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RECENT BRUTALITIES ON MUSLIMS IN MY



Subject: RECENT BRUTALITIES ON MUSLIMS IN MYANMAR(BURMA) & ASEAN

Our Reference:30/02/12(07)
Date: 27 May 1997

His Excellency
Ambassador U Saw Htun
Myanmar Embassy
No. 10, Jalan Mengkaung 
Off Jalan Ru, 55000 Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia



Your  Excellency,

RECENT BRUTALITIES ON MUSLIMS IN MYANMAR (BURMA) BY THE STATE LAW AND 
ORDER RESTORATION COUNCIL (SLORC)


May  this letter finds Your Excellency in the best of  health and high 
humanitarian spirit.

Reference the above and in utter dismay and distress, the Muslim Youth 
Movement of Malaysia (ABIM) condemns the State Law and Order Restoration 
Council (SLORC) of Myanmar  for the following reasons:-

1. Despite the "Constructive Engagement " policy of ASEAN, which 
includes the Malaysian government,  in defiance of international outrage 
and condemnation against Myanmar's policy of  "ethnic cleansing" and 
massive human rights abuses, the SLORC is still pursuing the same policy 
especially against  the  Muslim Communities in Burma which has now  
spread from Arakan to areas in Mandalay and Yangon.  Apparently the 
SLORC is not co-operating with ASEAN leaders in pursuing  the 
"Constructive Engagement " policy. 

2. The SLORC is deliberately  harassing  the Muslim Communities and 
insulting Islam as a religion and way of life in Burma even at  this 
very crucial  time of  its entry   into the ASEAN. It appears that  the 
SLORC is blatantly  insulting  the noble and sincere intention of  ASEAN 
leaders, including Malaysian  Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr. Mahathir 
Mohammad, who had collectively indorsed the said Policy to the point of 
courting the ire of Western leaders, the US in particular. .  

3.The SLORC is fully responsible for the demolition and depradationof 
more than thirty (30) mosques and other Muslim properties  throughout 
Burma which started from March 16, 1997.



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4.  The SLORC has maintained a very poor record of racial and religious 
harmony  in Burma. Obviously, the SLORC has repeatedly  instigated 
racial riots between the Muslimsminority and theBuddhists majority by 
supplying the local Buddhist administrative and religious bodies, 
inflammatory  anti-Muslim  leaflets and  mobs organized by the agents of 
 SLORC    to   divert popular attention from the national political and 
economic hardships. 

5. In spite of  the SLORC's iron  grip on the whole population and 
affairs of Burma, its anti-Muslim activities were, however, bared 
publicly  by the people and the  opposition quarters . When any  public 
rally, procession, or even private meetings  in Burma  were held 
concerning  either  democracy  or politics, the SLORC would crushed  
them  within hours. However, when    rude mobs burned mosques and 
destroy  Muslim's  properties,  the response  from  the SLORC is almost 
 nothing . In fact, it even gives instructions behind the scenes and 
monitors the progress of every anti-Muslim activities.

6. The SLORC  demolished (without  even using the mobs) two  more 
mosques in  Rangoon,  near the Burma Broadcasting Services (BBS), in  
the middle of  May, 1997.  This action  clearly indicates that  the 
previous demolition of 30 mosques throughout Burma was  indirectly  done 
 by  the SLORC.        

7. The previous records of SLORC and its precursor, Burma Socialist 
Programme Party(BSPP), towards the Muslims has been characterised by 
prejudice, discrimination and oppression, to say the least. The SLORC 
officially  ordered not  to appoint Muslims in the government services. 
(Please refer to Appendix-1)

8. The SLORC is fully responsible for making  the whole Rohingya 
community in Arakan stateless, despite their presence in the country for 
a Millennium already. The SLORC created hostile environment  for the  
Rohingyas with severe oppression, including  forced relocation, denial 
of  right  to  citizenship and severe  forms of human rights  violations 
 which caused  diaspora of more than 250,000 Rohingyas in each time  to 
the nearby Bangladesh; once in 1978 and another  in 1991. 

9. The SLORC repression on  Rohingyas was  upgraded in recent  years 
despite bilateral agreements between Burma and Bangladesh for  the 
refugees (forced?)repatriation and the presence of the UNHCR .The  SLORC 
representatives in UN has continuously been denying the citizenship 
rights of the Rohingyas in the conferences of  UN agencies. 
(Appendix2:references).

10. The cruelties of SLORC on Muslims is part and parcel of  its 
non-cooperation with the International  Community  and utter disrespect 
 to Burma's 47 million population.  Likewise,  its cruelties on other 
ethnic minorities like the Karens and Mons, and the recent crackdown on 
the legitimate representation of Burmese  peoples ( members of 
parliament  from NLD and other political parties who won landslide 
victory  in 1990 general election) are also the hallmarks  of  the 
notorious behavior of SLORC.





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	Therefore, we in  ABIM,  hereby strongly condemn the SLORC 
regime of Burma for the above-mentioned  reasons, and urge:
 	
	1. The immediate cessation of  SLORC's  anti-Muslim strategy  
and stop all repressive measures on Muslim Communities in Burma, 
including the Rohingyas in Arakan.
	
	2. To restore immediately  the inborn citizenship rights of 
Rohingyas in Arakan, Burma. 
	
	3.  To rebuild  the demolished mosques immediately  throughout  
Burma. 

	4.  To compensate all the damages and destroyed properties of  
the Muslims during the anti-Muslim SLORC-instigated riots in March and 
April, 1997. 
	
	5. To allow independent , inter-religious  ASEAN enquiry  
committee to probe the actual cause and  damages on Muslims in 1997. 

	We, as Malaysian citizens, would like to appeal to our  
Honourable Prime Minister and Foreign Minister to review the  policy  of 
"Constructive Engagement" on Burma and, if possible, to delay its entry 
into ASEAN  until the existence of a legitimate government of  Burma.


With Peace and  Harmony, 








AHMAD AZAM ABDUL RAHMAN
Secretary General

cc:
1. H.E. The Prime Minister of Malaysia
2. Hon.  Foreign Minister of Malaysia