Press Release

Lobbying in Canberra on 17th October 2017

Burmese Rohingya Community in Australia

Contact No.: +61 (0) 455 793 809

Mailing Address: PO Box 418, Lakemba NSW 2195

E-mail: brca.australia@gmail.com

Facebook: https://facebook.com/BurmeseRohingyaCommunityAustraliabrca

Twitter: https://twitter.com/brca_australia

Website: http://www.brca.org.au

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Since 25 August 2017, the Myanmar military forces supported by local extreme Rakhine Buddhists and the government, who are allegedly claiming to be fighting armed Rohingya forces, have massacred and killed innocent Rohingyas. Countless civilians including women and children have already been either brutally killed, raped, set alight or have had to flee.

More than 200 Rohingya villages have already been razed and more continue to be. More than 520,000 Rohingyas have been reported to flee to Bangladesh escaping the violence. Horrific accounts of rape victims have been already collected. Thousands of children have reported that the security forces of Myanmar have murdered their parents to leave them orphaned. Survivors detail the heinous atrocities committed by the Myanmar military. Many more have been killed that could not be reported due to NGO and international media blockades.

This marks the worst history for Rohingyas. UNHCR had predicted and warned of such violence. Despite this, the world has done nothing to stop it. It is now a responsibility at the international community’s part to solve the Rohingya crisis permanently.

Our demands to the Myanmar government

The immediate end of all forms of violence waged by the Myanmar military and its subsidiaries

We demand that the Myanmar military’s use of force be limited to absolute necessity and

prioritising ty of the civilians. Use of heavy weaponry is to be suspended immediately

and subsequently, the indiscriminate attacks on innocent civilians are to be halted. Further burnings of Rohingya villages is to be stopped immediately. No further mines to be planted near the border regions and existing mines is to be defused. Many Rohingyas trying to flee violence have already lost limbs and even died because of these mines.

Immediate access to be given to humanitarian NGO’s

We demand that the Myanmar government remove NGO blockades and immediately allow access

to the affected regions. Aid providers, medical teams and food providers to be given full access to

help the affected Rohingyas. UN fact-finding missions need to be allowed to enter the affected regions in Rakhine state.

UN Peace Keeping Forces to be allowed in Rakhine State

The security forces of Myanmar have not only evidently failed to ensure the safety of innocent

Rohingya civilians in Rakhine state but have rather waged the atrocities on the said civilians.

Consequently, we urge the UN to demand the Myanmar government to allow the UN Peace

Keeping forces into Rakhine state to stop from further brutalities.

Desist the ‘terrorist’ rhetoric and anti-Rohingya dehumanising narratives

We demand the Myanmar government to immediately stop propagating hate speech towards the

Rohingyas by recklessly using the ‘terrorist’ rhetoric. Local media to stop fabricating anti-

Rohingya stories to provoke the local citizens who as a result incite violence towards the remaining

Rohingyas. Independent international media to be given full access in Rakhine state to report on the atrocities against Rohingyas.

Repatriation of Rohingyas from Bangladesh

Myanmar’s current proposal on the repatriation protocols is beyond preposterous. Rohingyas

have been stripped of citizenship since 1982 and have since then been gradually and systematically

rendered undocumented. We demand that the Myanmar government rebuild the razed Rohingya

villages, build medical and education facilities. Rohingyas are then to be ensured a safe passage

back to their ancestral homes and assisted with resettlement. The recent genocide has gravely

affected the Rohingyas and they are to be compensated proportionately.

Kofi Annan’s Advisory Commission to be implemented

We demand that the Myanmar government fully implement Kofi Annan’s Advisory Commission.

Rohingyas are to be officially recognised as one of the indigenous races of Myanmar. They are to

be granted citizenship and given equal citizens’ rights. Unjustified travel bans on Rohingyas are

to be removed.

Urges to the Australian government

Officially condemn Myanmar for its atrocities

We urge the Australian government to stand in solidarity with the UN and the rest of the world in

condemning Myanmar for its atrocities against Rohingyas. Countries around the world have

officially condemned Myanmar, renewed sanctions and boycotted trade agreements with them.

Australia too should take similar stances to avoid jeopardising relations with the international

community.

