Sun Daily:
Rohingya association president claims he has been receiving constant threats
PETALING JAYA: The President of Myanmar Ethnic Rohingya Human Rights Organisation Malaysia (Merhrom) Zafar Ahmad Abdul Ghani (pix) has made a police report concerning allegations made against him on social media.
“People have been calling me constantly saying they want to kill me,” Zafar told theSun during a telephone conversation.
Throughout the interview, the line was cut off a few times with Zafar claiming it was due to the threatening spam calls coming in.
“Once again, these allegations on social media are false. All I ever demanded in my capacity as Mehrom’s president, is for Asean to pressure Myanmar to stop the genocide against the Rohingya people and humanitarian aid for the refugees already here,” he said.
Zafar is also aware that the threats directed at him have been diverted towards the Rohingyas. For these past few days, there have been a wave of xenophobic attacks by Malaysian netizens against the Rohingya community. In response to that, Zafar said: “I thank the Malaysian government, NGOs, and people for the help we have already received. We request Malaysians not to take out their anger on the Rohingyas.”
“If the Myanmar government gives us citizenship and rights, we will gladly go back.”
When asked why did these allegations suddenly surface, and if the Enhanced Movement Control Order (EMCO) has anything to do with it, Zafar wasn’t sure, but he claimed that reports stating that there are 15,000 Rohingya refugees in the Selayang Baru area isn’t true.
“From what I know only 300 Rohingya refugees are in the area,” he said.
“There might be other refugees and immigrants there. We do look like Bangladeshis, and the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) gives out ID cards that don’t state the ethnicity of refugees,” Zafar added.
We tried contacting the UNHCR to confirm the number of refugees, but we have yet to get a response.
His wife (who did not want to be named out of fear), was also on the line and confirmed that Zafar and his family have been receiving threats.
“We aren’t sure if they will act on those threats, but it is scary. It’s mental torture and my kids are traumatised and can’t study,” she said.
“We want MCMC to monitor these false allegations.”
“People have been calling me constantly saying they want to kill me,” Zafar told theSun during a telephone conversation.
Throughout the interview, the line was cut off a few times with Zafar claiming it was due to the threatening spam calls coming in.
“Once again, these allegations on social media are false. All I ever demanded in my capacity as Mehrom’s president, is for Asean to pressure Myanmar to stop the genocide against the Rohingya people and humanitarian aid for the refugees already here,” he said.
Zafar is also aware that the threats directed at him have been diverted towards the Rohingyas. For these past few days, there have been a wave of xenophobic attacks by Malaysian netizens against the Rohingya community. In response to that, Zafar said: “I thank the Malaysian government, NGOs, and people for the help we have already received. We request Malaysians not to take out their anger on the Rohingyas.”
“If the Myanmar government gives us citizenship and rights, we will gladly go back.”
When asked why did these allegations suddenly surface, and if the Enhanced Movement Control Order (EMCO) has anything to do with it, Zafar wasn’t sure, but he claimed that reports stating that there are 15,000 Rohingya refugees in the Selayang Baru area isn’t true.
“From what I know only 300 Rohingya refugees are in the area,” he said.
“There might be other refugees and immigrants there. We do look like Bangladeshis, and the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) gives out ID cards that don’t state the ethnicity of refugees,” Zafar added.
We tried contacting the UNHCR to confirm the number of refugees, but we have yet to get a response.
His wife (who did not want to be named out of fear), was also on the line and confirmed that Zafar and his family have been receiving threats.
“We aren’t sure if they will act on those threats, but it is scary. It’s mental torture and my kids are traumatised and can’t study,” she said.
“We want MCMC to monitor these false allegations.”
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kaytee notes from Wiki (extracts):
In the early 19th century, thousands of Bengalis from the Chittagong region settled in Arakan seeking work. It is hard to know whether these new Bengal migrants were the same population that was deported by force to Bengal's Chittagong during the Burmese conquest in the 18th century and later returned to Arakan as a result of British policy or they were a new migrant population with no ancestral roots to Arakan. [...]
During the Pakistan Movement in the 1940s, Rohingya Muslims in western Burma organized a separatist movement to merge the region into East Pakistan.
During the Pakistan Movement in the 1940s, Rohingya Muslims in western Burma organized a separatist movement to merge the region into East Pakistan.
The commitments of the British regarding the status of Muslims after the war are not clear. V Force officers like Andrew Irwin felt that Muslims along with other minorities must be rewarded for their loyalty. Muslim leaders believed that the British had promised them a "Muslim National Area" in Maungdaw region. They were also apprehensive of a future Buddhist-dominated government.
In 1946, calls were made for annexation of the territory by Pakistan as well as of an independent state. Before the independence of Burma in January 1948, Muslim leaders from Arakan addressed themselves to Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan, and asked his assistance in incorporating the Mayu region to Pakistan considering their religious affinity and geographical proximity with East Pakistan.
The North Arakan Muslim League was founded in Akyab (modern Sittwe) two months later. The proposal never materialized since it was reportedly turned down by Jinnah, saying that he was not in a position to interfere in Burmese matters.
i thot our policy is very welcome of muslim refugee?
ReplyDeleteNajib and the UMNO-PUS hierarchy have turned 180-degrees and are now promoting anti-Rohingya sentiment for their opportunistic political advantage.
ReplyDeleteThe Rohingyas have now been stabbed in the back , where previously Najib found it expedient to be their champion, and welcomed tens of thousands of Rohingyas into the Malaysia.
The solution is quite simple really.
ReplyDeleteMyanmar should make them citizens and allow them to set up their own Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan.
Too late for Rohingya SJK schools, way way too late.
DeleteIf only they had settled in Myanmar when it was then known as Burma, when the population of Burma was still sparse, when the Burmese weren't developed as yet, with majority wearing sarongs most time, spitting out red betel nut spittle all over the damn place and sitting on floor having their meals with their hands, when their language is also not developed yet barely reaching vocabulary and there's no such thing as proper schools then...only then the Rohingya could set up their own SJK. But with one caveat : Rohingya civilization must be at least 3500 years older and their language must be supremely developed by then.
Too late
Zafar Ahmad Abdul Ghani married with local malaysian girl and having a few children. he try hard to applying for citizenship.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2015/05/17/malaysia-no-different-than-myanmar-for-rejecting-refugees-rohingya-rep-says/898451
ReplyDelete