After violence breaks out — essential measures for resolution, protection and
security
Date: 26, Nov, 2014
Wai Wai Nu
Director
Women Peace Network Arakan
Good Morning Mr. Chairman, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentleman,
It's a great privilege to be here and I am grateful for OHCHR's invitation to address this
forum .
I'd like to say that we do support the draft recommendations on addressing ongoing violence
Additionally we do want to recommend a few more point such as,
No1. State must ensure the protection and prevention of minority rights in its constitution.
No2. State should take urgent action to pass new legislation to protect rights of minorities after the
violence broke out.
No3.State should pass new legislation to stop and take action against hate speeches and
hate crimes.
I represent a minority called Rohingya which is not recognized by the state as a national
ethnic group of Myanmar. Even though Rohingya are known as one of the most persecuted
community in the world by the UN I am not here today only to complain against my
government for persecution.
I am here today to find a constructive and fair solution for all. I am here today in the search
for peace for our vulnerable community and for peaceful co-existance of all communities in
Myanmar.
I am here today to testify that we just want our basic rights to be respected and our dignity
as human beings to be recognized.
We live in Rakhine state ,western part of Myanmar even before its become a part of
Myanmar. In fact the persecution of Rohingya start when the 1982 citizenship Act was
deliberately enacted , to take away the full citizenship we were enjoying before .
Consequently all our basic rights were taken away through many discriminatory rules and
regulations particularly targeting our community especially in the 1990s. At the end, the
violence occured in Rakhine state since 2012 between Rohingya and Rakhine community
. According to government, more than 200 were killed and about 150,000 people are still
displaced. Many were arrested and tortured . In reality actual figures are much higher.
Currently Rohingya are denied of the right to use their name which is indeed a denial of our
existence as a minority. We see this as a result of mis -ruling of the past dictatorship.
After two and half years , the violence escalated to other parts of the country and appear to
be provoked by an anti-muslim movement headed by some extremist groups including
buddhist monks. We strongly urge the government to take effective measures to stop the
violence and incitement to violence, to find a durable and peaceful solution to ensure our
protection and bring back security for all.