BURMA
US President Barack Obama gives a speech at historic Rangoon
University on Monday. (Photo: The Irrawaddy)
WASHINGTON—The Rohingya community in the United States on Monday
welcomed US President Barack Obama’s speech in Rangoon and, along with
other Burmese communities and rights bodies, urged him not to ignore
human rights issues in the country.
Rohingya Americans especially appreciated Obama’s remarks that
“there’s no excuse for violence against innocent people, and the
Rohingya hold within themselves the same dignity as you do, and I do.”
“The words in your speech today have cured the minds and thoughts of
millions of Burmese infected by Gen Ne Win’s philosophy of Burman and
Buddhism as the only superior race and religion,” said Nay San Oo,
co-founder of the Free Rohingya Campaign.
But the Burma Task Force said that it was “shocked” at the timing of
the president’s visit. “President
Obama chose to visit when Burmese
nationalist resentment and discrimination continue to target ethnic
minorities, especially the Rohingya people, with thousands of homes
destroyed in Burma’s Rakhine [Arakan] State, hundreds of people killed
and tens of thousands displaced within the last month alone,” it said in
a statement.
The recent communal violence between Arakanese Buddhists and Rohingya
Muslims which has engulfed western Burma since June has so far killed
at least 180 people, destroyed thousands of homes and displaced more
than 110,000 people, according to official figures.
Signed by more than half-a-dozen rights bodies including the American
Society for Muslim Advancement, Burmese Rohingya Association of North
America, Interfaith Center of New York and Free Rohingya Campaign, the
statement said the US should not ignore state-sponsored persecution of
ethnic and religious minorities but instead energetically support rights
for all peoples living in Burma.
“A viable US foreign policy must be based on human rights recognition
and protection. Let there be no mistake,” said the statement. “In the
president’s speech today, Mr. Obama spoke eloquently of democracy and
human dignity and at last made reference to the Rohingya’s right to
dignity and the need for reconciliation.
“However, his remarks about local insurgencies were unclear and leave
us troubled about our government’s commitment to advocate for those
most victimized,” added the statement. “We wonder: Will this
administration follow up effectively to confront the pogrom against
minorities and the exclusionary government policies that encourage
division and hate in Burma?”
Obama’s trip marked the very first time that a sitting US president
had visited Burma, and came less than two weeks after he defeated
Republican rival Mitt Romney at the ballot box to win a second term in
the White House.
Meanwhile, the Institute for Science and International Security
(ISIS) welcomed Burma’s decision to sign “additional protocol” that
would allow the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to more
efficiently and effectively provide assurance regarding the absence of
undeclared nuclear materials and activities in Burma.
“This latest move by Burma is extremely positive for its ongoing push
for openness about the nuclear issue and for building confidence and
transparency with the international community,” said a ISIS report
authored by David Albright and Andrea Stricker.
“As part of the process of implementing the additional protocol,
Burma should answer questions the IAEA has about any past nuclear
activities and the procurement of sensitive equipment possibly used or
intended for nuclear purposes.”
Burma’s former military junta had previously been accused of attempting to procure nuclear technology from North Korea.
Source: Irrawaddy
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