Burmese Language
Norway slammed for silence on ‘stateless’ Rohingya
The Norwegian government has been criticised for failing to pressure the Burmese government on the statelessness of the Rohingya minority during a landmark visit by President Thein Sein to the Scandinavian country this week.
Activists say they are disappointed that the government failed to press Thein Sein on citizenship rights for the Muslim minority in western Burma, who are considered one the world’s most persecuted peoples by the UN.
“Norway has performed a shocking u-turn from being one of the countries which did the most to support Burma’s democracy movement to one which now won’t even speak up for the most vulnerable and desperate people in Burma,” Mark Farmaner from Burma Campaign UK told DVB.
It follows news that both the Norwegian prime minister and foreign minister have explicitly declared the issue of Rohingya citizenship to be an internal Burmese affair.
“We brought up this issue [the conflict in Arakan], of course. It is a serious situation. We ask that all people who live in Burma are treated with respect according to the human rights,” Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg told Aftenposten.
“But there are disagreements regarding citizenship. In that regard we have encouraged dialogue, but we will not demand that Burma’s government give citizenship to the Rohingyas.”
The Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide insisted that a nation is “not obligated to give citizenship to everybody who is living there.”
“This is not something we are going to demand. Some critical voices talk as if all nations would have received people from neighbouring nations and made them citizens. We think this is a conflict that can be resolved through economic development and local reconciliation processes.”
More than 125,000 people have been displaced in western Burma after two bouts of vicious ethno-religious clashes between Buddhists and Rohingya Muslims last year. The Rohingya are considered illegal Bengali immigrants by the government and are denied basic civic rights, including access to health and education.
Oddny Gumaer from Partners Relief and Development told DVB that she was “shocked” by Eide’s comments, which seem to back the quasi-civilian regime’s claim that Rohingyas are not legitimate citizens, even though many have lived in the country for generations. The right to citizenship is also enshrined in international law.
“I cannot believe that a man with his influence would say what he did,” said Gumaer. “I am considering writing him a letter asking him if he really believes the government’s line about the Rohingya being illegal immigrants. It is wrong and ugly.”
Farmaner agreed that his comments “cross the line into defending the Burmese government’s violation of international law and its treaty obligations.”
“To imply the Rohingya are from neighbouring countries will only encourage extremists to commit more acts of violence against them. The Norwegian government’s approach to Burma now appears to be completely without principle.”
The Norwegian government has played a leading role in bringing the former pariah state back into the global economic fold, including funding a controversial peace initiative in Burma’s volatile border regions, which critics say could destabilise the ethnic reconciliation process.
In an exclusive interview with DVB this week, Thein Sein thanked Oslo for its continued economic support in lifting sanctions and waiving up to US$3 billion in debts owed to the global financial group – known as the Paris Club. Norway was the first western country to shed economic sanctions against the regime.
“Most significantly, when we talked with Paris Club members regarding the debt we owed them for decades – at first they were reluctant on the percentage they can provide and the percentage they will wave off,” Thein Sein told DVB.
“But then Norway, taking the lead, waved off 50 percent of the debts and also 50 percent more from the additional debt and other countries followed suit,” referring to another US$3 billion later dropped by the Japanese government.
Gumaer described the two governments’ public declarations to “strengthen economic ties” as “telling”. Burmese state media also welcomed future investment by Norway in the country’s “energy, information and technology sectors”.
“It seems to me that our leaders are mostly busy making sure that we get lucrative business deals in the country now that we (Norway) have given them so much money and aid,” Gumaer told DVB.
But a spokesperson for the Norwegian government insisted that there should be “no unclarity” on their message. “Long-term stability in Myanmar [Burma] will depend on continued political reforms, respect for human rights and a more equitable distribution of income and wealth.”
Tags: norway, rohingya, thein sein
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No one should put pressure on us on this affair. Burmese should solve their own citizenship issue themselves.
There are real Arakan muslim (who they want themselve called Rohinya) and there are illegal Bangladesh immigrants calling themselve Rohinya. They are all human and we should treat them with diginity.
But on the other side, no country in the world give citizenship to all illegal immigrants.
If activist from Norway tell their government to give all illegal immigrant the citizenship, they will have too many people that they even have to share their bedrooms.
His Majesty King Schwebomin of Burma is most pleased that Norway has last seen the light. HM wishes President U Thein Sein great success in Europe. HM would like U Thein Sein to view HM’s favourite city in Europe Vienna from the revolving restaurant at the top of the Danube Tower when he is in Vienna.
Readers are advised to look up ‘ Donauturm’ on internet by simply googling it.
