alaungphaya
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I really want to check out Panama. I understand a lot of people retire there.
Myanmar General Discussion (non military)
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alaungphaya
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The Tatmadaw are still conducting themselves in a dishonourable way as their doctrine is shaped by being the sole political entity in the country for 50 years. When there is no civilian oversight of the military, indiscretions will be passed over or overlooked without suitable due process.
However, what I find encouraging is that such NGO's are allowed to conduct their work without reprisal. For all the guff about backsliding, this sort of open discourse would not be found in most of our neighbours.
Burma's army uses rape to demoralise ethnic minorities, report says
Women’s rights group says military uses sexual violence to intimidate women in ethnic minority communities and take control of resource-rich areas
A girl watches as soldiers (not implicated) walk by her home in Thapyuchai village, in Rakhine state. Photograph: Soe Zeya Tun/Reuters
Kate Hodal
Tuesday 25 November 2014 15.28 GMT
The Burmese army systematically uses sexual violence against women – including gang rape by soldiers – to “demoralise and destroy the fabric of ethnic [minority] communities” and establish control over resource-rich areas, according to a women’s rights group.
A report by the Women’s League of Burma (WLB), released on Tuesday to coincide with the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, says the use of sexual violence is so widespread in ethnic minority areas that abuses may constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity under international criminal law.
The WLB is an umbrella organisation comprising 13 women’s organisations of various ethnicities.
The report, If They Had Hope, They Would Speak (pdf), highlights 118 incidences of rape, gang rape and sexual assault in both ceasefire and non-ceasefire areas at the hands of Burma’s armed forces since 2010 – but notes that these figures are likely to be “a fraction” of the number of abuses actually taking place. A culture of impunity and intimidation prevents women from reporting the crimes or seeking redress, the group claims.
Large-scale development projects in ethnic minority communities – including mining, hydroelectric and pipeline projects – have led to an increase in poverty, sexual violence and militarisation in those areas, the report claims, with the armed forces enjoying “de-facto immunity” for their crimes.
Documenting reports of sexual violence in Kachin, Karen, Mon, Chin, Shan and Karenni states – in some cases of victims as young as eight years old – the WLB alleges that both the number and geographic scope of the abuses proves that “sexual violence remains an institutionalised practice” of Burma’s armed forces.
“The army are not interested in accountability for sexual violence or human rights abuses,” the Lahu Women’s Organisation says in the report. “If a captain or commander commits rape, they will go to the survivor’s house to apologise, and offer some compensation. Even the highest-ranking officers are doing this. If a gang rape committed by a group of soldiers is made public, they will quickly be moved to another base before they can be held to account.”
Burma’s president, Thein Sein – who came to power in 2011 after half a century of military-led rule – has reformed the country, from the privatisation of sectors of the economy to releasing political prisoners and easing media censorship. His government has made public pledges to help promote and protect women through a national strategic plan to advance women and a UK-led declaration of commitment to end sexual violence in conflict. But no action has been taken to implement the declaration, and very little has been done to help women in ethnic minority communities, the WLB says.
“The government of Burma has worked hard to show its reformist credentials to the world, but for women in Burma’s ethnic [minority] communities, human rights abuses and sexual violence at the hands of the Burma army remain a constant threat,” said the organisation’s general secretary, Tin Tin Nyo. “Any positive changes coming out of Naypyidaw [Burma’s capital] have not improved the lived experience of women in Burma.”
In March, the UN secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, called on Thein Sein to investigate crimes of sexual violence and human rights abuses, as well as develop a comprehensive strategy to protect survivors. The WLB has also repeatedly called on the government to demilitarise the nation (one-fourth of all parliamentary seats are reserved for the military); investigate human rights abuses; and promote and integrate women into the peace process.
Apart from opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who lived for nearly two decades under house arrest and is now an MP, women are largely absent from any decision-making or powerful positions. Burma’s political, economic and social structures have long privileged men, says the WLB’s joint general secretary, Naw Wah Ku Shee, and the nation has the lowest representation of female MPs of any country in the Association of South-east Asian Nations. This dearth of powerful women undermines Burmese women’s capacity to confront and address the abuses they frequently face.
“As long as women continue to be marginalised from Burmese political and public life, sustainable peace cannot be realised,” Naw Wah Ku Shee told the Guardian, adding that Aung San Suu Kyi needed to do more to help women in her country. “[Aung San Suu Kyi] has not used her celebrity to highlight the scale of ongoing abuses faced by women in ethnic [minority] communities. If she is going to champion the human rights of the women in Burma, she must not be silent on the rape, torture and displacement faced by [these] women.”
