Latest news with #RohingyaMuslims
The Star
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Star
UN expert urges rejection of Myanmar election 'fraud'
GENEVA: Elections being planned by Myanmar's ruling junta are a ploy to feign legitimacy and should be rejected by the international community as a "fraud", a UN expert said on Wednesday (June 25). Myanmar has been engulfed in a brutal conflict since February 2021, when Min Aung Hlaing's(pic) military wrested power from the civilian government of Aung San Suu Kyi. The military has said it is planning to hold "a free and fair multi-party democracy general election" around the end of this year or in early 2026. But Tom Andrews, the United Nations' special rapporteur on the rights situation in Myanmar, said the suggestion that truly democratic elections could be held in a junta-controlled Myanmar was laughable. "They want to find an exit ramp to the international pressure," he told journalists in Geneva. Since the 2021 coup, trade sanctions have isolated Myanmar, making it increasingly dependent on China and Russia for economic and military support. Min Aung Hlaing himself is under multiple global sanctions and the International Criminal Court's chief prosecutor has sought an arrest warrant for him for alleged crimes against humanity committed against the country's Rohingya Muslims. The junta, Andrews said, was "trying to create this mirage of an election exercise that will create a legitimate civilian government". But "you cannot have an election when you imprison and torture and execute your opponents, when it is illegal to report the truth as a journalist, when it's illegal to speak out and criticise the junta," he said. "It's really important that countries reject this idea of an election and not allow the military junta to attempt to get away with this fraud." Andrews, who is an independent expert mandated by the UN Human Rights Council but who does not speak on behalf of the United Nations itself, highlighted that more than 6,800 people had been killed in Myanmar since the military coup. At the same time, he said, some 22,000 political prisoners are languishing behind bars -- "most of whom are guilty of only exercising their fundamental rights, including speaking out and participating in demonstrations opposing a brutal military junta". A Myanmar woman was for instance recently arrested by the junta for "spreading propaganda" over a Facebook post celebrating Aung San Suu Kyi's 80th birthday. Aung San Suu Kyi, who won the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize, has herself been incarcerated since the coup, and is serving a 27-year sentence on charges rights groups dismiss as fabricated. - AFP
Barnama
5 days ago
- Politics
- Barnama
Malaysia Calls For Unity Among OIC Member States Amid Rising Tensions In Middle East
KUALA LUMPUR, June 23 (Bernama) -- Malaysia seized the global stage at the recently concluded 51st Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Istanbul, calling for unity among member states to confront the challenges facing the Islamic world, particularly the Palestine issue and escalating tensions in the Middle East. Delivering the country's national statement, Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan strongly condemned the atrocities committed by Israel, describing them as egregious crimes against humanity that must be stopped immediately. He also urged all parties to intensify international efforts towards the recognition of Palestine as a sovereign state, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Monday. bootstrap slideshow Mohamad also expressed deep concern over the rise in discrimination against Muslims and proposed that the OIC collaborate closely with the United Nations to foster religious tolerance and combat the spread of Islamophobia. He also emphasised the need for the OIC to broaden the Trade Preferential System and lower trade barriers among Member States amid the ongoing geopolitical challenges. Meanwhile, the Foreign Minister also took part in two OIC sideline meetings: the Extraordinary Session of the OIC CFM addressing the Israeli Attacks on Iran, and the OIC Contact Group Meeting concerning Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar. At the Emergency CFM Meeting on the Israeli Attack on Iran, Mohamad urged the OIC to leverage its international influence to promptly halt Israel's assaults, which pose a serious threat to the stability of the Middle East. He emphasised that lasting peace can only be secured through decisive dialogue and diplomacy. Meanwhile, at the OIC Contact Group Meeting on Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar, Mohamad outlined Malaysia's priorities as ASEAN Chair in addressing the Rohingya issue. He also encouraged OIC Member States to engage with stakeholders with a view of supporting peace in Myanmar. At the sidelines of the CFM, Mohamad held bilateral meetings with his counterparts from 19 countries including, Iran, Syria, and Turkiye, discussing ways to strengthen cooperation and address shared concerns, including the situation in Palestine and regional tensions in the Middle East.
India.com
19-06-2025
- Politics
- India.com
Myanmar's civil war: Rohingya Muslims to fight the Arakan Army, fighters to be recruited from...
