This statement is made in response to press release dated 18/10/2007 issued by Mr. Ahmedur Rahman from Norway, in the ambiguous name of CRDB, intending to tarnish the image of the Arakan Rohingya National Organisation (ARNO) and its leadership.
- ARNO is a broad based organisation of the Rohingya people emerged on 28th November 1998, out of the merger of the then existing Arakan Rohingya Islamic Front/ARIF, Rohingya Solidarity Organisation/RSO (Dr. Yunus) and Rohingya Solidarity Organisations (Zakaria), through the Congress, Rohingya National Council (RNC).
- ARNO is actively working together with other Rohingya democratic political parties, organisations, Burmese democracy movements, International NGOs and different ethnic minorities groups of Burma.
- ARNO is the only Rohingya organisation which is working in alliance with Rakhaing or National United Party of Arakan (NUPA), a renowned moderate Rakhaing organisation, under the umbrella of Arakan Independence Alliance (AIA).
- ARNO is one of the leading component organisations of the Rohingya National Forum (RNF), formed by the First Rohingya Consultation held on 2-3 August 2006 in Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, under the auspices of the National Reconciliation Programmes (NRP) of the Union of Burma. RNF is a Rohingya people’s forum and its members are committed for Human Rights, Democracy, Federalism, Peaceful Coexistence and Indivisible Arakan. ARNO deeply denounces any kind of political activities that threaten the respect for democracy, human Rights, peace and tranquillity of the international community.
- ARNO peruses pragmatic policies and programmes and calls upon all to work together in the interest of the Rohingya people. It condemns anyone indulges in activities detrimental to the interest of the people.
- It is a fabricated statement that there was a communal riot occurred in Arakan, between Rohingya and Rakhaing that resulted in the killing of thousands of Rohingya men, women and children. After 1942, there had never been such incident, except some sporadic disturbances instigated by the Burmese military regime.
- ARNO and its leadership have had nothing to do with Mr. Ahmedur Rahman Farooq. It is a disinformation that he was threatened by ARNO leadership, and is but a disingenuous assertion for self-importance and self-interest. We strongly condemn such irresponsible accusation and call upon all our democratic alliance and friends to be careful of such vested interests and their activities at all times.
Central Committee
Arakan Rohingya National Organisation
Arakan, Burma.
Phone:+44 7947 854 652
Email: info_arno@yahoo.com
Dated: 21 October 2007