Local residents march to support the 1982 Citizenship Law in Sittwe, Rakhine State (Photo - Than Hlaing/EMG)
The government has responded to
the speech of Vijay Nambiar, UN Secretary General's Special Advisor to
Myanmar requesting citizenship rights be granted to Rohingya muslims in
Myanmar saying such suggestions were impractical and impossible.
Vijay Nambiar recently said at the
International Peace Institute of the United States of America: “The
country's Rohingya Muslims must have a path to citizenship, otherwise
their security will remain under threat,” and “if such a step were not
taken, it will affect the international reputation of the country.”
The government pointed out that Vijay
Nambiar’s suggestion was only instigating the conflicts between two
communities after tensions had almost returned to normal.
Nambiar said the status of Rakhine's
Muslim population remains unaddressed despite many promises by the
authorities for early action to provide temporary identity certificates,
register new births, and allow the Rohingyas to move freely.
"The utmost necessity now for the Muslim
community in Rakhine," he said, is to have their status verified and
regularised, and to obtain a National Registration Card from the
government and then citizenship which would enable the Rohingyas to
travel throughout the country and get passports to go abroad.
"I think that is a better way towards
realising immediate objectives, and then gradually move towards using
that status to establish a political constituency, and that's what would
happen in any democratic process," he said.
Vijay Nambiar added that top priority for Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar was to get citizenship.
The government, ethnic Rakhine and some
politicians responded that only those who are certified under the 1982
Myanmar Citizenship Law should enjoy Myanmar citizenship. Those who are
not in line with the law could not enjoy that right. Vijay Nambiar’s
demand was not practical and possible. Moreover, he was accused of
interfering in internal affairs of Myanmar.
Regarding the Bengalis in Rakhine State,
a high ranking official from the President’s Office said that those who
were in conformity with the 1982 citizenship law could enjoy
citizenship. If not, the rights to citizenship could not be achieved. No
one can put pressure on the rights of a nation or tribe. The government
will not accept the special envoy’s pressure on citizenship right to
Rohingya in Myanmar.
A senior official from the President
Office said that there are (3) points. No-1 is Bengali. There is no
Rohingya or subtribes in Myanma. The government and the public have the
same opinion about that. We are not turning a blind eye to their Right
to Citizenship. The no-2 point is that we will give them citizenship
according to 1982 citizenship Law. The reason why the matter of
bestowing citizen has partly connected to a Nation’s sovereignty. It has
legally established. When giving to a part of sovereignty, we will give
to those who have met the standard of 1982 Law. The no-3 point is that
as all of you have known, in the latest census, some have written as
Rohingya. The word Rohingya has never existed in Myanmar. What I mean is
that, in getting a citizenship, pressure should never be given. The
government couldn’t give citizenship as they demanded. So everyone must
be citizen according to Law.
He added that whenever and wherever we
discussed this matter, including UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon or
others in U.S. and Europe, the matter turned out the same. This is the
government’s stance. It is not practical to give citizenship to all
Bengalis in Rakhine State. Stability in the country, stability in
socio-economic lives of the people, peaceful settlement for the problems
is more important.
If one looks at the history of ethnics
nationals of Myanmar, it has long history dating back to thousands of
years. If one look at the history of Myanmar before and after it gained
independence, history of Rakhine and south East Asia history, it is true
that there was no race named Rohingya according to leader of Arakan
National League for Democracy Aye Thar Aung.
“Our government has already said that
there is no such race in Myanmar. In Myanmar, there are 135 national
races but their race ( Rohingya) is not included. So, there is no race
by the name of Rohingya in Myanmar. It is not natural to ask a race to
become a citizen. It shouldn’t be,” said Aye Thar Aung.
Local residents march to support the 1982 Citizenship Law in Sittwe, Rakhine State (Photo - Than Hlaing/EMG)
Former political prisoner Myint Aung
said: “We can’t accept and strongly condemn the use of “Rohingya” by Mr.
Nambiar. Using such word is threatening the current condition in which
both communities are started to settle. Besides, there is no such ethnic
as Rohingya in our ethnic groups. We assume the term “Rohingya” as a
danger word for our country’s tranquility. We agree and support the 1982
citizenship law. We have to consider our country’s tranquility, economy
and culture regarding to give the citizenship. The one who wants to be a
citizen of Myanmar must be legally accepted in accord with the 1982
citizenship law.”
