Saudi-based OIC, the world’s largest Muslim grouping, has urged Myanmar to probe into violence between Buddhist Rakhine and Rohingya. President Thein Sein welcomed a visit by the OIC to see the ground situation for itself when Turkey’ foreign minister met him on Aug 10 and offered aid to the strife-stricken Rakhine state. “The president said he hoped the OIC secretary could witness the reality (in Rakhine),” the New Light of Myanmar said. President Sein asked his visitor to ‘explain the realities in Myanmar’ to the OIC. The state run daily said tens of thousands of displaced people from both sides are being given food and shelter.
Egypt and Saudi Arabia have called for an investigation into the Rohingya unrest. OIC head Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu proposed sending a fact finding and probe mission to Rakhine.
Rohingyas have not integrated into the predominantly Buddhist society of Rakhine. They are treated as stateless and have since become the most persecuted minority, according to the United Nations.
Tensions and bloodshed are periodical occurrences resulting in swelling the number of Rohingya refugees in the adjoining Cox Bazar area of Bangladesh. During the latest flare up human rights groups have accused human rights abuses by security forces. The government has however rejected the charge. Its contention is that the security forces were handling a difficult situation in the best way possible. The spark for violence was provided by an act of rape and the subsequent mob attacks on the culprit and his associates. It led to imposition of emergency rule since June
President Thein Sein has squarely blamed monks and politicians with kindling hate. “Political parties, some monks and some individuals are increasing the ethnic hatred. They even approach and lobby both the domestic and overseas Rakhine community,” Thein Sein said in a report sent to Myanmar’s parliament
Apparently, Thein Sen cannot afford to have the attention diverted from the blue print he has unveiled for Myanmar. That he means business is clear from his decision to lift curbs on the media.
“Censorship for all local publications is lifted from August 20, 2012,” a statement posted on the information ministry’s website announced on Monday Aug 20. Pre-publication censorship that had applied to everything from newspapers to fairy tales ended last year itself. Less controversial publications were freed from scrutiny last year, and now political and religious journals will be free from ‘pre-approval’. It means the censor will begin scrutiny only after publication and will be generally lenient.
These changes have been expected for months but were repeatedly delayed for various reasons particularly the delay in drafting a new media law. As Zaw Thet Htwe, a spokesperson of the Committee for Freedom of the Press, told the Irrawaddy magazine, the end to direct censorship of the media is ‘a real improvement’. It will become a giant leap in democratic reforms if other laws like the 2004 Electronics Act, as well as the draconian 1962 Printers and Publishers Registration Act become history.
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How fast Myanmar will grow? Asian Development Bank expects to see a 6 per cent growth in 2012 and about 6.3 per cent in 2013. In its report “Myanmar in Transition: Opportunities and Challenges,” the ADB confidently forecasts that Myanmar could grow at 7%-8% per year for a decade or more, replicating the success of other Asian economies, “if the government continues to push more reforms after giving residents more freedoms and floating the country’s currency over the past year”.
The report doesn’t minimise the challenges before the regime since the country has no infrastructure in place.
-malladi rama rao
