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#14751863



Genocide in Myanmar and no one cares because the Rohingya are Muslims.

Al Jazeera's Investigative Unit has uncovered what amounts to "strong evidence" of a genocide coordinated by the Myanmar government against the Rohingya people, according to an assessment by Yale University Law School.

The Lowenstein Clinic spent eight months assessing evidence from Myanmar, including documents and testimony provided by Al Jazeera and the advocacy group Fortify Rights.

More exclusive coverage by Al Jazeera investigating "strong evidence" of genocide in Myanmar can be found here: aljazeera.com/genocideagenda

"Given the scale of the atrocities and the way that politicians talk about the Rohingya, we think it's hard to avoid a conclusion that intent [to commit genocide] is present," concluded the clinic.
Exclusive evidence obtained by Al Jazeera's Investigative Unit and Fortify Rights reveals the government has been triggering communal violence for political gain by inciting anti-Muslim riots, using hate speech to stoke fear among the Myanmarese about Muslims, and offering money to hardline Buddhist groups who threw their support behind the leadership.

As the first fully contested general election in 25 years approaches on November 8, eyewitness and confidential documentary evidence obtained by Al Jazeera reveals that the ruling, military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) has attempted to marginalise Muslims and target the Rohingya.

Al Jazeera has made several requests for comment to the Myanmar President's office and government spokespeople but has not received any response.

Genocide Agenda

The investigation, presented in a new documentary, Genocide Agenda, consults legal and diplomatic experts on whether the government's campaign amounts to systematic extermination.

The University of London's Professor Penny Green, director of the International State Crime Initiative (ISCI) said: "President Thein Sein [of USDP] is prepared to use hate speech for the government's own ends, and that is to marginalise, segregate, diminish the Muslim population inside Burma.

"It's part of a genocidal process."

An independent report by the ISCI concluded that riots in 2012, which saw conflicts between ethnic Rakhine Buddhists and Rohingya Muslims erupt, were preplanned. The violence saw scores killed, and tens of thousands of people displaced after several thousand homes were burned.

"It wasn't communal violence," said Green. "It was planned violence. Express buses were organised" to bring Rakhine Buddhists from outlying areas to take part in the aggression.

"Refreshments, meals were provided," she said. "It had to be paid by somebody. All of this suggests that it was very carefully planned."

What Genocide Agenda reveals
• Evidence that Myanmar government agents have been involved in triggering anti-Muslim riots

• An official military document that uses hate speech and claims the Myanmarese are in danger of being 'devoured' by Muslims

• A confidential document warning of "nationwide communal riots" was deliberately sent to local townships to incite anti-Muslim fears

• A report by Yale Law School that concludes there is "strong evidence" genocide is taking place in Myanmar

• A former United Nations Rapporteur on Myanmar who says President Thein Sein should now be investigated for genocide

• Evidence that monks involved in the 2007 Saffron Revolution in that challenged military rule were offered money to join anti-Muslim, pro-government groups

• A report by the International State Crime Initiative at London University, which confirms that genocide is taking place. The team gathered independent evidence that riots in 2012 that left hundreds of Rohingya dead and over a hundred thousand homeless were preplanned

Former United Nations Rapporteur on Myanmar Tomas Ojea Quintana, meanwhile, called for President Thein Sein of the USDP and the ministers of home affairs and immigration to be investigated for genocide.

Stirring hatred

Genocide Agenda presents evidence that Myanmar government agents were involved in sparking anti-Muslim riots.

An official military document, a copy of which has been obtained by Al Jazeera, shows the use of hate speech, claiming the Myanmarese are in danger of being "devoured" by Muslims.

Al Jazeera is releasing the documents with translations alongside the documentary.

The investigation also reveals how the government uses hired thugs to stir hatred.

A former member of Myanmar's feared Military Intelligence service described how she witnessed agent provocateurs from the army provoke problems with Muslims.

"The army controlled these events from behind the scenes. They were not directly involved," she said, speaking on the condition of anonymity. "They paid money to people from outside."

Among other findings is a confidential document warning of 'nationwide communal riots' that was deliberately sent to local townships to incite anti-Muslim fears.

Further evidence from and sources within the Sangha, or monkhood, reveals that monks who challenged military rule in the 2007 Saffron Revolution were offered money to join anti-Muslim, pro-government groups.

While there has been evidence that Myanmar's military rulers deliberately provoked communal unrest during the years of dictatorship, until now there has been no evidence that this continued after the transition towards a partial democracy.

Matt Smith, founder of the advocacy group Fortify Rights, said that taken as a whole, the evidence indicates this trend is resurfacing.

"In the case of the Rohingya, in the case of Rakhine State, that could amount to the crime of genocide," Smith said. "Several of the most powerful people in the country should reasonably be the subject of an international investigation into this situation of Rakhine State."

In the November general election, the USDP is running against numerous ethnic and other parties, but primarily against the National League for Democracy (NLD), led by Aung Sang Suu Kyi.

The vote is seen as a crucial next stage in steps towards full democracy.

Reform in Myanmar has been under way since 2010 when military rule was replaced by a military-backed civilian government.

But since the military junta stepped aside in 2011, hardline Buddhist groups have taken advantage of liberalisation to gain influence in the country's politics.