Myanmar's civil war: Rohingya Muslims to fight the Arakan Army, fighters to be recruited from... Myanmar's civil war: The ongoing civil war in Myanmar has affected Rakhine state the most. In Rakhine, the Arakan Army (AA) has steadily gained ground against the junta regime in the past months and has captured most of the state. The AA's stance has been against the local Rohingya Muslims. Due to this, Rohingyas have been forced to migrate in large numbers. The result is that many rebel groups have joined the junta in the fight against the AA in Rakhine. This may increase the crisis of Rohingyas taking refuge in Bangladesh. These groups are recruiting fighters in Bangladesh itself. According to the report, a new report by the International Crisis Group (ICG) says that Rohingya rebel groups have stopped the years-long war to control refugee camps in Bangladesh to focus on the fight for Rakhine. These factions are fighting against the AA with junta troops or allied militias. Junta suffered the most losses in Rakhine Rakhine state in Myanmar is the place where the military government has lost the most ground in the past 18 months. The Arakan Army has taken control of much of northern Rakhine and is preparing to take over the entire state. The junta is bombing resistance-controlled towns and cities with air strikes and trying to mobilize a former archenemy against the AA. In this effort, it seems to be getting support from Rohingya groups. The Rohingya are a predominantly Muslim ethnic group with a long history of persecution in Myanmar. In recent times, the Arakan Army has been accused of committing genocide and trying to expel the Rohingya. Thomas Keane, Melbourne-based ICG advisor to Myanmar and Bangladesh, has said that in the past six months, Rohingya armed groups have stopped their infighting in the camps in southern Bangladesh and have intensified the recruitment of refugees. These groups believe that the only way to return home is to fight the Arakan Army. ARSA will challenge AA A major group challenging the AA is the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA). ARSA has become a major force in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh. This is a huge camp on the Bangladesh border, where most Rohingya refugees live. ARSA has fought Bangladeshi security forces and other armed groups for control of the camps. Despite the long-standing opposition of the Myanmar military, over the past year, ARSA forces have fought against the AA in local media and ARSA representatives have joined forces with the junta in several operations. This has led to a rise in hate speech on social media, which could pose a new challenge to Bangladesh.
Time of India
16-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
India not a signatory, UNHCR card not valid here, says court
Representative image THANE: Additional sessions judge G T Pawar on Monday sentenced eight Rohingya Muslims to two years of simple imprisonment and fined Rs 10,000 each for illegally entering and residing in India without proper documentation. The court also ordered their deportation to Myanmar upon completion of their sentence. A ninth accused, who was charged with abetting their illegal entry, was acquitted due to a lack of evidence. The case dates back to Feb 2024, when the police received a tip-off about some foreign nationals living near the Uttan shore. During a raid at Chowkgaon, police found several individuals attempting to flee. Upon detention, they were found carrying UNHCR cards that confirmed their Myanmar citizenship. However, the court clarified that such cards hold no legal value in India, as the country is not a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention or its 1967 Protocol. Letters from the Foreigners Regional Registration Office and police authorities further confirmed that holders of UNHCR cards are not permitted to reside in India. Judge Pawar cited SC's ruling in Mohammad Salimullah vs Union of India (2021), which allowed for the deportation of Rohingya Muslims following due procedure. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like ¿Padece una enfermedad renal crónica (ERC)? Trialbee Más información Undo The court also referred to past judgments stating that the burden of proving citizenship lies on the accused. During sentencing, the accused appealed for mercy on humanitarian grounds, stating that conditions in Myanmar were unsafe. However, the court rejected the plea, noting that India's population burden and internal security concerns override such considerations.
Saudi Gazette
05-06-2025
- Politics
- Saudi Gazette
'I was pushed across the border into Bangladesh at gunpoint'
GUWAHATI, India — Shona Banu still shudders when she thinks of the past few days. The 58-year-old, a resident of Barpeta district in India's north-eastern state of Assam, says that she was called to the local police station on 25 May and later taken to a point at the border with neighboring Bangladesh. From there, she says, she and around 13 other people were forced to cross over to Bangladesh. She says she was not told why. But it was a scenario she had been dreading — Ms Banu says she has lived in Assam all her life but for the past few years, she has been desperately trying to prove that she is an Indian citizen and not an "illegal immigrant" from Bangladesh. "They pushed me over at gunpoint. I spent two days without food or water in the middle of a field in knee-deep water teeming with mosquitoes and leeches," Ms Banu said, wiping away tears. After those two days in no man's land — between India and Bangladesh — she says she was taken to what appeared to be an old prison on the Bangladeshi side. After two days there, she and a few others — she is not sure if all of them were from the same group sent with her — were escorted by Bangladeshi officials across the border, where Indian officials allegedly met them and sent them home. It's not clear why Ms Banu was abruptly sent to Bangladesh and then brought back. But her case is among a spate of recent instances where officials in Assam have rounded up people declared foreigners by tribunals in the past — on suspicion of being "illegal Bangladeshis" — and sent them across the border. The BBC found at least six cases where people said their family