Viva Myanmar Kingdom!
Norway and the Western world are only interested for the natural resources of Burma.
Norway government do not care for Rohyngas.
I will urge the the people of Norway to raise the issue.
Rohyngas are being persequetd
every day. The discremination has been recently shifted to Rangoon
by destroying their place of worship and tramatizing the children in the middle of night.
This government is doing everything to fool the West and stay in power.
I now see clearly where Norway is heading. This just doesn’t affect this particular group but it shows the willingness of the Norwegian government to toe the Burmese government’s lines for economic opportunities. What an unprofessional way of doing business!
Norway is also silent about the illegal Chinese immigrants in Mandalay and elsewhere, so what’s the difference?
Why should Norway say anything? If they speak up for Rohingyas, it will be difficult for Norway Government to do business in Myanmar.
“Norway has performed a shocking u-turn from being one of the countries which did the most to support Burma’s democracy movement to one which now won’t even speak up for the most vulnerable and desperate people in Burma,” Mark Farmaner from Burma Campaign UK told DVB.
Norway has done the right thing. Nothing shocking about it, Mark Farmaner. Get out out your colonist mindset.
Truth is out.
Your grand name of Burma Campaign is rubbish! Your setup was called Burma Action Group. BAG. Precisely, just a bag. stop pretending you are grand. You are not.
Who are you anywhay?
Who is Hanna Hindstrom anyway?
“Norway slammed for silence on ‘stateless’ Rohingya”
What rubbish! Who slammed Norway? Nobody.
Norway now realises that they had been duped by English media about that woman with a third class degree.
Why DVB published this article is beyond comprehension.
From now on readers must ignore BAG,so-called Burma Campaign, and Hanna Hindstrom.
By the way Barack Obama is no fool. His grandfather was tortured by the English colonists. Fact!
If England is to be intelligent about Burma, apologise for colonialism and do business with Burma. Think outside the box!
Now, Mark Farmaner, bugger off! Leave Burma!
Storms come ashore bringing message..
Burma had storm come ashore in Delta from Gulf of Bengal which made many homeless to which, in response aid ships in gulf were denied landing rights to unload supplies. This caused world outrage and subsequently an upload of Wiki Leaks confidential diplomatic correspondence confirmed a split in opinion between the present President and the one then in power. Since then big changes have happened in Burma and an opening up to the west.
But another storm came ashore, this time in the US that has since spoken.
That storm at just before election spoke of climatic changes to Earth.
Changes that will shortly cause refugee. All the world refugee..
The man, Bradley Manning who leaked info to Wiki Leaks is on trial now..
He is charged with leaking info to enemy.. He made possible Free Burma.
Never before has information on line made such a difference. And it still can.. Because time is short to say it but a bit of a happening just north of Norway can speak of storm rise source..
Apparently a pulse of increasing heat from Atlantic Gulf Stream source is affecting sediment of Arctic Sea floor.
It has initiated accelerated temp rise.
The whole of the Barents Sea and open to sky water of high Arctic show CH4 rise. Vast, 3X all oil, coal and natural gas as CH4, methane held in vulnerable water ice called ‘methane ice’ in and on ocean floors. Melting now due to pulse of heat from us and out and out abuse of fossil fuel use. The whole picture of what’s happening is that of Hell to not small degree..
Norway is next to what’s happening in Europe and next to the Sea.. The people of the border regions of Burma. They need to be recognized as important. Because they are and what happens in Burma is key to success of perhaps a global change to opinions..
The value of money, of commerce needs to change and fast to put full power to world economy and gear to take on stopping Runaway global warming now..
Fast
Is Norway foreign minister, Eide interested in doing bossiness with Burma. Japan also relieves the debt from Burma and then is now trying to do business in Burma. Norway wants to copy the strategy of Japan.
Nobody likes illegal immigrants. Only lawyers and so called activists who make living by helping these illegal immigrants support them
Illegal Bengali migrants in Rakhine State, Burma are not stateless. They are Bangladeshi citizen and they are dumping by overpopulated Bangladesh Government. Most of democratic countries know truth identity of so called Rohingya peoples in Burma.
Bengali leaders claimed Rohingya ethnic was descendent of Arab shipwreck and later they changed the story again.
First Bengali immigrant was brought into Burma by British East India Company for to work in farm but 90% of current illegal Bengali migrants in Rakhine state were illegally settled in Rakhine state after Burma was given independent by British Colony Government. Some of those illegal Bengali migrants are entered illegally into Rakhine state recently.
Now Bengali from Bangladesh is using Rohingya name for to seek refugee in Malaysia, Thai, Australia and somewhere else.
