DECLARATION OF THE ROHINGYA NATIONAL CONVENTION

Arakan, also known as Rohang, had been a sovereign independent kingdom for many centuries. Burman invaded and occupied it 1784. Then the British imperialist colonized our homeland in 1824. They transferred the “sovereignty’ over Arakan to Burma at the time of Burmese independence in January 1948.

Arakan is a land with a population of diverse, ethnic, linguistic, cultural and religious identities. Rakhaing and Rohingya are the two major indigenous peoples of Arakan. There are other ethnic races distributed among Chin, Kaman, Thet, Dinnet, Mramagri, Mro and Khami etc.

Throughout the Burmese rule, the Rohingya are under endless tyranny. Campaigns of terror, genocide, ethnic cleansing, extermination and other grave human rights violations have been perpetrated against them in a systematic and planned way.

The Rohingya tried to redress their grievances by peaceful means. But their non-violence resistance was met with premeditated and planned government and state sponsored terrorism directed towards annihilating the Rohingya population. So, the Rohingya first embarked on freedom movement for their “right of self-determination” soon after the Burmese independence in 1948. The current movement is but the continuation of the Rohingya people’s long and heroic struggle.

The Rohingya National Convention was held on 14-16 May 2004 in a place on the border area. It was a long felt national conference of the Rohingya people, participated by Arakan Rohingya National Organisation (ARNO), Burmese Rohingya Association in Japan (BRAJ), Burmese Rohingya Community in Australia (BRCA), exiled leaders of the National Democratic Party for Human Rights (NDPH), Students and Youth League for Mayu Development (SLMD) and National League for Democracy (NLD) in Arakan, and other organizations and leaders from inside and outside Arakan -- including Rohingya Youth Development Forum (RYDF), Arakan Human Rights Organization (AHRO),  Ex. Members of the Parliament (MPs), Rohingya elites from Bangladesh, academics and professionals, religious and community leaders, youth and student leaders, refugees leaders and social welfare  activists. A number of Rohingya groups and individuals from home and abroad, particularly from USA, Canada, France, Netherlands, KSA, UAE, Pakistan, Thailand and Malaysia sent their messages expressing their solidarity with the Convention.

The delegates and participants discussed on the current political developments and process and other important issues and problems relating to Arakan and its peoples, particularly matters of Rohingya’s concern.

The Convention expressed its total support and solidarity with Arakan Rohingya National Organisation (ARNO) entrusting all matters of national interest to it.

The Convention formed a “Working Committee” with the participants for building consensus and drafting Arakan State Constitution, in a manner consistent to democracy and federalism.

The Convention unanimously issued a Declaration as follows: 

(1)   The Rohingya are an indigenous people in Arakan and, therefore, are one of the many ethnic nationalities of the Union of Burma. The Rohingya -- having a supporting history, separate culture, civilization, language and literature, historically settled territory and reasonable size of population and area -- consider themselves distinct from other sectors of the society and are determined to preserve, develop and transmit to future generations their ancestral history, and their ethnic identity, as the basis of their continued existence as people, in accordance with their own cultural pattern, social institution and legal system.

(2)   The Rohingya have the right to ‘self-determination’ by virtue of which they have the right of whatever degree of autonomy they choose. The concept of the Rohingy’s ‘self-determination’ is to charter the future of the Rohingya and that of their generation to come under genuine federalism of the Union of Burma.

(3)   The Convention stresses the need for unity among all the peoples of Arakan and Burma, irrespective of language, culture, religion and ethnic background, for establishing a genuine Democratic Federal Union of Burma that will ensure political self-determination, self-identification, democracy, equality, justice and human rights to all.

(4)   The Convention deplores the policy of ‘exclusiveness’ being practiced by some Rakhaing political party leaders and individuals to keep the Rohingya politically marginalized and urges upon them to shun from inflammatory writings, speeches and activities against the Rohingya, in the interest of the all people of Arakan. Such practice that leads to confrontation rather than co-existence cannot be done without doing injustice to the composite nature of the Arakan society. Let’s come forward with a commitment for both unity and diversity, a respect for difference, willingness to share power. Replace hatred with love and affection, because the third party preaches the hatred. Let’s replace the policy of confrontation and destruction with cooperation, peace and development and let’s work together to find the best solution for our future generation.

(5)   The Convention expresses its solidarity with all Burmese oppositions, democratic forces and ethnic nationalities and aspires to work together with Members of the Parliament Union (MPU), United Nationalities League for Democracy (UNLD) Ethnic Nationalities Council (ENC), National Democratic Front (NDF), National Council of the Union of Burma (NCUB), and National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma (NCGUB).

(6)   The Convention expresses its support to the 1990 General Elections results and National League for Democracy (NLD) whose parliamentarians won an overwhelming victory and its leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and other political and ethnic parties, including the National Democratic Party for Human Rights (NDPH) and Kaman National League for Democracy (KNLD).

