Rohingya
Reject Burmese Gov’t’s Prejudicial Inquiry Commission
The Burmese government formed an inquiry commission to
investigate into the on-going atrocities against the Rohingya on November 30,
according to a statement released by the Myanmar President U Htin Kyaw.
The statement, on paper, says “the inquiry commission is
formed to investigate into the background that led to the militant attacks in
Maungdaw; and its aftermaths and alleged human rights abuses; and to prevent
any such violence/attacks from occurring in the future.”
The inquiry commission comprises the members of the ruling
government, the MPs, the Myanmar Police Chief, Ex-Burmese United Nations Staffs
and the members of Burmese Human Rights Organizations and so on.
The commission is to be chaired by U Myint Swe, current vice
president 1 and ex-Lt-General who had been involved with Military Security
Affairs and NaSaKa, the former Border Security Forces notorious as ‘Rohingya
exterminating machine.’
The shocking fact revealed is that neither any member from
the Rohingya community, against whom the Burmese military the atrocities are
being committed, nor any members from other Burmese Muslim communities are
included in the commission.
To put it bluntly, the Inquiry Commission has been formed by
the Burmese government with its own people to investigate into the mass
atrocities committed against the Rohingya by its own military. How would they
scrutinize the military involved in the gross atrocities and mass rapes against
Rohingya? Above all, why would they really investigate into the complicities of
the military officials in the crimes? Whose order the military officials of the
lower ranks on the ground act upon?
One can continue to ask countless questions. But all the
questions will lead to only an answer. That is the Burmese military, from the
highest ranks to the lowest ranks, are complicit in the mass crimes against
Rohingya.
One may argue that the Burmese civilian government led by Daw
Aung San Suu Kyi is not complicit in the crimes as the military is not, by the
constitution, liable to listen to her order. But her silence, cover-up of the
military’s crimes and acting as a military shield well amount her complicit in
the genocide of the Rohingyas.
Therefore, the inquiry commission formed by the President
Htin Kyaw — apparently under the directions of Daw Suu Kyi and the Senior Gen
Min Aung Hlaing — is nothing but a vile attempt to conceal the crimes of ethnic
cleansing against Rohingya and decrease the international pressures on the
government to allow international investigation teams in Arakan State.
Exactly, it is something that will give déjà vu moments to
anyone familiar to Rohingya issues of the 2012 Rakhine Inquiry Commission that
twisted the truths and forged the reports of the state-sponsored violence
against the Rohingya and fooled the international community!
Therefore, we, the Rohingya as a whole, categorically reject
the Inquiry Commission formed by the Burmese government on November 30. We
demand international investigation teams to be sent to Arakan and carry out
investigations the fairest possible.