Press release: 7 August 2017

Arakan Rohingya National Organsation (ARNO) strongly denounces and rejects the report, dated 6 August 2017, of the Maungdaw Investigation Commission headed by Myanmar Vice-President Myint Swe, a former military general. The report is “fundamentally flawed” and devoid of truth.

We are not surprised that the government’s commission denies “crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing” against the Rohingya people, where Myanmar military and security forces were the perpetrators.
 
We reiterate that the commission lacked independence and proper mandate; its members are not impartial or competent; it fails to provide adequate and effective protection for witnesses; and it has not given any consideration to the independent expert’s recommendations. The report neither provides accountability nor reconciliation but impunity. It, in fact, is a blatant disregard of the human rights of the victims. 

 17 May 2017

On behalf of the Rohingya Muslim community, ARNO expresses shock, sorrow and condemns in the strongest possible terms the rape of at least 32 Rohingya women by the Myanmar military and Border Guard Police in Kyan Taung, Buthidaung Township, Rakhine/Arakan state.  

Once again we are forced to watch helplessly the gruesome acts of sexual violence perpetuated by the government forces against our women and girls, in the name of fighting terrorists. Our deepest sympathies are with these brave women, and their families, whose only crime is they were born a Muslim in this country.

April 2017

Arakan Rohingya National Organisation (ARNO) strongly condemns the Myanmar government plan to resettle Rohingya Muslims displaced by recent atrocity crimes in “camp-like” villages.

During recent military crackdown in Maungdaw district, about 1,000 Rohingyas were killed, hundreds of women raped, at least 1,500 houses burned across several villages, thousands more hid in forests and fields while about 75,000 Rohingya fled across the border to Bangladesh to escape genocide. In addition, about 140,000 Rohingya have been forced to live in semi-concentration camps in Sittwe since 2012 state sponsored genocidal massacre.

Date 30th January 2017

We, the undersigned Rohingya organisations worldwide strongly condemn the assassination of U Ko Ni, 65, a high profile Muslim leader and legal advisor of NLD on Sunday 29, 2017 upon arrival atYangoninternational airport from his official tour to examine the Indonesian model of interfaith. 

U Ko Ni, a 1988 activist, was well known inMyanmaras a sincere, honorable, dedicated and patriotic man. He was the founder ofMyanmar’s Muslim lawyers Association and had contributed the nation with his expertise in law. He was a strong advocate for peace, interfaith dialogue and harmony in the country. It is an irreparable loss for the nation.

3 December 2016

Arakan Rohingya National Organisation (ARNO) is strongly opposed to the government’s pretension and lack of honesty, and rejects the 13-member investigation commission formed on 1 December, inter alia, for the following reasons:

1. The military and police crackdown on innocent Rohingya civilian population in Northern Arakan since 9 October is state sponsored. It has been carried out with manifest intention of destroying the Rohingya minority community. Not only Myanmar military top brass but also the State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi is morally, officially and wickedly responsible for it.

28 November 2016

For more than 6 weeks the innocent and peaceful-living Rohingyas have been made systematic targets of wholesale destruction, killing, raping and looting and arson attacks. The Myanmar military and security forces have killed more than 500 people, raped hundreds of women, burned down over 2500 houses, destroyed mosques and religious schools, and perpetrated other inhuman acts.

Date: October 21, 2016

After attacks on police posts, on 9 October, allegedly by unknown Rohingya fighters, Myanmar authorities have disproportionally militarized Northern Arakan/Rakhine state raising a false alarm and creating human tragedies aim at destroying the Rohingya population. 

Joint Statement
16 October 2016

We, the undersigned Rohingya organisations express our serious concern on the continued military and police crackdown on the civilian population in Northern Arakan.

Since 9 October, under the pretext of looking for attackers, the Myanmar military and police forces have been indiscriminately killing the Rohingya, torching and plundering their homes and villages. Two mass graves were found and about 100 Rohingya civilians were extra-judicially killed that included old men, women and children. At least 5 Rohingya villages were set ablaze destroying many houses or whole villages.