Impose sanctions

We urge the Australian government to immediately end military co-operation, the same military

that has been waging violence against innocent Rohingya civilians for over four decades. We urge the

Australian government to impose targeted sanctions that would not necessarily affect the general

population but instead create enough pressure to end the brutalities waged upon the Rohingyas.

We urge the Australian government to renew sanctions until the Rohingya crisis in Myanmar is

resolved. We urge the Australian government to leverage aid and trade agreements to ensure

Rohingyas are safely resettled in Rakhine state and given equal rights as any other citizens by implementing the Kofi Annan’s Advisory Commission.

The release of Rohingyas from detention centres

We urge the Australian government to release the Rohingya refugees from detention centres and

be brought to Australia. Rohingyas are genuine refugees and a blanket boat policy will do injustice

to them. We urge the Australian government to recognise the Rohingyas that have not yet been

found to be refugees in light of the recent atrocities. We urge the Australian government to end the deportation of Rohingyas in light of the recent atrocities.

Resettlement of Rohingyas from UN camps in Bangladesh, Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand (other locations?)

We urge the Australian government to significantly increase the quota on Rohingya refugees

resettled in Australia. We urge the Australian government to lobby foreign governments with UN

camps to prioritise the resettlement of Rohingyas.

Burmese Rohingya Community in Australia
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MEDIA RELEASE 25 SEPTEMBER 2017
Former Foreign Minister Bob Carr and Greens Senator Lee Rhiannon stand up (in Sydney) for
Rohingya rights.
Yesterday (24 September 2017) former Foreign Minister and NSW Premier Bob Carr along with Greens Senator Lee Rhiannon joined the Rohingya demonstration at Sydney’s Town Hall to express serious concerns about the injustices waged upon the Rohingyas for generations and particularly their current crisis.
In 2012, Carr visited Myanmar as the Foreign Minister to acknowledge the progress they had made towards democracy and gave assurances of Australia lifting sanctions. However, it was clear to him by the following year that Rohingyas were still vulnerable. His empathy for the Rohingyas seems unequivocal although it is clear that an excessive optimism about human rights plus strategic and economic pressures swung against them at that time.
Carr now proposes targeted sanctions to end the ongoing ethnic cleansing and the imminent genocide. “It is now time for Australia to re-impose targeted sanctions on the military and the government leadership of Myanmar. The type of sanctions I am talking about would NOT hurt the ordinary people of a country that is trying to haul itself out of poverty. But sanctions against financial dealings of the military leadership, for example; sanctions against financial transactions engaged by its military or political leadership. An end to any co-operation between the Australian military and the military of Myanmar—an immediate end of that”; said Carr, during his speech yesterday.
Senator Rhiannon reminds us that Rohingyans have been oppressed for over 70 of the past 200 years. They are virtually stateless within their own country. She also stresses the severity of the ongoing violence. “We are gathered here with you today, to send our strongest voice to the world, to the worldwide leaders. They must speak up against Genocide of the Rohingyas; that is what we need. The crimes that have been committed: the gang-rapes, the disappearances, the murders. This is genocide, genocide occurring in 2017. And that is why we need to raise our voice in the strongest way”, said Rhiannon.

Carr also spoke evocatively of the denied rights, abandoned children, burned homes and unsanitary border camps. Carr is, without doubt, a humanitarian. He promised Sydney Rohingyas that he will advocate for the reintroduction of military sanctions.
Senator Lee Rhiannon reminded that Greens recommend immediate intake of 20,000 Rohingya refugees. She spoke against Australian Immigration refoulements and pressure on Rohingya refugees to return to the Rakhine province of Myanmar which is now famous for its burnt out homes. She urged Australia to increase in aid to refugee camps in neighbouring countries.

Both speakers criticised the hopeless situation of Rohingyas being denied the rights of ordinary citizens in Myanmar including education, employment and a vote. Rhiannon called for an immediate end to discrimination against the Rohingya minority.

Media Contact, extra image:
Ahsan Haque
Media and Communications
Burmese Rohingya Community in Australia
Contact No.: +61 (0) 455 793 809
Mailing Address: PO Box 418 LAKEMBA NSW 2195
E-mail: brca.australia@gmail.com
Facebook: https://facebook.com/BurmeseRohingyaCommunityAustraliabrca
Twitter: https://twitter.com/brca_australia
Website: http://www.brca.org.au

JOINT MEDIA RELEASE 07 SEPTEMBER 2017

Rohingya Genocide – An Urgent Crisis

Since last Friday, 25 August 2017, the Myanmar military force, supported by local extreme Rakhine Buddhists and the Government, who are allegedly claiming to be fighting armed Rohingya forces, have been massacring and killing innocent Rohingyas.