Manipur and Assam state in India have 4 millions illegal Bengali settlers from Bangladesh. Now Chittagong Hill Tract was swamping by illegal Bengali settlers and 70% of Chittagong Hill Tracts population is Bengali Muslim. Jumma tribal peoples of CHT are facing ethnic cleansing in their native land. The Bangladesh is sinking slowly below sea level and scientists are predicting 75% of Bangladesh will be submerged under sea level in next decades. Poor uneducated landless Bengali peoples are looking for better life in neighboring states and now the problem is going world wide using by Rohingya name.
Bengali gives Burma bad name. OIC should not involve in Burmese domestic problem. Given citizenship to those illegal Bengali migrant is solely depending on Burmese Government and its peoples. UN and Human Right Organizations need to pressure Bangaladeshi Government for to recognized its own peoples and taken back from its neighboring countries.
Anyone who are backing so called Rohingya (real ethnic name “Bengali” ) I want to ask you people how many of you really know about these Rohingya Bengali? How much do you know about Burma’s history? How many of you actually been to Burma and speak to locals? How many of you understand about Burma history?
Please shut up if you do not have done your home work about Burma.
Burmese people are are the most racist people on earth who were trained to hate muslim and others by divide and rule policy.
Most of burmese do not know that lisu people are both ethnic of Burma and China, Zomi are both ethnic of India and Burma, Rakhine are both ethnic of Bangaladesh and Burma. Rohingya are both ethnic of Bangaladesh and Burma as well. 95% of maungdaw and Buthitaung population has always been Rohingya.These Rohingya are unfortunate that the land that they live before prehistoric time became part of Burma now and racist Burmese with ignorance like to pretend that they know about Rohingya without any shame. shame on you Burmese and you will always be the most poorest people on earth forever with this mentality.
OIC, UNHCR, Human Right Organization, NGOs and Media are advocating for illegal Bengali migrants so called Bengali peoples in Burma. Why they do not speak out and reporting about illegal Bengali settlers and Bangladeshi Army committing crimes and ethnic cleansing in Chittagong Hill Tracts?
Native peoples of CHT were killed by illegal Bengali settlers for their fertile lands and Bangladeshi soldiers are backing and protecting Bengali Muslim settlers in CHT.
CHT was historically part of Rakhine and belonging to Burma. British Colony Government gave CHT to East Pakistan later become Bangladesh and created new country. Why British Government is silence and does not protect to Jumma Tribal peoples in CHT?
I used to respect work of NGO, Red Cross and Human Right Organization but now those organizations are something wrong with their policy because in the same time they are ignoring of human right and persecution of Jumma peoples in their native land when they are advocating for illegal Bengali migrants’ human right in Burma.
Why those organizations ignoring ethnic cleansing to Buddhist Jumman peoples in CHT?
Because, they are Buddhists and Bengalis are Muslim?
I don’t know how much Muslim is influence over those NGOs and UN but I believe Muslims are very much influence over those organizations.
There’s no physical persecution to illegal Bengali migrants by law enforcement but they are being illegally live in Burma and they have to face with Burmese Immigration Law. Every sovereign Country will do the same as Burma to illegal migrants.
You have to expect worst punishment in barbaric Islamist Countries.
Why those organizations are scaring to criticize barbaric Islamist countries? Are they cowardice?
Norway is sovereign country and the Government knows truth about Bengali so called Rohingya story in Burma. So Norway Government respect Burmese Government and Burmese people’s right by not telling what to do or what you shouldn’t do. Thank you very much…
Bamar,Derek Tonkin,John,Mong Rakhine Thar and Myo talk sense. Rohingyas arre illegal Bengali muslim immigrants who want to colonise peaceful Yakhine region of Burma. Note Burmese letter ‘ya’ is ‘ra’ in principal Indian language or possibly in all Indian dialects. What Indians call Raja is Yaza in Burmese. In classical Burmese Raja is also used as Burmese monarchy was founded by a prince of the Buddha line, from Kapilavastu, 3000 years ago.
There are so many distortions of Rohingya history to suggest that they were an ethnic group of Burma. Rubbish! How come, Yakhine is covered with beautiful pagodas. Only in recent historical times the mosques appeared. The fabricated or concocted hisotries of rohingyas cannot fool anyone.
The only person, who is actionless is SuuKyi Aris. She completely fails to come to the side of the truth – and of Burmese people.
and she kneeled to Desmond tutu. what an act. she must be desperate.
Open your eyes, Burmese people. then true patriotic leaders will emerge and lead you to the promised land, a united Burma. Forget Suu Kyi. Vote NLD at your peril. What is your choice? think hard.