However, what I find encouraging is that such NGO's are allowed to conduct their work without reprisal. For all the guff about backsliding, this sort of open discourse would not be found in most of our neighbours.
Burma's army uses rape to demoralise ethnic minorities, report says
Women’s rights group says military uses sexual violence to intimidate women in ethnic minority communities and take control of resource-rich areas
A girl watches as soldiers (not implicated) walk by her home in Thapyuchai village, in Rakhine state. Photograph: Soe Zeya Tun/Reuters
Kate Hodal
Tuesday 25 November 2014 15.28 GMT
The Burmese army systematically uses sexual violence against women – including gang rape by soldiers – to “demoralise and destroy the fabric of ethnic [minority] communities” and establish control over resource-rich areas, according to a women’s rights group.
A report by the Women’s League of Burma (WLB), released on Tuesday to coincide with the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, says the use of sexual violence is so widespread in ethnic minority areas that abuses may constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity under international criminal law.
The WLB is an umbrella organisation comprising 13 women’s organisations of various ethnicities.
The report, If They Had Hope, They Would Speak (pdf), highlights 118 incidences of rape, gang rape and sexual assault in both ceasefire and non-ceasefire areas at the hands of Burma’s armed forces since 2010 – but notes that these figures are likely to be “a fraction” of the number of abuses actually taking place. A culture of impunity and intimidation prevents women from reporting the crimes or seeking redress, the group claims.
Large-scale development projects in ethnic minority communities – including mining, hydroelectric and pipeline projects – have led to an increase in poverty, sexual violence and militarisation in those areas, the report claims, with the armed forces enjoying “de-facto immunity” for their crimes.
Documenting reports of sexual violence in Kachin, Karen, Mon, Chin, Shan and Karenni states – in some cases of victims as young as eight years old – the WLB alleges that both the number and geographic scope of the abuses proves that “sexual violence remains an institutionalised practice” of Burma’s armed forces.
“The army are not interested in accountability for sexual violence or human rights abuses,” the Lahu Women’s Organisation says in the report. “If a captain or commander commits rape, they will go to the survivor’s house to apologise, and offer some compensation. Even the highest-ranking officers are doing this. If a gang rape committed by a group of soldiers is made public, they will quickly be moved to another base before they can be held to account.”
Burma’s president, Thein Sein – who came to power in 2011 after half a century of military-led rule – has reformed the country, from the privatisation of sectors of the economy to releasing political prisoners and easing media censorship. His government has made public pledges to help promote and protect women through a national strategic plan to advance women and a UK-led declaration of commitment to end sexual violence in conflict. But no action has been taken to implement the declaration, and very little has been done to help women in ethnic minority communities, the WLB says.
“The government of Burma has worked hard to show its reformist credentials to the world, but for women in Burma’s ethnic [minority] communities, human rights abuses and sexual violence at the hands of the Burma army remain a constant threat,” said the organisation’s general secretary, Tin Tin Nyo. “Any positive changes coming out of Naypyidaw [Burma’s capital] have not improved the lived experience of women in Burma.”
In March, the UN secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, called on Thein Sein to investigate crimes of sexual violence and human rights abuses, as well as develop a comprehensive strategy to protect survivors. The WLB has also repeatedly called on the government to demilitarise the nation (one-fourth of all parliamentary seats are reserved for the military); investigate human rights abuses; and promote and integrate women into the peace process.
Apart from opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who lived for nearly two decades under house arrest and is now an MP, women are largely absent from any decision-making or powerful positions. Burma’s political, economic and social structures have long privileged men, says the WLB’s joint general secretary, Naw Wah Ku Shee, and the nation has the lowest representation of female MPs of any country in the Association of South-east Asian Nations. This dearth of powerful women undermines Burmese women’s capacity to confront and address the abuses they frequently face.
“As long as women continue to be marginalised from Burmese political and public life, sustainable peace cannot be realised,” Naw Wah Ku Shee told the Guardian, adding that Aung San Suu Kyi needed to do more to help women in her country. “[Aung San Suu Kyi] has not used her celebrity to highlight the scale of ongoing abuses faced by women in ethnic [minority] communities. If she is going to champion the human rights of the women in Burma, she must not be silent on the rape, torture and displacement faced by [these] women.”
alaungphaya
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And finally people are starting to realise that the Rohingya are not as innocent as they appear. It breaks my heart that between poverty and unchecked foreign intrusions, the Yakhine are having to leave their homeland for work. This is one of the first articles I've come across where the international media have acknowledged that the Rohingya burnt down Yakhine homes, towns and villages. Something we have been saying for years.
