Immediate Release
Date: August 21, 2020
Rohingyas and those that stand in solidarity with them, will mark the 3rd anniversary of Myanmar’s genocide, in the first ever worldwide multilingual online rally. The event will bring together more than four dozen international supporters including UN officials, human rights activists, genocide scholars, international law experts, and concerned journalists from all continents. They will join Rohingya survivors and refugees to memorialise and honour the thousands of victims slaughtered, raped and tortured in the violent purge by Myanmar government troops, that began on 25th August 2017.
Solidarity, messages of compassion, and calls to end the ongoing genocide will be delivered in 12 languages including Rohingya, Burmese, Bengali, Hindi, Urdu, Malay, Bahasa Indonesian, Mandarin, Khmer, Japanese, Italian, Spanish and Turkish.
Tan Sri Syed Hamid Albar, the last OIC Special Envoy to Myanmar and former Minister of Foreign, Defence and Home affairs of Malaysia will open the global memorial service. He will be joined by former UN special rapporteur on human rights situation in Myanmar, Argentinian human rights lawyer Tomas Ojea Quintana, Head of the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar (IIMM) Nicholas Koumjian, Founding President of the Genocide Watch Prof. Gregory Stanton, Malaysian MP & Chair of ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights Charles Santiago, former Secretary General of South Asia Forum for Human Rights Tapan Kumar Bose, South African author & TV journalist Imran Garda, Uzbek documentary filmmaker Shahida Tulaganova, British journalist Shafiur Rahman, and Cambodian genocide scholar Farina So.
“Neither pandemic nor repressive regimes can silence the voices of Rohingya people who demand accountability, restoration of full and equal citizenship and a homeland with inalienable rights of all peoples.” said Ro Nay San Lwin, Co-founder and Coordinator of the Free Rohingya Coalition.
Prominent Rohingya refugees and survivors – from Bangladeshi refugee camps and throughout the diaspora – will honour the memories of their fellow Rohingya victims who were murdered during past four decades of various waves of genocidal killings.
Among the Rohingya speakers are nominee for International Women of Courage Award for Malaysia (2018) by US State Department & Founder of Rohingya Women Development Network Sharifah Shakirah, Ms World Australia National Finalist 2020 Pan Sandar Myint, Co-author of “First They Erase Our Name” Habiburahman, President of Burmese Rohingya Association Japan Zaw Min Htut, and President of Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK Tun Khin.
Musicians from Asia, Africa, Europe and USA will perform live as an act of solidarity for Rohingya people.
The online rally will be Facebook Live at the Free Rohingya Coalition Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/FreeRohingyaCoalition) at 1400 GMT (3PM UK) on 25th August. In addition, it will be live streamed on Turkish International news channel Anadolu Agency through its 13 world languages programme.
Rohingyas in Myanmar have been subjected to state policies of persecution which are widely considered to be a textbook example of genocide. Myanmar is currently facing a full investigation for its grave crimes in international law including the crimes of deportation and other crimes against humanity by the ICC. Last December UN’s highest court, International Court of Justice began the public hearing over Gambia’s allegations that Myanmar has violated its obligations under the genocide convention. This January ICJ judges had unanimously ordered Myanmar to immediately end any and all acts of genocide against Rohingya people, as they are protected by the genocide convention.
The memorial is hosted by the Free Rohingya Coalition in collaboration with the Documentation Centre of Cambodia, one of the world’s leading genocide centres, and Forces of Renewal Southeast Asia, a region-wide grassroot network rights activists and scholars.
Free Rohingya Coalition is a global network of Rohingya activists and friends of Rohingyas who share common concerns about Myanmar’s ongoing genocide and the need for Rohingya survivors to play an active role in seeking a viable future for their group.
