February 20-26, 2015

Aftermath of White Card Protests

State-owned media

Myanmar Times, February 23: “Tribunal rules white-card voting unconstitutional”

• States that Muslim Rohingya, “widely known as Bengalis,” cannot vote because it is not consistent with Burma’s constitution.
• “It also raises questions about why the military regime and then U Thein Sein’s civilian government allowed white-card holders to vote in the 2010 general election and 2012 byelections.” 
• Only interviews sources who are in favour of the ruling and who believe the proposal is wrong.

Private media

Burma Times, February 20: “Why white card protests continue”

• Thousands of protestors continue to rally against white card holders, despite the fact that the government met their demands earlier this month. They are calling on the government to do something it had already done. 
• The article states: “Activists say that the government decision to withdraw voting rights for white card holders have emboldened the protesters. They might want to take it to the next step which means another round of ethnic cleansing in the Arakan.” 
• The protests have created significant anti-Muslim momentum, and protestors are said to be feeding off of that energy. The article suggests that the Burmese president, Thein Sein, made his white card announcement strategically to rally anti-Rohingya sentiment.

International news

The Japan Times, February 21: “Militant monks rabble-rousing in Myanmar”

• Feature piece on the religious conflict between Rohingyas and Buddhist extremists like monk U Wirathu.
• References Wirathu’s “whore” slur against the UN human rights envoy Yanghee Lee earlier this year. 
• States that: “Wirathu is the poster child for hate speech in Myanmar, spewing his invective and heartily backing controversial new legislation that aims to ban Buddhist women from marrying Muslims.” 
• Mentions the ‘religious protection bills.’ Says that ban on interfaith marriage comes against the backdrop of a significant rise in anti-Muslim violence in recent years.

“Je Suis Rohingya”: The West’s Dilemma

State-owned media

Myanmar Times, February 23: “’Je suis Rohingya’: The West’s dilemma”

• In-depth piece on the history of the term Rohingya.
• Details history of the Muslim ethnicity in Rakhine State, when a growing Muslim population would become a “totally unacceptable situation for the non-Muslim population.” 
• States that the idea of a 100-fold natural population increase from 1820 is ‘preposterous,’ but it has become “politically correct not to challenge this narrative.”
• “Senior representatives in the UN and Western governments are being urged to proclaim the Rohingya identity. That is a political decision which only they can take. It is important though that they should be aware that their recognition of the Rohingya identity in Myanmar and overseas is bound to give moral and political support to a highly questionable and pretentious narrative.” 
• Says that while the ‘Je suis Rohingya’ movement has its attractions, it is adding to the problem.

Race Protection Bills in Parliament

Private media

Democratic Voice of Burma, February 20: “Upper house approves population control bill”

• Burma’s parliament has approved one part of a controversial four-proposal package that has been tabled in parliament, commonly referred to as the “Race Protection Bill”.
• The bill limits births to one baby per mother every three years. 
• MPs said they believe the population is too high for the State to support.
• A petition by the conservative Buddhist monkhood group Ma-Ba-Tha last year received 100,000 signatures in favour of the Race Protection package, President Thein Sein subsequently ordered the drafting of four bills, namely the Religious Conversion Bill, Monogamy Bill, Population Control Healthcare Bill, and Buddhist Women’s Marriage Bill.
• Many observers see the Race Protection bills as attempts to subjugate and control the Muslim community in Burma.

• Reported as above, with the additional analysis: “The Population Control Bill, some activists believe, could also be an attempt at controlling the Muslim majority areas of northern Arakan State, where approximately one million stateless Rohingya live. In 2013, local authorities in the area tried to introduce a two-child limit in Muslim-majority areas, claiming that the impoverished region had too high population growth rates.”

UN human rights warnings on Myanmar abuses

State-owned media

Myanmar Times, February 26: “UN rights rep cautions on backsliding”

• The United Nations human rights chief has warned that widespread abuses of minority rights in Myanmar threatened to undermine reforms in the country.
• "Myanmar had promised to end the era of political prisoners, but now seems intent on creating a new generation by jailing people who seek to enjoy the democratic freedoms they have been promised," UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein said in a statement.
• Despite Myanmar’s transition to a quasi-civilian system in 2011, “…recent developments relating to the human rights of minorities, the freedom of expression and the right to peaceful protest are calling into question the direction of that reform and even threatening to set it back," he said. 
• He also expressed concern related to upcoming elections." During an election year, it will be tempting for some politicians to fan the flames of prejudice for electoral gain," he warned." But at a time when religious extremism is creating havoc in many parts of the world, the terrible consequences of appealing to or appeasing such sentiments should be all to clear."

Private media

Mizzima, February 19: “Amnesty issues stark human rights warning on Myanmar to UN”

• The international rights group issued a written statement to be presented at the 28th session of the UN Human Rights Council to be held from March 2 to 27 in New York.
• It says that Myanmar’s backsliding on human rights reforms – only a few months before the general elections – underscores the necessity of the UN Human Rights Council to adopt a strong resolution on the situation of human rights in the country and to extend their mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar.
• Amnesty says continued strong engagement by the HRC is warranted as the human rights situation in the country remains serious. Myanmar is failing to make progress in several important areas and has slid back worryingly in others, just a few months before general elections. It is crucial that international scrutiny continues at such a critical juncture in the country’s history. 
• The report highlights several areas for concern, namely: restrictions on freedom of expression, the crisis in Rakhine involving Rohingya, religious intolerance, human rights abuses in conflict zones and impunity for government officials who commit them.

• The United Nation’s U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein says Burma is “headed in the wrong direction” amid a crackdown on dissidents and minorities.
• Zeid cited the jailing of peaceful protesters, journalists and opposition figures, as well as persecution of Burma’s Rohingya, a Muslim minority group.
• This story was written by The Associated Press.

International media

Jakarta Post, February 25: “UN rights chief urges Myanmar to halt abuses, ‘get back on track’”

• Story reported as above, in Myanmar Times.

• The United Nation’s U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein says Burma is “headed in the wrong direction” amid a crackdown on dissidents and minorities.
• Zeid cited the jailing of peaceful protesters, journalists and opposition figures, as well as persecution of Burma’s Rohingya, a Muslim minority group.
• This story was also published, by The Associated Press, in The Irrawaddy.

• Story reported as above.

Localised incidents of assault

Private media

There were several incidents of assault by the military and nationalist monks against Rohingya reported in private media. A sampling includes:

• o “Woman robbed and raped”
• “BGP assaults children”
• “More houses burn down – 969 involvement suspected”