Rohingya Arakanese Refugee

Committee (RARC), Malaysia

No. 2A, Jalan 3/2, Kg Tasik Tambahan, 68000 Ampnag, Selangor Darul Ehsan

People for People Human Rights for All

) ( RARC
PO Box-11882, 50760, Kuala Lumpur

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Ref: 2013/GMMF/001 Date: July 26, 2013 His Excellency Tan Seri Razali Ismail Honorable Chairman Global Movement for Moderate Foundation (GMMF) And the Former United Nations Special Envoy to Burma 15th Floor, Menara Manulife 6 Jalan Gelenggang, Damansara Heights 50490 Kuala Lumpur MALAYSIA

E-mail: rarcinfo@yahoo.com www.arrcinfo.blogspot.com

REQUEST FOR THE MEDIATION AND COOPERATION FOR PEACEFUL SETTLEMENT OF THE PLIGHT OF ROHINGYAS AND OTHER MUSLIMS MINORITIES IN BURMA
Your Excellency, Assalamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullah Wa Barakatuh May this letter find you in the best of health and happiness with the highest humanitarian spirits. With highest respect, we at the Rohingya Arakanese Refugee Committee (RARC) based in Malaysia, on behalf of the Muslim Rohingya people of Burmas Arakan State, living in Malaysia, extend our sincere gratitude towards the Government of Malaysia and its people for understanding the causes of marginalized Muslim Rohingya both in home and exile. We affirm that Malaysia is the only Muslim country in ASEAN which has been continuously extending all kinds of sympathetic supports towards the Muslim Rohingya and also allowing tens of thousand of Muslim Rohingya Refugees on its soil on humanitarian ground. Indeed, the Muslims Rohingyas are the worst victims of genocidal action and brutalities in their ancestral homeland, who are being compelled to leave country and taking refuge in the most trust worthy state of Malaysia. We are able to verify that the some of the Rohingya have taken shelter in this country in early 1980s, who have already met with their 3 rd 1

generations. Bulk of Rohingya refugee exodus was happen in 1990s as second phase of refugees, after the Vietnamese boat people. As it, Rohingya were the major refugee community in Malaysia till the year 2005/06 who were registered with the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Malaysia as its persons of concerns. Unfortunately, their fates turned into acute negative way, quickly increasing of the population of Christian Chin refugees and some other ethnic minorities including perpetrators of human rights abuses from Burma who are being treated as equal as ruling governing people of Burma and also considered as indigenous ethnic races of the country. Despite giving priority towards the cases and issues of Muslim Rohingya refugees, the office of the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) in Malaysia extends assistance and protection to non-Rohingya Burmese refugees. So, the Rohingya refugees have stay in sub-human condition and marginalized situation. They have to spend lives without any document and hence these vulnerable Rohingya refugees would confront with enforcement agencies in every moment under the countrys legal frameworks. At least 10,000 Rohingya refugees remain unregistered and undocumented in Malaysia who are passing lives with fears and tears. So, they are very much in need of UNHCR registration and their refugee status determination in order to meet them with International Protection under the UNHCR mandates. It is true that the Rohingya refugees/asylum seekers do not have chance to obtain any form of legal document in any part of the world, as they dont have any valid identity paper which is well known to the international community. They are also considered as world most persecuted people, while they remain in world most uneducated people as well. Therefore, they dont have idea to present their cases or voices out their pains and thus their fates worth with perfectly neglected. Since the Muslim minority Rohingya refugees have been taking shelter on the soil of Malaysia. They are enjoying various levels of opportunities, particularly taking advantages by working in various sectors without any formal document and supporting their vulnerable family members both in Malaysia and in country of their tragedy (Burma/Myanmar). We are highly appreciated by these kinds of sympathies towards the stateless Rohingya refugees. We cannot forget the facilities of Malaysia forever. We are sure that all level of Malaysia authorities and people will get highest place in paradise (Jannah) for extending supports and cooperation to the Rohingyas. The Rohingya people firmly believe that the involvement of Your Excellency in mediating in the plight of Rohingya in Arakan State would be able to bring a fruitful result through a constructive and diplomatic engagement in order to restore peace and harmonious lives among the 2

people of Arakan. This engagement may be able to reduce misunderstanding and mistrust on Rohingya people and help in ensuring full citizenship rights in Burma. Mention may be made here that the unprecedented suffering of the Rohingya is because of a deep-rooted conspiracy against them based on historical animosity, geopolitical situation, racial prejudice and religious bigotry. Ever since the Burmese took control of Arakan, they started ethnic cleansing through systematic annihilation and genocide of Muslims with the ulterior motive of turning Arakan into a purely Burmanised Buddhist region. They have been pursuing the policies of de-Muslimization, Buddhization and assimilation. The military has unjustly deprived the citizenship of the Rohingya, by promulgation of black laws, rendering them stateless in their historical homeland of Arakan, once an independent sovereign country. In addition, the Rohingya have been subjected to humiliating restrictions on their right to freedom of movement, right to education, right to marry, right to do trade and business, right to employment. Arbitrary taxation, confiscation of land and properties, forced relocation, forced labor, desecration, destruction of mosques, religious schools, houses and settlements, and crimes like extra-judicial killings, murder, rape, torture, loot, artificial price-hike or food embargo in the Muslim areas and other grave human rights violations have been regular phenomenon all over Arakan. The military is bent on changing the demography of Arakan by exterminating the Rohingya population as well. Therefore, we would like to request Your Excellency for the followings:1. To extend helpful hands in mediating the plight of Rohingyas with the Government of Burma (Myanmar) and the sister community of Rohingya (Rakhine) population for the restoration of peace and harmony in Arakan State through meaningful dialogues; 2. To engage effective missions to deal with the Government of Burma (Myanmar) to end all kinds of human rights violations, discriminations and restrictions on Rohingya and other Muslim minority populations and also to allow international aid agencies in Arakan State and other effected areas for the facilitation of needful relief and medical supplies; 3. To set up a desk at the Global Movement for Moderate Foundation (GMMF) for the Rohingyas and Muslim minorities of Burma; and extend cooperation with the Rohingya Arakanese Refugee Committee (RARC), Malaysia for effective collaboration in protecting the Rohingya and other Muslims refugees and asylum seekers from Burma in the region, particularly in Malaysia through smooth and faster registration and protection under the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Malaysia; 4. To recommend the issues of Rohingyas and other Muslim minority refugees from Burma to the Government of Malaysia for 3

sympathetic treatment, release of detained refugees and to push UNHCR for faster registration of undocumented Rohingya, while ensuring the resettlement and international protection to mandated Rohingya refugees as well. 5. To introduce ideal projects for the education of Rohingya and other Muslim refugee children; and to empower their younger generations in order to avail in all kinds of challenges and understanding the contemporary needs of Muslim minorities in the region. May Allah (SWT) shall accept Your Excellencys services for the cause of Ummah and reward Your Excellency the highest place in Paradise. Thank you, Sincerely,

Mohammad Sadek Mohammed Sharif Program Coordinator Director Rohingya Arakanese Refugee Committee (RARC) RARC Malaysia Malaysia Tel: 0163094599 Tel: 0163593193 E-mail: sadek_brefugee@yahoo.com E-mail: rarcinfo@yahoo.com Note: Enclosed are some real stories of Rohingya, published in the recent days.