They have been in Burma/Myanmar for 500 years but they told tat they are foreigners.
They look different from the Burmese and they are Muslims. The Rohingya are being persecuted and slaughtered. Unfortunately, Suu Kyi, the Nobel laureate elected to Myanmar's parliament after more than a decade spent under house arrest, has dodged questions on the plight of the minority.
A constituent raised the issue with me today. The only escape from Burmese ethnic cleansing is to cross the border into Bangla Desh. They are not welcomed is a country that is already over crowded.The United Nations has referred to the Rohingya, widely as among the most persecuted people on Earth.
Analysts and activists say Suu Kyi's stance marks a new phase in her career: The former political prisoner is now a more calculating politician, choosing her causes carefully.
"Politically, Aung San Suu Kyi has absolutely nothing to gain from opening her mouth on this," said Maung Zarni, a Myanmar expert and visiting fellow at the London School of Economics. "... She's a politician and her eyes are fixed on the prize, which is the 2015 majority Buddhist vote."
The Rohingya have been denied citizenship even though many of their families have lived in Myanmar for generations. The U.N. estimates that 800,000 Rohingya live in Myanmar, where they face heavy restrictions: They need permission to marry, have more than two children and travel outside their villages.
Myanmar considers the Rohingya to be illegal migrants from Bangladesh, but Bangladesh also rejects them, rendering them stateless.
Most of the outrage over their plight has come from the Muslim world. Saudi Arabia has accused Myanmar of launching an "ethnic cleansing campaign," and King Abdullah announced Saturday that he would donate $50 million in aid to the Rohingya in Myanmar.
Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2012/08/16/4186998/myanmars-voice-of-the-downtrodden.html#storylink=cpy
Not wanted in Burma or Thailand
http://blogs.channel4.com/world-news-blog/push-back-the-desperate-search-for-refuge-in-thailand/23592
Posted by: Ad | February 08, 2013 at 12:53 AM
"Poor people being rejected from one place to another."
What is happening to them is shocking. On Channel 4 news they reported groups of Rohingya trying to gain entry into Thailand by floating down in their hundreds on little fishing boats. Most of the time they where turned away to end up who knows where.
Posted by: Ad | February 07, 2013 at 11:44 PM
Poor people being rejected from one place to another. Being stateless is like being an orphan, without parents. That what happens to the Rohingya. Where is the UN ?
Posted by: Donate to Sponsor a Child | February 03, 2013 at 08:48 AM