Min Zayya from the 88 Peace and Open
Society expressed that Mr. Nambiar’s comment is encroaching the
sovereignty of Myanmar. He said: “I concern if such comment said by the
special advisor of the United Nations like Mr. Nambiar lead to inciting
to bigger conflicts happened in Rakhine State.”
He continued “Suggesting or criticising
the quality of being nationality of Myanmar by an organisation from the
abroad, or a person live in abroad, or the foreign government is
directly encroaching the sovereignty of Myanmar since being the
nationality is a kind of sovereignty. It is interfering with our
sovereignty. We assume that Mr. Nambiar’s remark on being nationality of
Myanmar is directly interfering in the internal affairs of Myanmar. We
can’t accept the term “Rohingya” as the ethnic.”
The Yangon region Ethnic Rakhine Affairs
Minister Zaw Aye Maung said: “What could he do since the President
Thein Sein said there is no Rohingya? His remark is totally ineffective.
He has no right to interfere the Myanmar’s internal affair.”
The Chairman of Arakan League for
Democracy Aye Thar Aung said that there are non-ethnic like Chinese,
Indian or Bengalis who live in the country holding the citizenship card
in accord with the law while some are illegally holding the nationality
card. What is more, there might be Bengalis entering into Myanmar who
are valid to be the Myanmar citizens in line with the 1982 law. Those
kind of Bengalis can apply for the citizenship is rational. Also illegal
immigrants entering into Myanmar in various illegal ways have to be
taken action in accord with the law.
The Director from the Ministry of
Immigration and Population Myint Kyaing said that the state government
has already announced the stance regarding with Bengali issue. Bengalis
will be the Myanmar citizen if they are legally valid with the
citizenship law. If they don’t valid, they won’t be the citizens.
He continued “Foreigners who is legally
accepted with the nationality law of Myanmar will be the Myanmar
citizens. Therefore we won’t consider any pressures given by the
international community concerning with the Bengalis issue to be the
citizenship. We will take action in accord with the 1982 citizenship
law, which still exists in the country.”
"Anyone with a full qualification to
become a citizen has the right to citizenship. We need to stand strongly
so that those with full qualifications for citizenship should be
protected by the law if they have not been granted citizenship while
unqualified people should not be granted citizenship," said Min Zayya.
"It is included in our 1947
Constitution. We have to examine whether people are from ethnics races
or citizens in accordance with this law," said high court lawyer Kyaw
Hoe. "This is a broad issue. We need to examine both the evidence from
their side and our side. If it is one-sided, the other side will not
accept it so we need to hold a meeting where both sides will present
their evidence and decide."
"We need to abide by the existing laws for the citizenship issue. If the law is ineffective, it needs to be amended," he added.
According to the 1982 Citizenship Law,
the following persons born in or outside the State are also citizens:
(a) persons born of parents, both of whom are citizens; (b) persons born
of parents, one of whom is a citizen and the other an associate
citizen; (c) persons born of parents, one of whom and the other a
naturalized citizen; (d) persons born of parents one of whom is (i) a
citizen; or (ii) an associate citizen; or (iii) a naturalized citizen;
and the other is born of parents, both of whom are associate citizens;
(e) persons born of parents, one of whom is (i) a citizen; or (ii) an
associate citizen; or (iii) a naturalized citizen; and the other is born
of parents, both of whom are naturalized citizens; (f) persons born of
parents one of whom is (i) a citizen; or (ii) an associate citizen; or
(iii) a naturalized citizen; and the other is born of parents, one of
whom is an associate citizen and the other a naturalized citizen.
For many years, illegal immigrants from
Bangladesh have entered Rakhine State and weaknesses of the government
have led to racial and religious conflicts. During the transparent era,
the public started learning about the difficulties the ethnic Rakhine
people have been facing for many years due to lack of rule of law,
according to Min Zayya.
A senior official from the President's
Office called for the international community including the United
Nations to find out the truth about the Bengali issue in Myanmar and
asked for them to help urge the organisations that have been protesting
against the 1982 Citizenship Law to cooperate with the government in
order for everyone to participate peacefully in carrying out citizenship
scrutiny activities in accordance with the 1982 Citizenship Law.
"Bad inheritances have been handed down
from the time when the country did not have transparency and was ruled
by incompetent government. I believe that these bad inheritances can all
be solved completely if we try to solve them democratically,
transparently, and with rule of law. Another thing is that this issue is
really an internal affair. No country has the right to interfere," said
Min Zayya.
____ http://elevenmyanmar.com/
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