Hi Kyaw Thu,
Burmese may be racist but you have to understand differences between protecting sovereignty land and racist.
Illegal Bengali migrants’ problem is not racist issue and simply Burmese peoples are protecting their sovereign land. Bengali problem is not simple as what you and International Media think. 4 Millions Illegal Bengali migrants are illegally settled in Manipur and Assam state. There’s communal riot between native tribal peoples and illegal settler Bengali peoples in Assam and Manipur too.
Bengalis are entering into Rakhine state like a Tsunami. The worst thing is even they tried to hijack Rakhine state as their own Muslim state. That the way the Bengali Muslim pays back for generosity of host Rakhine peoples. Rakhine peoples have right say no to illegal Bengali Muslim in their state.
Chittagong was built by Buddhist Lama in 5th century under Rakhine Kingdom.
Muslim started trading with Chittagong in 9th century. They invaded in 14th century and Mruak U Kingdom regained control over Chittagong in 16th century. Muslim invaded again in 17th century.
Mahabandoola and Myawaddy Mingyi U Sa Burmese Royal troop defeated British and its slave India soldiers in 1824 at Panwa (today Ramu). Rakhine peoples are living in Chittagong region for thousands of years before Muslim robbed the Chittagong from Rakhine King. So Rakhine peoples living in Chittagong are native peoples of Chittagong.
There are many Chinese ethnics are living in Kachin and Shan state because Shan and Kachin was part of Yunnan State before Burmese king Conquered whole Shan state. Also Shan/Tai ethnic and Kachin ethnic are one of Chinese ethnics too. You should understand the differences between Rakhine living in Chittagong region and Chinese ethnics living in Shan and Kachin state. Yes, your right 90 – 95% of population is Bengali Muslim in Buthitaung and Maungdaw because Rakhine peoples are run away for their safety. That’s why they want to prevent similar Bengalization in…
Hi Sai Lin Kan,
You are seem to have very good knowledge about Arakan and Chittagon but you try to use your good writing to propagate falsehood to confuse International readers about the plight of Rohingya and covered up your real motive of neo-racism idea.You are at least better than most Burmese not using curse word in your writing(I use the term Burmese because Burmese and Rakhine are the same except dialect in language).
Rakhine people will never achieve peace, stability in the region until you give up your dream of driving out all non Rakhine form Arakan through genocide.
Today,Burma is very new to democracy or not yet even democracy. When Majority of Burmese citizen and its leaders understand fully about democracy and human Right, they will not accept your false idea of protecting sovereignty of Burma to organized ethnic cleansing of people who look,speak,and believe in different religious than yours.
If you love Burma, please think of Our nation which can not afford to drag back to another 50 years to satisfy your neo-fascist racism like General Newin,Hitler,Milošević and ect.
As a Burmese, I feel shame that our society tolerate open demand for Apartheid like south Africa and racial segregation of uncivilized of USA while talking about democracy and Human Right.
Most the people who wrote for Rohingyas are either ignorant or bribed by Rohingya as per some writers above. But I found Nobel Prize winners,UN, UNHCR and NGO are writing for Rohingyas. So should we assume these people are dumbs and the writers who wrote against Rohingya are brilliant.
Burmese people are racist and bigots thier own lord bhudda was a “kalar”.
Let the rohingyas be and give them human rights. Even Bangladesh has rakhines,chakma,garo,manipuri,marma etc peoples living thier with atleast basic human rights u Burmese need to come out of the dark ages and start acting like humans n not wild animals….
Sometimes it is better to keep quiet and silence in the public. Diplomatic people do not tell everything in public especially when the matter is complicated. They may find it many risks and may not be the right time at that moment. He is doing something but we do not know it yet. We can see the international pressure is growing day by day. During second world war certain people had to be smuggled out to the middle east and built up a powerful nation with no resources. This was done with many struggles and hardship. They become tough, intellegent, in fact one of the best technical people of the world. Why not them too. They had suffered enough. Nobody was born by their choice. Nobody has right to claim anything forever. They have to leave it behind their back when they died.
HEY BAMAR,Do you have any evidence,you can show to the international community, that Rohingyas are illigal immigrant from Bangladesh.
UN needs to establish observer post
in all the Rohynga areas.
The children are afraid to sleep at night.
Rohingas needs medical supplies. The children needs make shift schools,to keep them busy.
Rohyngas needs re settlement at their original home ASAP.
Un needs to establish some social tolerance schools for the Buddhist monks, to teach the lesson of Lord Buddha.