World Religions
The recent elections in Myanmar did not change the status of the Rohingya Muslim minority. Indeed, according to a report from International State Crime Initiative (ISCI) at the Queen Mary University of London last month, “the Rohingya face the final stages of genocide.” (Here’s Time Magazine’s story about the report.)
Al Jazeera News investigated Myanmar and produced the documentary below showing evidence of a genocide agenda.
Who are the Rohingya? Why are they persecuted? And who is persecuting them?
Who are the Rohingya?
- They are a Muslim minority who live mostly in the state of Arakan in Myanmar (Burma).
- They number about 800,ooo and their ancestors have lived in Burma for centuries, first settling there in the 1400’s.
- In 1785, Buddhist Burmese conquered Arakan and drove out most of the Rohingya males.
- In 1826, the British took control of Arakan and encouraged Bengal farmers to migrate to Arakan.
- Burmese Buddhists in Arakan opposed the migration creating the ethnic tension that continues today.
Why are the Rohingya persecuted?
- Britain withdrew from Southeast Aisa during WWII. Buddhists renewed their campaign against the Rohingya and so did the Japanese who reviled them for their support of the British.
- The Japanese and the Buddhists inflicted torture, rape, and murder against the Rohingya
- Today, Buddhists have renewed the violence. They insist that Rohingya are not indigenous to Arakan and should be denied citizenship
- According to International Business Times or IBT, “810,000 people in northern Rakhine State are currently without citizenship and nearly 100,000 persecuted Rohingya have fled the country.”
Other Resources:
- Burma’s Nowhere People from Time Magazine, excellent background story
- Why is no one helping Myanmar’s Rohingya? from Reuters
- Rohingya people: the most persecuted refugees in the world, Amnesty International
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