(7)   The Convention expresses its concern over the SPDC sponsored sham National Convention to be held, on 17 May 2004, only with its handpicked persons, without regards to democratic norms. This unauthentic convention is liable to be condemned nationally and internationally. There would be no genuine indication of democratic changes and national reconciliation in Burma while the military regime continues to keep political prisoners and suppress basic freedom. The SPDC Roadmap has yet to be manifested by real and tangible changes on the ground towards a genuinely free, transparent, and an inclusive process involving all political parties, ethnic nationalities, including Rohingya, and elements of civil society. The only real route to political reform in Burma is a ‘tripartite dialogue’ with the junta, the democratic oppositions and ethnic nationalities as called for annually by the United Nations since 1994. Without ‘tripartite dialogue’ there is little hope for national reconciliation and, there will be no peaceful resolution of crisis in the Union.

 The Convention supports the decisions and actions of the NLD and UNLD, including Shan National League for Democracy (SNLD), not to participate in the sham convention.

(8)   The Convention strongly condemns the SPDC’s state terrorism upon Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and her supporters at Depayin on 30 May 2003, in which hundreds of people were reportedly killed and injured. In contradiction to its slogan about national harmony and unity, the SPDC is practicing violence and terrorism to oppress and subjugate the country’s democracy activists and ethnic nationalities. The Convention demands for an immediate and impartial investigation into the massacre and take action against perpetrators. It also calls upon the SPDC to immediately release Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and all political prisoners across the country, including the ailing student leader Min Ko Naing now in Akyab jail.

(9)   The Convention welcomes and thanks the United States and European Union for their renewal and continued sanction against the SPDC. In view of the absence of tangible and substantial efforts and measurable progress toward transition to democracy, the Convention urges upon the international community to take tougher political and economic sanctions against SPDC. In this connection, the US and EU may formally place the issue on the agenda of the U.N. Security Council, and work urgently toward a resolution threatening credible sanctions against the Burmese regime unless it initiates meaningful progress toward democracy.

(10)          The Convention notes that there are huge number of refugees from Burma sheltering in all neighboring countries and urges upon the international community, UN with UNHCR, and the host countries to help them continue their peaceful living on humanitarian ground.

 Since 1948 about 1.5 million Rohingyas have been expelled or have fled the country for their lives. Many of these uprooted people are taking shelter in Bangladesh, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, UAE, other Middle-East countries, Thailand and Malaysia. They are still waiting to return to their ancestral homeland of Arakan with dignity and honor.

(11)           The Convention expresses its serious concern over the continuing human rights violations on the Burmese people and democracy activists, particularly on the Rohingya and in areas of ethnic nationalities. Crimes like extra judicial killings, summery executions, arbitrary arrests and torture, humiliating restriction on the movement, forced labor, forced relocation, confiscation of properties, destruction of settlements and places of worship, mosques and religious schools are being perpetrated. Rapes and molestation of womenfolk have become the unwritten but institutionalized code of punishment by the military junta. The Convention calls upon the SPDC to stop forthwith all its heinous actions against the people.

(12)           The Convention strongly condemns the SPDC for its continued humiliating restrictions on the freedom movement and other socio-economic, cultural and religious activities of the Rohingya. The movement restriction imposed on the Rohingya is not acceptable to any living creatures on earth. The Convention calls upon the junta to stop treating the Rohingya as animals and ensure their human rights and freedom.

(13)           The Convention proclaims that the people of Arakan with the indigenous Rohingya have the right to own, develop and control their land and territories, air, water, coastal sea, flora and fauna and other resources, they have traditionally occupied or otherwise used. They have complete right and ownership of the gas and petroleum in their homeland.

 The Convention expresses its serious concern that the SPDC is now selling the gas to serve its own purposes and the people of Arakan are not benefiting from the huge gas reserve in their backyard. The Convention urges upon all those interested in Arakan gas to comply with all civilized norms and practices in order to serve the local people of the area, help restore democracy with legitimate responsible government and thereafter enter into gas deals and other projects with the informed consent of the people.

(14)           The Convention expresses its gratitude to neighboring Bangladesh for providing food and shelter to our people. Being a neighboring Muslim country affected by the Rohingya problem with a huge number of refugees taking refuge on her soil over the decades, the Convention urges upon democratic Bangladesh to review its policy toward military ruled Burma and to play a ‘key role’ for a permanent solution of the Rohingya problem.

(15)           The Conventions appeals to all neighboring countries, particularly Bangladesh, India, China and Thailand to help restore democracy and human rights in Burma.

(16)           The Convention appeals to UN and its member states, including OIC and ASEAN to mount effective pressure against the SPDC for the restoration of democracy and human rights in Burma, in the interest of peace and stability in the region.

Chairman                                                                                               Rohingya National Convention                                                                 Arakan, Burma.

Dated: 16 May 2004