Myanmar Exodus: Even Ethnic Rakhine Buddhists Leaving Country in Pursuit of Jobs
People walk between stalls at a market in Maungdaw town in northern Rakhine State November 11, 2014. The market is one of the few places where the Rohingya Muslim and Rakhine Buddhist communities meet. For years, tens of thousands of Rohingya Muslim boat people have fled this remote corner of western Myanmar for nearby countries. Ethnic Rakhine Buddhists, bitter rivals of the Rohingya, are also leaving Rakhine State to seek jobs in Malaysia and Thailand. REUTERS/Minzayar
The Rakhines and Rohingyas of Myanmar may be foes but have a common enemy in the reeling state of the nation's economy, crippled after half a century of military rule.
While the exodus of the poorer Rohingyas has been highlighted by welfare groups, in a less noticed exodus, the ethnic Rakhine Buddhists have also been leaving their homes to seek jobs abroad in Malaysia and Thailand.
Many Rakhine villages have hardly a handful of young people left behind, sending the local economy spiralling down even further.
Both groups, engaged in bitter conflict since 2012, are vulnerable to exploitation by human traffickers, reports Reuters. Lured by job prospects abroad, the Rakhines too are leaving, and in some cases without documents and land up exploited by traffickers.
The Rakhine exodus has been less noticeable because they usually travel by road and air, carrying passports.
About two million live in neighbouring Thailand alone, says the International Labour Organisation.
Chronic poverty has been debilitating the Rakhine state too.
Things have not improved after 2012 with Rakhines refusing to employ Rohingyas as labourers in a climate of distrust.
While in much of Rakhine state, home to 3.2 million people, the Rohingyas are a persecuted minority, the situation is reversed in the Maungdaw area, on the northern border with Bangladesh.
Here, Rakhine villages have been burnt down to be rebuilt with government help. Military presence nearby keeps a watch.
Many have faced a situation like young Hla Tun Oo who returned from Malaysia to find his village Maw Ya Waddy burned down by Rohingya mobs.
A year of violence between the two communities following 2012 has left hundreds dead and 140,000 homeless. About 100,000 Rohingyas have left.
The ethnic Buddhists of Myanmar consider the Rohingyas as illegal migrants from Bangladesh. Authorities have been accused of aiding traffickers in persecuting the minorities.
Myanmar Exodus: Even Ethnic Rakhine Buddhists Leaving Country in Pursuit of Jobs
- By Jayalakshmi K
November 27, 2014 05:40 GMT
People walk between stalls at a market in Maungdaw town in northern Rakhine State November 11, 2014. The market is one of the few places where the Rohingya Muslim and Rakhine Buddhist communities meet. For years, tens of thousands of Rohingya Muslim boat people have fled this remote corner of western Myanmar for nearby countries. Ethnic Rakhine Buddhists, bitter rivals of the Rohingya, are also leaving Rakhine State to seek jobs in Malaysia and Thailand. REUTERS/Minzayar
The Rakhines and Rohingyas of Myanmar may be foes but have a common enemy in the reeling state of the nation's economy, crippled after half a century of military rule.
While the exodus of the poorer Rohingyas has been highlighted by welfare groups, in a less noticed exodus, the ethnic Rakhine Buddhists have also been leaving their homes to seek jobs abroad in Malaysia and Thailand.
Many Rakhine villages have hardly a handful of young people left behind, sending the local economy spiralling down even further.
Both groups, engaged in bitter conflict since 2012, are vulnerable to exploitation by human traffickers, reports Reuters. Lured by job prospects abroad, the Rakhines too are leaving, and in some cases without documents and land up exploited by traffickers.
The Rakhine exodus has been less noticeable because they usually travel by road and air, carrying passports.
About two million live in neighbouring Thailand alone, says the International Labour Organisation.
Chronic poverty has been debilitating the Rakhine state too.
Things have not improved after 2012 with Rakhines refusing to employ Rohingyas as labourers in a climate of distrust.
While in much of Rakhine state, home to 3.2 million people, the Rohingyas are a persecuted minority, the situation is reversed in the Maungdaw area, on the northern border with Bangladesh.
