned of risks from anti-Muslim violence. Yet, he said that some points "do not reflect reality."

On the same day, Human Rights Watch urged Myanmar to scrap proposed restrictions on interfaith marriages, warning that the "blatant discrimination" threatens religious freedom and women's rights.

Muslims, Christians and men of other minority faiths could face up to a decade in prison for marrying Buddhist women under a law being considered by parliament, according to the New York-based watchdog.

"It is shocking that Burma is considering enshrining blatant discrimination at the heart of Burmese family law," said HRW Asia director Brad Adams. "This law would strip away from women their right to freely decide whom to marry, and would mark a major reversal for religious freedom and women's rights in Burma.”

Myanmar is thought to be around 89 per cent Buddhist, with Christians and Muslims each making up around four per cent - although experts believe the true proportion of religious minorities could be higher.

The anti-Muslim resentment has spiked up recently. 

On Wednesday, as many as 1,500 people, including Buddhist monks, staged a protest in front of the Bangladeshi embassy in Yangon in response to an article about Rakhine State published in the Bangladeshi newspaper, Dhaka Tribune. 

“Firstly, we strongly condemn the Dhaka Tribune article which calls for Buthidaung, Maungdaw and Sittwe regions to be taken into Bangladeshi territory. Secondly, we oppose the use of ‘Rohingya,’ which doesn’t exist on earth, in the national census,” Buddhist monk Sayadaw Parmaukka told protesters.

A placard also said “We protest Bengalis’ use of ‘Rohingya’ to identify themselves in the national census”.

The Nationality and Religion Safeguarding Association (central) and its Mandalay branch also released statements protesting the article. These followed the letter of objection by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Over the past 10 years, protests have rarely occurred in front of foreign embassies in Myanmar, although there were some in front of the United States embassy during the time of military regime.