No lifting of sanctions against Burma unless the Rohingya are granted their civil rights!

The Society for Threatened Peoples (STP) sends a warning against lifting the sanctions against Burma as long as the Muslim Rohingya minority aren't granted their civil rights. "Indeed, Burma has made a few steps toward democratization, but the continued discrimination of some 800,000 Rohingya – who's citizenship was withdrawn – shows how far the country is still away from a genuine democracy," said the STP's Asia-expert, Ulrich Delius, in Göttingen on Wednesday. "It would be too early to take any pressure from Burma's government." On Thursday, Burma's President Thein Sein will appeal to the UN General Assembly in New York to end all sanctions against his country. In summer of 2012, the European Union had decided to suspend the sanctions for one year, while the USA extended the import-restrictions for products from Burma for another year from August onwards. 

"It is in the hands of the European Union and the countries of the Muslim world to protest in front of the UN General Assembly against the arbitrary exclusion of an entire population group just because of their beliefs," said Delius. The STP demands that the Rohingya must finally be recognized as equal citizens of Burma. This means that the controversial citizenship law of 1982, which serves as a legal basis for the Rohingya's deprivation of citizenship, must be revoked. After serious conflicts between the Burmese Rohingya and Rakhine Buddhists in June 2012 and after massive assaults by the security forces on the Muslim minority on August 26, 2012, the European Commission had ordered Burma not to deprive the Rohingya of their civil rights any longer.

This year, the Muslim states want to discuss the plight of the Rohingya in front of the UN General Assembly for the first time. Many Muslim countries provided humanitarian assistance for the Rohingya refugees during the last weeks. The way Burma deals with the Rohingya also causes serious objections by the ASEAN countries. Many of the neighboring countries fear an exodus of the Rohingya from Burma because so many members of this minority do not feel safe in their home country any more and see now future there. Last week, even the former Prime Minister of Malaysia, Mahahtir Mohamad, asked Burma to give the Rohingya back their civil rights.