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BRAJ demonstrates in Japan |
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Saturday, 01 July 2006 06:00 |
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Tokyo, Japan: The Burmese Rohingya Association in Japan (BRAJ) held a demonstration outside the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Japan on World Refugee Day June 20, according to Zaw Min Htut, BRAJ president.
At the rally about 40 members of BRAJ demonstrated holding up banners, photographs of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, Rohingya imprisoned leader U Kyaw Min (National Democratic Party for Human Rights MP-elect and CRPP member) and those of Rohingya Refugees’ along with Amnesty International Japan branch, exposing human rights violation by the SPDC on the ethnic minority groups. The rally started at about noon. The president of Japanese opposition Party, Social Democratic Party, Ms. Mizuho Fukushima along with some members joined the rally. Mr. Kumazawa and Ms. Yagishita of Amnesty International Japan Branch delivered speeches. The rally continued till 1:30 pm and it concluded with slogans and appeals to the Japanese Government and the general public to pressure the regime to show respect for human rights to all minority groups in Burma including Rohingyas, free Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, MP U Kyaw Min and all other political prisoners, to support the UNSC resolution on Burma, to end military rule and hand over power to the elected parliament of the 1990 general elections. After the rally the BRAJ had a meeting with the senior vice-Minister for foreign affairs. The vice-Minister cordially received BRAJ president Mr. Zaw Min Htut and the information coordinator Mr. Soe Min Oo. Ms. Fukushima, the president of the Social Democratic Party of Japan, MP Mr. Hosaka Nobuto, Chief Staff International Department, Mr. Kawai Takuya, Foreign Affairs Director First South East Asia Division, Mr. Hideaki Mizukoshi, Deputy Director First South East Asia Division, Mr.Yoshinori Yakabe, Humanitarian Assistance Division Director, Mr. Motoshi Noro of Global Issue department of MOFA and Ms. Yagishita of Amnesty International also attended the meeting. At the meeting Ms. Fukushima introduced BRAJ president Mr. Zaw Min Htut to the senior vice-Minister Mr.Yasuhisa Shizaki and explained the situation of Rohingyas under the SPDC regime in Burma and Rohingya refugees around the world including in Bangladesh camps. The minister said the Japanese government had been told by the SPDC that Rohingyas entered Burma illegally. Regarding this, Zaw Min Htut explained to the Minister that the Rohingyas are ethnic minorities of Arakan from time immemorial with relevant documents. It is a sheer lie by the SPDC and they had violated their basic human rights under the pretext of them being non-nationals. Rohingyas were recognized as ethnic minorities of Burma under the Prime Minister U Nu. Rohingyas were allowed to vote and to be elected as parliamentarians and even dubbed health minister in 1961. The minister said he would definitely raise the SPDC’s human rights record, especially in regard to the Rohingyaa and the Karen situation when he meets his SPDC counterpart in July and he would try to resolve Rohingya issues through dialogues with the SPDC and will take the issue to the appropriate International forum. The Minister said it was a good opportunity to learn about Rohingya problems at the meeting and invited BRAJ to have more meetings in the near future. After the meeting BRAJ held a press conference at the minister’s office. In the 1990 general elections under the current SPDC military regime, Rohingyas elected four MPs and U Kyaw Min is one of them, who is imprisoned with his family by the regime. Zaw Min Htut detailed the current inhuman situation faced by Rohingyas in Burma and requested the Japanese government’s help them survive in Burma as well as to find a viable solution of the Rohingya issue, giving the example of East Timur’s freedom with the help of the Australian government and UN action from Indonesian occupation. Ms Fukushima and Mr. Hosaka of the social Democratic Party emphasized the situation of Rohingyas to the minister while Ms Yagishita of Amnesty International briefed about the human rights violations by presenting a report prepared by AI headquarters in a Japanese version. The BRAJ president submitted a memorandum and other historical documents relating to Rohingyas and appealed to the minister on these lines: 1.To advocate unconditional release of pro-democracy leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, NLD vice Chairman U Tin Oo, MP-elected U Hkun Htun Oo of Shan Nationalities League for Democracy, U Kyaw Min, a MP-elected of National Democratic Party for Human Rights (a member of CRPP) and his wife, children and all other political prisoners. 2.To condemn and stop the brutal Burmese military junta for it’s severe human rights violations against the ethnic minorities including Rohingyas of Arakan. 3.To support the United Nations Security Council resolution on Burma and urge review of its foreign policy on Burma’s military junta. 4. To explore a permanent solution to the outstanding problems of Burmese Rohingyas within the frame work of international law, pacts, human rights and other international practices. 5. To pressurize the SPDC to nullify Burma citizenship law of 1982, recognize the Rohingya people of Arakan as one of the indigenous nationalities and give due rights at par with other national groups of the country. 6. To continue assistance to the Rohingyas refugees in Bangladesh camps and elsewhere for their basic necessities.
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Last Updated on Tuesday, 05 September 2006 08:31 |
