Senator. Jeff Merkley 

One World Trade Center

121 SW Salmon St. , Suit 1250

Portland OR 97204

 

Date: February 2, 2009

 

Oregon Rohingya Society

15383 SW 122nd Ave

Tigard, OR 97224

 

Dear Senator,

 

Subject: Burmese Rohingyas and their predicament inside and outside of their homeland

I on behalf of Oregon Rohingya Society first and foremost would like to congratulate you for being elected representative of  US senate for Oregonians. We also like to draw your attention to the above subject matter being your constituents residing in Oregon for over decade.

Oregon Rohingya Society is founded by some Rohingya residents in Oregon since 2007. Our main purpose is to bring the impasse of Rohingya into attention of international communities and to help resettlement of Rohingya refugees mandated by United Nation High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) as our hapless Rohingyas refugees have been lingering for about two decades mostly in Bangladesh and other Asian nations.   

Rohingyas are an indigenous people of Burma whose settlement in Arakan now western state from the time immemorial. They have developed from different stocks of people living in common geographical location in Arakan well before Burman’s invasion in 1784. Arakan was virtually ruled by Rohingya Muslims from 1430-1531.  During colonial period, the British Military Administration recognized the separate identity of Rohingya and declared the northern part of Arakan as the “Muslim National Area” vide publication notice no. 11-OA-CC/42 dated December 31, 1942.

Burma is a country well known for its tyrant rulers since 1962 and it is the most isolated country in the world for its gross human rights violations. The minorities including Rohingyas are worst victims of militarism in Burma . Rohingyas are constantly subjugated by means of denying citizenship, expulsion from their homeland, arbitrary arrest, forced relocation and internal displacement, forced labor, illegal taxation and extortion, land confiscation, rape, exclusion from national politics, limitation of religious practices and restriction on movement, freedom of expression, education, healthcare and even marriage.  Thus hundreds and thousands of Rohingyas had escaped to seek shelter and protection in other countries.

Recently some hundreds of Rohingyas fleeing oppression were intercepted by Thai coast guards in its territorial water. The navy personnel physically abused the captured by unclothing, tying hands and drying up over the hot beach, tortured by whipping and finally towed up by disabling the engine in high sea. They were believed to be feared dead. It is very unfortunate to witness such a horrible tragedy deliberately created by Thai authorities that lead to a few hundreds of death or disappearance. This news was covered by almost every world’s leading News Networks including CNN, BBC and many more. But there is no responsibility so far shown by Thailand for the cause of the death.

We strongly believe that the Rohingya problem is longstanding that needs be addressed internationally and regionally in order to reach a permanent solution for those suffering people in their ancestral land. The Rohingyas have been victims of institutionalized discrimination and systematic persecution under the barbaric military government. They are in dire need of protection and assistance from international communities because they are dying alive with slow-burning genocide.  The Rohingya people need immediate and serious attention of international communities, particularly strong voice of concern by US.

We therefore with great hope request and urge your good office to take this matter into your kind consideration for the sake of human rights violation against innocent children, aged, women and men. We will be very grateful if your office will be able to arrange an appointment in your available time in the coming days so that we can have an opportunity to comprehensively present our problem before you.

With highest regard,

 

Reza Uddin

 

Oregon

Rohingya Society