Attachments
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
On August 28, 2017 security forces from the Myanmar military,
police, Border Guard Police, and Rakhine
civilians attacked the village of Gudam
Para, located in Buthidaung, Rakhine State.
One day prior, an attack by security forces
on nearby Dumma Para village had made
many Rohingya flee to hide in Gudam Para.
The 200-300 assailants besieged
Gudam Para between 1:00 p.m. and 2:00
p.m. and killed and injured Rohingya
villagers. Security forces raped Rohingya
women. Security forces and Rakhine
civilians burned down 300-450 Rohingya
homes at about 2:00-3:00 p.m. Security
forces set fires by shooting launchers and
Rakhine civilians set fires with gasoline.
In the terror after such mass-scale
violence and killing, Gudam Para villagers
escaped to Bangladesh, where they now live
in temporary tents inside precarious refugee
camps.
Yet the systematic destruction of
the Rohingya people began far earlier
than August 2017. Starting from decades
earlier, the government confiscated land
from Rohingya villagers and allocated it
to Rakhine people or used it for their own
purposes.
And during the time period of 2012-
2016, Rohingya experienced various forms
of religious discrimination and persecution.
They were forbidden to freely practice their
religion, with those caught in prayer beaten,
charged with exorbitant forced fines, and
arrested.
Marriage required payment of high
fees, in order to obtain permission from
authorities. As the permission was issued,
authorities directed the Rohingya to have
no more than two or three children, under
threat of punishment.
The Rohingya had no freedom of
movement but were forced to obtain a series
of travel permissions, even to travel to a
neighboring village. And despite obtaining
such permission by paying large amounts
of money, the military and security forces
fabricated charges against the Rohingya and
arrested them. From 2016, the Rohingya
were forbidden to even leave their own
homes between 6:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.
The Rohingya faced discrimination
in schooling, thereby foreclosing their
education. The government barred
Rohingya from obtaining public
employment. The military and security
forces regularly conscripted the Rohingya
into forced labor. The Rohingya also
faced discrimination in obtaining medical
treatment and healthcare.
Although the Rohingya voted before
2015, this too was foreclosed after 2015.
Finally, no Rohingya held Myanmar
citizenship. Indeed, the military tried to
force the Rohingya to accept NVC, a card
which registered them as foreigners. In
summation, the Rohingya were deprived
of basic rights in essentially every aspect of
daily life.
With this history of religious
discrimination and persecution as the
backdrop, we recommend first that
the international community provide
affirmative support to having the matter
referred to the International Criminal Court
or to a newly established special or adhoc
court for investigation and trial. The
truth-seeking investigation must proceed
without any grants of immunity, for the
wrongdoers occupy the highest levels of the Myanmar military and BGP, and are officials
of the Myanmar government, including
State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and
other Cabinet Members, as well as ordinary
civilian citizens.
We also recommend that the Myanmar
government provide remedy and relief to
the victims and survivors, founded first on
restoration of previously-held rights, as
well as financial recompense to those for
whom such restoration is insufficient, such
as victims who have suffered psychological
harm. In such situations, it is critical to
respect and decide the specific substance
and form of remedy and relief according to
the wishes of the victims and the Rohingya
community.
Further action includes the introduction
of legislation and administrative measures
to abolish systems and practices that
discriminate against the Rohingya, including
those involving hate speech and other forms
of prejudiced information. Education is
necessary to improve awareness of hatred,
bias, and discrimination.
The Myanmar government must
cease registering the Rohingya with NVC
identification cards and must ensure
restoration of their citizenship rights.
Finally, the Myanmar government and the
international community must actively
guarantee and ensure participation of
Rohingya people in discussions about
possible repatriation.