Recent reports have indicated that the situation has worsened in the past few days. Despite the International Community’s pressure on Myanmar government, the genocide is still ongoing and villages are being burned down every day in an attempt to systematically eradicate the Rohingya race.

A field worker for the Action Contre Le Faim (ACF), based in Buthidaung has reported the following.

• Around 9,000 to 10,000 innocent Rohingya civilians have been killed.

• At least 183 Rohingya villages have been burned down and satellite images are a clear indication of this.

• More than 120,000 Rohingyas have fled to Bangladesh for survival.

• More than 200,000 Rohingyas are internally displaced including a majority of them hiding in forests and mountains without any food or shelter.

• The ACF field worker has reported witnessing at least 2000 fleeing Rohingya men to be slaughtered brutally.

We would like to stress the fact that fatality figures supplied by the Myanmar Government are propaganda and biased. There is little or no access by independent media to the affected region. They underestimate the deaths by a significant order of magnitude in order to deflect international attention. The figures provided by Myanmar are not to be used at all as that would be a denial of genocide. We urge the Australian Government and the International Community to immediately condemn and put an end to this ongoing massacre of innocent Rohingya civilians.

The Myanmar Government are blatantly disregarding expressions of concern and condemnation by the entire world. We urge that sanctions be put in place immediately in an order to pressurize the Myanmar government to end the killings of these helpless Rohingyas, and also pressurize them to allow aid access, media access and UN fact-finding mission access.

In the past week, there have been demonstrations in Canberra, Sydney and Melbourne to raise awareness of this issue.

On the 4th of September 2017, members of the Rohingya Community from Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne had protested outside the Parliament House in Canberra and also the Myanmar Embassy.

The Union Aid Abroad APHEDA had held rallies today Thursday 7 September 2017 in Sydney and Melbourne outside the offices of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).

Given the emergency state for our people in Arakan State, Myanmar, we ask the Australian Government to help us. These are the requests of the Rohingya community in Australia.

• We urge the Myanmar Government to immediately stop the ethnic cleansing of innocent Rohingyas in Arakan State, Myanmar.

• We urge the UN to intervene and immediately end the massacre of innocent Rohingya civilians.

• We urge the Australian Government to immediately pressurize the Myanmar Government to end the ongoing genocide of innocent Rohingyas.

• We urge the Bangladeshi Government to provide food and shelter to the helpless Rohingya fleeing violence in Myanmar.

• We urge the UN to intervene and provide security for the surviving Rohingyas in Arakan State, Myanmar.

• We urge the Myanmar Government to allow immediate aid access for the displaced Rohingyas in Arakan State, Myanmar.

• We urge the Myanmar Government to allow independent media access into Arakan State, Myanmar.

• We urge the Myanmar Government to allow immediate access to the UN fact-finding missions into Arakan State, Myanmar.

• We urge the Myanmar Government that Kofi Annan’s peace treaty be implemented.

• We urge the Australian Government to implement immediate sanctions on Australia’s Aid Program to Myanmar, as part of the agreement was to maintain peace and stability especially pertaining to ethnic tensions.

• We urge to increase the numbers of Rohingya refugees accepted into Australia.

• We urge to speed up the processing of refugees.

Signatories:

1. Burmese Rohingya Community in Australia (BRCA)

Contact No.: +61 (0) 455 793 809 | E-mail: brca.australia@gmail.com | Website: www.brca.org.au

2. Burmese Rohingya Association in Queensland-Australia (BRAQA)

Contact No.: +61 (0) 409 970 073 | E-mail: braqa10@gmail.com | Website: www.braqa.org.au

3. Queensland Rohingya Community (QRC)

Contact No.: +61 (0) 469 840 835 | E-mail: qrc.aus@gmail.com | Website: www.qrc.com.au

4. Australian Burmese Rohingya Organisation (ABRO)

Contact No.: +61 (0) 406 310 077 | E-mail: abro.aus@gmail.com | Website: www.abro.org.au

5. Central Queensland Rohingya Community Inc. (CQRC)