For more information, please contact:
Dr. Maung Zarni +44 7710 473322
Ro Nay San Lwin +49 176 62139138
e-mail: info@freerohingyacoalition.org
The list of speakers:
Opening Remarks:
Syed Hamid Albar, Malaysia (former OIC Special Envoy & former Minister of Foreign, Defence and Home Affairs, Malaysia)
Chair:
Dr. Maung Zarni (Co-founder of FRC & FORSEA)
(1) Khin Mai Aung, USA (Civil Rights Lawyer, Writer and FRC Coordinator, USA)
(2) Rahima Begum, UK (Co-founder and co-director, Restless Beings)
(3) Tapan Kumar Bose, India (former Secretary General of South Asia Forum for Human Rights, an independent documentary filmmaker, human rights and peace activist, & author)
(4) Natalie Brinham, UK (co-author of The Slow-Burning Genocide of Myanmar’s Rohingya)
(5) Prof. Michael Charney, UK (SOAS, University of London)
(6) Doreen Chen, France (FRC Coordinator for International Legal Affairs and former Defence Counsel for the Khmer Rouge leader, the late Nuon Chea, The Khmer Rouge Tribunal)
(7) Amal de Chickera, UK (Executive Director, Institute on Statelessness and Inclusion)
(8) Prof. Daniel Feierstein, Argentina (past President of the International Association of Genocide Scholars)
(9) Imran Garda, South Africa (S. African author and TV journalist)
(10) Aung Soe Naing (a.k.a) Habiburahman, Australia (FRC Coordinator for Australia, co-author of First, They Erased Our Name: a Rohingya speaks, and Rohingya activist)
(11) Zaw Min Htut, Japan (President of Burmese Rohingya Association Japan)
(12) Ali Johar, India (Education Coordinator of Rohingya Human Rights Initiative, India)
(13) Nursyahbani Katjasungkana, Indonesia (Chair, Board of Directors of APIK, Indonesian Legal Aid Association for Women or APIK)
(14) Tun Khin, UK (President, Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK)
(15) Rt. Hon. David Kilgour, Canada (former MP and former Secretary of State for Asia and Pacific Affairs and human rights activist)
(16) Nicholas Koumjian, Switzerland (Head, Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar or IIMM)
(17) Nay San Lwin, Germany (Co-founder and Coordinator of FRC)
(18) Shabnam Mayet, South Africa (Advocate based at the Johannesburg bar and the co-founder of Protect the Rohingya)
(19) Raiss Tinmaung, Canada (Founder & Chair of the Board, Rohingya Human Rights Network – Canada)
(20) Edith Mirante, USA (Author, activist and researcher)
(21) Malik Mujahid, USA (Chair, Justice for All)
(22) Professor Michimi Muranushi, Japan (Gakushin University in Tokyo)
(23) Pan Sandar Myint, Australia (Coordinator for Women’s Affairs & Youth Empowerment, Ms World Australia National Finalist 2020 and CEO of Empower Success Media)
(24) Mehmet Öztürk, Turkey (World Languages Editor, Anadolu Agency)
(25) Professor John Packer, Canada (University of Ottawa and former Legal Assistant to the first UN Special Rapporteur on human rights situation in Myanmar)
(26) Tomas Ojea Quintana, Argentina (former UN Special Rapporteur on human right situation in Myanmar)
(27) Shafiur Rahman, UK (Journalist and documentary filmmaker)
(28) Bilal Raschid, USA (former Chair of the Committee for the Restoration of Democracy in Burma)
(29) Charles Santiago, Malaysia (Malaysian MP and Chair, ASEAN Parliamentarians Group for Human Rights)
(30) Shafika, Bangladesh (Rohingya refugee)
(31) Sharifah Shakirah, USA (Founder, Rohingya Women Development Network of Malaysia and FRC Coordinator)
(32) Professor Dina Siddiqi, USA (New York University)
(33) Farina So, Cambodia (Principal Deputy Director of the Documentation Center of Cambodia
(34) Pheana Sopheak, Cambodia (Researcher, Documentation Center of Cambodia)
(35) Dr. Katherine Southwick, USA (International Law Expert)
(36) Meta Sovicheth, Cambodia (Researcher, Documentation Center of Cambodia)
(37) Prof. Gregory Stanton, USA (Founding President of Genocide Watch & past President of the International Association of Genocide Scholars)
(38) Dr. Gianni Tognoni, Italy (General Secretary of Permanent Peoples Tribunal)
(39) Shahida Tulaganova, UK (Uzbek Journalist and Documentary film Director of “EXILED”)
(40) Dr. Khin Zaw Win, Myanmar (former prisoner of conscience and Executive Director of Tampadipa thinktank)
INTERNATIONAL MUSICIANS
(1) Rachel Clews, UK (15 years-old British classical pianist and music scholar)
(2) George Mathew, USA (Artistic Director and Founder, Music For Life International)
(3) Alif Ahmed, Tanzania (Bruneian musician in Mwanza)
(4) Dr. Sindhuja Sankaran, Poland (Tamil Vocalist, Co-founder of Rethinking Refugees, & Lecturer, Uniwersytet Jagielloński, Krakow)