Muslim candidates have been largely excluded from the upcoming election, in what also appears to be an attempt to assuage hardliners.

Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims were disenfranchised earlier this year when the government withdrew the temporary citizenship cards that allowed them to vote.


Al Jazeera
#14751899
Just for you Pants.

Damn those Buddhists trying to defend the few nations that they have! They should just roll over and let the whole world become Muslim. Do other faiths even have a right to exist alongside the Mohammedans? I think not.
#14751912
Pants-of-dog wrote:I am surprised that the anti-Muslim brigade has not come by to explain how these "immigrants" deserve this.

Oh. They have when I have brought up the plight of the Rohingya several times on TLTE. The islamophobes say that the Rohingya are Muslim fundamentalists who want to form a caliphate. But I really do think that is simplistic. I can't see them as a threat in the slightest.

#14751936
I get the feeling that if this all took place under the Military rule of the generals before Aung San Suu Kyi took over we would not stop hearing about this genocide on our TV news to a point where everybody would be sick of the subject.
The western propaganda machine would make a gargantuan meal of telling us how evil the Generals of the military rule of Burma are. just the same as the protests of the monks on our TVs every night, remember?

Now though since there is a pro western government in power we hardly hear anything about this. If you want to know about it you have to go look for it yourself.
Interesting isn't it?
#14752410
Tewodros III wrote:You know israel belongs to Ethiopia right? Ya light skiners just squatters.


Look at his comments mate, just look at his comments.. :eek:

you should adopt my rule too,
only reply to those who have at least an IQ of 19, leave him out.
I don't even allow myself to feel sorry for him cos he doesn't even qualify for that.
#14752415
I agree with a23 that there is less sympathy for Muslims in general for obvious reasons. Still, there is a fair amount of sympathy for Syrian civilians going around and they are Muslim?

I think these events just feel very remote to Europeans and Americans and we just don't know much about it. There is no history or narrative for the media to build on.
#14752424
garrulousunlawful wrote:I get the feeling that if this all took place under the Military rule of the generals before Aung San Suu Kyi took over we would not stop hearing about this genocide on our TV news to a point where everybody would be sick of the subject.
The western propaganda machine would make a gargantuan meal of telling us how evil the Generals of the military rule of Burma are. just the same as the protests of the monks on our TVs every night, remember?

Now though since there is a pro western government in power we hardly hear anything about this. If you want to know about it you have to go look for it yourself.
Interesting isn't it?


Aung San is nothing but a military shill and western or in general any media was never really interested in Myanmar.
#14752435
Are there also people in Myanmar giving a shit about terror attacks in Europe? I'm sure some bleeding heart on the Myanmar equivalent of PoFo is decrying his fellow posters for not wearing a JesuisParisJesuisNiceJesuisBerlin T-shirt.
#14752440
^ Indeed. Plus violence in Myanmar doesn't generally have any international significance, its very regional in nature. Syria, Turkey have more repercussion internationally, hence the news sells more. There is no conscious black-out of any sort.

Anyway Aung Sun is not really a replacement of military, its business as usual regardless of her being a darling of liberals.
#14752448
Frollein wrote:Are there also people in Myanmar giving a shit about terror attacks in Europe? I'm sure some bleeding heart on the Myanmar equivalent of PoFo is decrying his fellow posters for not wearing a JesuisParisJesuisNiceJesuisBerlin T-shirt.

Stop wallowing in self pity, The majority of the people there don't have a TV and cant afford a news paper to give a shit about terror attack here.
There are countries where 18 people die in a minute every minute of every day from hunger, do you even give fuck about them when you are scuffing down your Big mac and posting its picture in Facebook to look COOL?
do you wear a JesuisHunger T shirt for them?
Cant believe the shit I hear sometimes in this forum :roll:
#14752451
garrulousunlawful wrote:Stop wallowing in self pity, The majority of the people there don't have a TV and cant afford a news paper to give a shit about terror attack here.
There are countries where 18 people die in a minute every minute of every day from hunger, do you even give fuck about them when you are scuffing down your Big mac and posting its picture in Facebook to look COOL?
do you wear a JesuisHunger T shirt for them?
Cant believe the shit I hear sometimes in this forum :roll:


Wow, garry, is it just a lack of reading comprehension or a total lack to recognize sarcasm that ails you? That post of yours was an epic fail. :lol:
#14752456
Its already been said a few times here, but Myanmar isn't geopolitically relevant. There is almost no way this could cause problems in the region, and it certainly won't cause problems in the West. Further I don't think Western political leadership want to spoil their opening to Myanmar, this is still being thought of as a major accomplishment in some circles. This is why we only hear the positives of anything, all the media discusses are the marginal improvements, and not the number of seats in the legislature that are still reserved for military officers, or anything else that could cast the country in a negative light. Politicians want to protect this as part of their legacy and major companies are likely looking forward to resource deals and cheap labor.
#14752457
^ Exactly, this is what I said.

garrulousunlawful wrote:The majority of the people there don't have a TV and cant afford a news paper to give a shit about terror attack here.


Nonsense. If you are going to pretend that you give a shit about Myanmar, at least make an effort. This faux outrage is more ridiculous than apathy.
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