members had been picked up, taken to border towns and just "pushed across".Officials from India's Border Security Force, the Assam police and the state government did not respond to questions from the on alleged illegal immigrants from Bangladesh are not new in India — the countries are divided by a 4,096km (2,545 miles) long porous border which can make it relatively easy to cross over, even though many of the sensitive areas are heavily it's still rare, lawyers working on these cases say, for people to be picked up from their homes abruptly and forced into another country without due process. These efforts seem to have intensified over the past few Indian government has not officially said how many people were sent across in the latest exercise. But top sources in the Bangladesh administration claim that India "illegally pushed in" more than 1,200 people into the country in May alone, not just from Assam but also other states. Out of this, they said on condition of anonymity, Bangladesh identified 100 people as Indian citizens and sent them a statement, the Border Guard Bangladesh said it had increased patrolling along the border to curb these has not commented on these media reports indicate that the recent crackdown includes Rohingya Muslims living in other states too, the situation is particularly tense and complex in Assam, where issues of citizenship and ethnic identity have long dominated state, which shares a nearly 300km-long border with Muslim-majority Bangladesh, has seen waves of migration from the neighbouring country as people moved in search of opportunities or fled religious has sparked the anxieties of Assamese people, many of whom fear this is bringing in demographic change and taking away resources from Bharatiya Janata Party — in power in Assam and nationally — has repeatedly promised to end the problem of illegal immigration, making the state's National Register of Citizens (NRC) a priority in recent register is a list of people who can prove they came to Assam by 24 March 1971, the day before neighbouring Bangladesh declared independence from Pakistan. The list went through several iterations, with people whose names were missing given chances to prove their Indian citizenship by showing official documents to quasi-judicial forums called Foreigners a chaotic process, the final draft published in 2019 excluded nearly two million residents of Assam — many of them were put in detention camps while others have appealed in higher courts against their Banu said her case is pending in the Supreme Court but that authorities still forced her to BBC heard similar stories from at least six others in Assam — all Muslims — who say their family members were sent to Bangladesh around the same time as Ms Banu, despite having the necessary documents and living in India for generations. At least four of them have now come back home, with no answers still about why they were picked up.A third of Assam's 32 million residents are Muslims and many of them are descendants of immigrants who settled there during British Khatun, a 67-year-old from Assam's Barpeta who is still in Bangladesh, says she has temporarily been given shelter by a local family."I have no-one here," she laments. Her family has managed to speak to her but don't know if and when she can return. She lost her case in the foreigners' tribunal and in the state's high court and hadn't appealed in the Supreme after the recent round of action began, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma cited a February Supreme Court direction which ordered the government to start deportation proceedings for people who had been "declared foreigners" but were still held in detention centres."The people who are declared foreigners but haven't even appealed in court, we are pushing them back," Sarma said. He also claimed that people with pending court appeals were not being "troubled".But Abdur Razzaque Bhuyan, a lawyer working on many citizenship cases in Assam, alleged that in many of the recent instances, due process — which would, among other things, require India and Bangladesh to cooperate on the action — was not followed."What is happening is a wilful and deliberate misinterpretation of the court order," he recently filed a petition on behalf of a student organization seeking the Supreme Court's intervention in stopping what they said was a "forceful and illegal pushback policy" but was asked to first approach the Assam high Morigaon, around 167km from Barpeta, Rita Khatun sat near a table which had a pile of papers on husband Khairul Islam, a 51-year-old school teacher, was in the same group as Ms Banu that was allegedly picked up by authorities.A tribunal had declared him a foreigner in 2016, after which he spent two years in a detention center before being released. Like Ms Banu, his case is also being heard in the Supreme Court."Every document is proof that my husband is Indian," Ms Khatun said, leafing through what she said was Mr Islam's high school graduation certificate and some land records. "But that wasn't enough to prove his nationality to authorities."She says her husband, his father and grandfather were all born in on 23 May, she says that policemen arrived at their home and took Mr Islam away without any was only a few days later — when a viral video surfaced of a Bangladeshi journalist interviewing Mr Islam in no man's land — that the family learnt where he Ms Banu, Mr Islam has now been sent back to his family confirmed his return, the police told the BBC they had "no information" about his Begum says she is sure her father was declared a foreigner due to a case of mistaken identity — he was also taken on the same night as Mr Islam."My father's name is Abdul Latif, my grandfather was Abdul Subhan. The notice that came [years ago, from the foreigners' tribunal] said Abdul Latif, son of Shukur Ali. That's not my grandfather, I don't even know him," Ms Begum said, adding that she had all the necessary documents to prove her father's family has now heard that Mr Latif is back in Assam, but he hasn't reached home some of these people are back home now, they fear they might be picked up again abruptly."We are not playthings," Ms Begum said."These are human beings, you can't toss them around as per your whims." — BBC
