Rohingya are indigenous to Burma
31-01-2009
Arakan, Burma, (ARAKAN ROHINGYA NATIONAL ORGANISATION):
We strongly protest and condemn SPDC [military regime of Burma] for its lie in ‘New Light of Myanmar’ dated 29th January 2009 that “Rohinja is not included in over 100 national races of the Union of Myanmar”. This is an evil design to deny us of our rights, and we rebut as follows:
1. The Rohingya are a people characterized by objective criteria, such as historical continuity, and subjective factors including self-identification, which need to define an indigenous people. They are a people having supporting history, separate culture, civilization, language and literature, historically settled territory and reasonable size of population and area in Arakan V they consider themselves distinct from other sector of the society.
2. Arakan was virtually ruled by Muslims from 1430 to 1531. The heyday of Arakan began with the influence and spread of Muslim civilization in Arakan. Coins and medallion were issued inscribing Kalema (the profession of faith in Islam) in Arabic script. Besides, practice of Muslim etiquettes and manners in the court of Arakan, the adoption of Muslim titles by the kings of Arakan and system of governance, the Muslim Quazi courts and literary activities, use of Bengali and Persian as court and official languages, etc. are the evidences of Muslim rule in Arakan.
3. The first President of Burma Sao Shwe Theik stated: “Muslims of Arakan certainly belong to one of the indigenous races of BurmaK.In fact, there is no pure indigenous race in Burma, if they do not belong to indigenous races of Burma, we also cannot be taken as indigenous races of Burma”.
4. Under Article 3 of the Nu-Attlee Treaty of 17 October 1947, and under Section 11(i)(ii)(iii) the Constitution of the Union of Burma 1947,effected 4 January 1948, the Rohingyas are citizens of Burma.
5. Being one of the indigenous communities of Burma, the Rohingya were enfranchised in all national election V during the later colonial period (1935-1948), democratic period (1948-1962), Ne Win’s Socialist Programme Party (BSPP) period (1974-1988) and the last multi-party general election of 1990 held by the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC), the previous name for the ruling SPDC. In their exercise of franchise, the Rohingya elected their representatives to the Legislative Assembly, Constituent Assembly, the Parliament, People’s Assembly and People’s Council of different levels. Their representatives were appointed as cabinet ministers and parliamentary secretaries.
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