Here, Rakhine villages have been burnt down to be rebuilt with government help. Military presence nearby keeps a watch.
Many have faced a situation like young Hla Tun Oo who returned from Malaysia to find his village Maw Ya Waddy burned down by Rohingya mobs.
A year of violence between the two communities following 2012 has left hundreds dead and 140,000 homeless. About 100,000 Rohingyas have left.
The ethnic Buddhists of Myanmar consider the Rohingyas as illegal migrants from Bangladesh. Authorities have been accused of aiding traffickers in persecuting the minorities.
alaungphaya
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Bastard motherf*ckers. No sympathy anymore for these animals.
Penang police solve 23 Myanmar killings | Free Malaysia Today
Penang police solve 23 Myanmar killings
Lin KayKay
| December 1, 2014
Seven Myanmar nationals detained following rise in the number of foreigners killed in the state.
GEORGE TOWN: Police have concluded that the savage killings of 23 Myanmar nationals, males aged between 20 and 40, in Penang recently were linked to ethnic tensions between Buddhists and Muslims in Myanmar.
A police source who disclosed these details said a special task force from Bukit Aman managed to piece together the story after picking up a key suspect, a Muslim from the Arakan district in Myanmar, last week. The suspect reportedly led police to six other suspects who were also detained to assist in the probe into the killings of the 23 Myanmar nationals.
The main suspect has since confessed, according to the source, that he had a hand in the killings.
“The main suspect said six of his family members were killed during communal clashes in his home state a year ago. We are now piecing the connection between all 23 cases to see if they were linked,” the source said.
“The root of the killings has been identified and we hope to wrap up investigations in the next few weeks.”
Penang police chief Abdul Rahim Hanafi, in a brief statement, confirmed that seven Myanmar nationals had been detained following the recent rise in the number of foreigners killed in the state.
“So far, they have been very cooperative. We have had some developments regarding the suspects,” he said in advising the public not to speculate.
Penang police solve 23 Myanmar killings | Free Malaysia Today
Penang police solve 23 Myanmar killings
Lin KayKay
| December 1, 2014
Seven Myanmar nationals detained following rise in the number of foreigners killed in the state.
GEORGE TOWN: Police have concluded that the savage killings of 23 Myanmar nationals, males aged between 20 and 40, in Penang recently were linked to ethnic tensions between Buddhists and Muslims in Myanmar.A police source who disclosed these details said a special task force from Bukit Aman managed to piece together the story after picking up a key suspect, a Muslim from the Arakan district in Myanmar, last week. The suspect reportedly led police to six other suspects who were also detained to assist in the probe into the killings of the 23 Myanmar nationals.
The main suspect has since confessed, according to the source, that he had a hand in the killings.
“The main suspect said six of his family members were killed during communal clashes in his home state a year ago. We are now piecing the connection between all 23 cases to see if they were linked,” the source said.
“The root of the killings has been identified and we hope to wrap up investigations in the next few weeks.”
Penang police chief Abdul Rahim Hanafi, in a brief statement, confirmed that seven Myanmar nationals had been detained following the recent rise in the number of foreigners killed in the state.
“So far, they have been very cooperative. We have had some developments regarding the suspects,” he said in advising the public not to speculate.
Reashot Xigwin
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Maybe next time you should let your government take responsibility for pushing the Rohingya off.
Bong
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You will kill Muslims and wont expect this backlash?
alaungphaya
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I suppose defending and apologising for murderers is part of the experience for modern Muslims.
Reashot Xigwin
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Really is this the best you can do? I guess this is what happens if people live in backward country, with even more backward government.
alaungphaya
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Oh the irony.
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Let's be honest Myanmar is probably one of the least developed countries in the region ..
alaungphaya
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Saudi is very developed. Do you think it's progressive?
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Rohingyas are your people .. (They didn't fall from the sky) .. Yet the way you are treating them is pathetic .. Do you know even 2-3 hundred thousand refugees are living in Pakistan ?
alaungphaya
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They are not my people. May those Rohingya enjoy long and fruitful lives in Pakistan.
Reashot Xigwin
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When you compare your country with Saudi Arabia you need to admit that there's something wrong with yours.
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Saudis despite being "Politically" backward still are better when it comes to treatin their own people ..: yes politically they are messed up with messed up laws ... But they aren't killing or exiling their own citizens ?
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