Press Release: Remembering Rohingya Genocide on 25 August 2018

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Press Release 14 August 2018 REMEMBERING ROHINGYA GENOCIDE ON 25 AUGUST 2018 Free Rohingya Coalition, a global network of Rohingya and non-Rohingya activists and advocates, are planning to commemorate 25 August 2018 as the “Rohingya Genocide Remembrance Day”. On this day one year ago, Myanmar Tatmadaw or the Armed Forces launched the largest scale mass killing, rape and arson to date.  Over 300 predominantly Rohingya villages and a few towns in Western Myanmar were targeted.  The official pretext for this operation was the existence of a small band of desperate, young and militant Rohingyas. Rohingya rights activists and researchers have

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India must stand by the Rohingya in their hour of need

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By Tapan Bose | Published by CounterCurrents.Org on August 1, 2018 Rohingya refugees are back in the news again. On Tuesday (July 30) Mr. Rijiju, the Minister of State for Home said some of the Rohingya living in India do not have the status of “refugee” but are “illegal migrants” who would be deported once their details have been prepared. Reiterating his earlier position, Rijiju said since they are illegal migrants, they are not entitled to any government facility. Responding to a series of supplementary questions in the Parliament, Rijiju said the government has reports that some of the Rohingyas

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Durbin Blasts Removal of Myanmar Sanctions From Defense Bill

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By Niels Lesniewski | Published by Roll Call on July 31, 2018 Signs point to McConnell not allowing language targeting country also known as Burma A legislative effort to punish officials responsible for atrocities committed against the Rohingya minority in Myanmar appears to have stalled thanks to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. Minority Whip Richard J. Durbin gave a speech ahead of floor consideration of the fiscal 2019 defense authorization conference report in which he decried, “the irresponsible removal of provisions related to Myanmar, formerly known as Burma.” “The House bill contained five provisions restricting security engagement with Burma, imposing sanctions on Burmese officials

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McConnell once pushed sanctions against Myanmar. Now he’s blocking a new round.

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By Shibani Mahtani | Published by Washington Post on July 1, 2018 Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who spent over a quarter century promoting human rights and democracy in Myanmar, is now the principal senator holding up fresh legislation pressuring the country to improve its treatment of the Rohingya. McConnell (R-Ky.) was the architect of harsh economic sanctions against the former military junta, which were dropped in 2016. His current stance has surprised human rights advocates in Washington who once viewed the senator as their most powerful ally in regard to Myanmar, also known as Burma. They characterize him now as

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Oral update by Ms. Yanghee Lee, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar at the 38th session of the Human Rights Council

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Published by OHCHR on June 27, 2018 27 June 2018 Mr President, distinguished representatives, ladies and gentlemen, I am honoured to once again address this Council to present my oral progress report pursuant to the HRC resolution 37/32 on the situation of human rights in Myanmar. The resolution mandates me to “continue to monitor the situation of human rights” and to “measure progress in the implementation of the recommendations of the Special Rapporteur”. I note that the resolution also called on the Government of Myanmar “to resume without delay its cooperation with the Special Rapporteur in the exercise of the

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Blood Sutra: Whatever Happened To Buddhism, Religion Of Peace And Compassion?

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By Paul Fuller | Published by South China Morning Post on June 23, 2018 The emergence of radical groups like the MaBaTha that promote a Buddhism based on racial and national identity is fuelling violence across the region Tolerance and compassion may be the qualities most often associated with Buddhism. But Asia has been witnessing a spate of violence as new Buddhist movements emerge across the region based on the idea that the religion is under threat and needs protection. Fuelled by a particularly strong sense of Buddhist identity collated with national and ethnic anxieties, this form of Buddhism –

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