February 13-19, 2015

Continued Response to Voting Rights for White Card Holders

Private media

Irrawaddy, February 13: “Revoking White Card Holder Voting Right ‘Counter Reconciliation’: US Official”

• Tom Malinowski, US Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, said in a statement on Twitter on Thursday that “Invalidating white cards for Rohingya in #Burma is counter to the reconciliation in #Rakhine & inclusive elections the gov says it wants.”
• Stéphane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary-General Ban-Ki Moon, told reporters at the UN headquarters in New York that Moon’s Special Adviser on Burma, Vijay Nambiar, was looking into the decision’s implications.
• “We’re very concerned about the reported notification that holders of temporary ID cards will be required to hand over their cards,” he said.

• Rakhine State Chief Minister U Maung Maung Ohn has warned international NGOs in Rakhine State not to interfere in affairs related to the “anti-white card campaign” and the process of revoking the temporary identification cards.
• There are more than 20 foreign NGOs operating in refugee camps in the Rakhine State under agreements with the Union government, according to U Maung Maung Ohn. 
• “This is a period when residents and NGOs are trying to build understanding, therefore, as Chief Minister, I warned them in advance to be careful. That is not to say I am making allegations against those NGOs,” he said.
• Foreign NGOs have run into difficulties in Rakhine State. Medicins Sans Frontieres, also known as Doctors Without Borders, was forced to leave in March 2014, after years of running programmes. They were allowed to return in December.

• Analytical piece detailing the background of the conflict, recent political developments surrounding the white card conflict. History of Rohingya in the region, and the calls of various human rights groups for recognition of ethnic cleansing.

• Burma’s Constitutional Tribunal informed Parliament on Monday that the articles of the recently passed Referendum Law that granted white card holders voting rights are in violation of the Constitution. 
• The Tribunal said that white card holders are ineligible to vote as it violated the charter’s Article 4, Article 38(a) and Article 391, 
• According to Article 391, only those with citizenship can be granted voting rights.

• Story reported as above.

International media

Associated Press, February 13: “US criticizes Myanmar invalidation of temp citizen cards”

• The U.S. is criticizing Myanmar's decision to invalidate temporary citizenship cards for minority Rohingya Muslims.
• Top State Department envoy on human rights, Tom Malinowski, registered his concern in a tweet. He wrote that invalidating the so-called white cards is counter to hoped-for reconciliation in Rakhine State and inclusive elections.

• Long, analytical piece inspired by the white card protests this week.
• Examines the history of Burma’s treatment of Rohingya Muslims, and the current conditions they face. 

• Background on white card disenfranchisement, protests; context of ethnic cleansing in Burma.
• This story was republished in various local Asian media.

• A very interesting feature piece on the political and social nuances to Burma’s religious conflict between Muslims and Buddhists.
• Highlights monk U Wirathu as the ‘Burmese bin Laden’
• It is a clear and comprehensive piece on the context and history of the conflict in Rakhine State, and domestic and international responses.

969 Activity in Rakhine State

Private media

Burma Times, February 16: “969 announces fresh agitation from Akyab”

• Monks belonging to the 969 movement in Pathor Keela, Akyab have announced that they will hold daily rallies starting from Sunday against what they say is the increased dominance of Muslims in Arakan.
• According to this article, the mass protests surrounding the white card vote have emboldened the 969 movement. The group has been able to mobilise thousands of supporters in the last few days. 
• Muslims meanwhile are afraid that the Buddhist nationalist protesters organised by groups such as 969 will carry out another bout of ethnic cleansing in the region.

• Buddhist nationalist group 969 distributed leaflets in different areas of Akyab, Rathidaung and Tangup on Friday.
• The leaflets stated that there are no Rohingyas in Burma and those who called themselves Rohingyas are illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. They also said that the presence of Muslims in the area is only temporary and they will be driven out.
• Youth activists from the Rakhine National Party also took part in the leaflet distribution. Protests against Rohingya voting rights have mobilised anti-Muslim activists in the past few days raising fears of ethnic cleansing once again.

Burma compared to Nazi Germany

Private media

Burma Times, February 13: “Burma compared to Nazi Germany”

• At a seminar on the developments in Burma at the Swedish Institute of International Affairs (UI), Dr Maung Zarni compared Burma to Nazi Germany. He stated that in 2007, a saffron revolution led by Burmese monks was cheered on by the world. Yet within a few years, the Buddhist monks in Burma and Sri Lanka had gained reputation as neo Nazis.
• Noted academics Dr Marte Nilsen, historian of religions and Senior Researcher at the Peace Research Institute of Oslo, and Joakim Kreutz, Research Fellow at UI also spoke at the seminar which among other issues discussed the ethnic cleansing of Rohingya Muslims in the context of contemporary Burmese politics.
• Dr Zarni contradicted the prevailing impression that the issue of Rohingya Muslims was a communal conflict pitting Buddhists against Muslim. Instead it was a one way persecution of a minority community by the Buddhist state.