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Burmese Army Accused of Rape and Racism
JAKARTA, Sept 9 (IslamOnline and News Agencies) - The Burmese military junta and its armed forces came under fire during the recently concluded World Conference Against Racism (WCAR) in Durban.
Ethnic women from Burma at the conference demanded that the military regime in Burma stop its decade-long violations of human rights. They also urged Southeast Asian governments grouped under the ASEAN forum to review their policy towards Burma.
Naw Chai Mei Hua, an ethnic Karen woman from Burma, on Wednesday drew the world's attention to the plight of ethnic groups in Burma.
Representing the "Women's League of Burma", Naw Chai Mei Hua delivered her speech in front of her government's delegation, the NGO community and the media at WCAR's plenary session.
She accused the ruling State Peace and Development Council (SPDC), the military junta in power in Burma, of being the root cause of multiple acts of discrimination faced by minorities, especially towards women within ethnic groups.
"Discrimination is exacerbated in ethnic lands due to the war against the ethnic nationalities by the Burmese ruling authority. The soldiers commit sexual violence against ethnic women with impunity, the most oblivious form of discrimination," said Hua.
Hua, introduced to the WCAR's official panel by the Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development, told the conference that she and her female counterparts have faced multiple acts of discrimination because they were women of an ethnic origin and refugees.
"Ethnic persecution, a form of racism, xenophobia and related intolerance has led us to flee Burma. Some have become refugees and some, undocumented migrant workers in neighboring countries. Again, we face more discrimination because we are non-nationals," she said.
Hua referred to ethnic Rohyingas, Muslims originating from West Bengal, whom for years have lived as refugees in Malaysia, Thailand and even India, due to massive oppression and rights abuses committed against them in Burma.
Muslims are said to have suffered some the worst abuses at the hands of the military and its intelligence group. They were literally "robbed" of their possessions and businesses while members of their families were sent for forced labor in prison camps.
Hua also brought a petition signed by 51,487 internally displaced persons, refugees and migrants on the Thai-Burma and Burma-Indian borders, asking WCAR to address the consequences of racial discrimination and related human rights violations committed by the ruling junta.
At the end of her statement, Mei Hua requested the United Nations to encourage the SPDC to negotiate a nationwide ceasefire and enter into a genuine dialogue with all the political factions in Burma.
"Particularly, we request ASEAN, China, India and Japan, to review their policy towards Burma and to take a leading role for the development of a national reconciliation process and meaningful political change in Burma," she said.
During the conference, members of the NGO community staged a peaceful protest against the Burmese junta outside the hall.
They raised pictures of Aung San Suu Kyi, the jailed leader of the National Democratic Front and held banners reading "Stop miniaturization in Burma", "Free Burma" and "In Burma, the military is racist and sexist".
Some of them taped their mouths with white paper as a symbol of "no freedom" in Burma.
The SPDC came to power in September 1988 after killing thousands of protesters who were demanding the restoration of democracy and human rights.
With additional reporting by Kazi Mahmood
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