Arakanland News & Article

ARAKANLAND

27 September 2011 – Recent developments bode well for progress in Myanmar, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today, while calling on the new Government to do more to ensure to bring about an inclusive transition.

A new Government was established in the South-East Asian nation six months ago, and more recently the country has received a series of high-level bilateral visits. In addition, President Thein Sein has made a pledge for Myanmar to “catch up with the changing world.”

“Real opportunities for progress exist, but the Government must step up its efforts for reform if it is to bring about an inclusive – and irreversible – transition,” Mr. Ban said in a press statement issued after the ministerial meeting of the Group of Friends on Myanmar, which was held at UN Headquarters on the margins of the 66th session of the General Assembly.

“In particular, the authorities must cultivate improved dialogue with all political actors and release all remaining political prisoners,” he said.

Mr. Ban said change is not only possible, but necessary, adding that the international community has a responsibility to support Myanmar’s change.

Formed in 2007, the Group of more than a dozen nations and regional blocs is designed to serve as a consultative forum for developing a shared approach in support of the Secretary-General’s good offices mandate on Myanmar.

Meanwhile, Myanmar’s Foreign Minister told the Assembly’s high-level debate today that the Government has launched a series of political, economic and social reforms aimed at improving the welfare of its people, but voiced regret that these efforts are being hampered by international economic sanctions.

Wunna Maung Lwin said that States that imposed unilateral sanctions against Myanmar should lift them now that it has “emerged as a new democratic nation in accordance with the constitution approved by the overwhelming majority of the people.”

He stated that Myanmar attached great importance to the promotion and protection of human rights, and that fundamental rights are guaranteed by the “relevant provisions of the constitution.”

As a gesture of “national reconsolidation,” the Government had last month offered an olive branch to all “national race armed groups,” Mr. Lwin said, adding that some of the groups had accepted the reconciliation offer.

He also highlighted what he said was the granting of an amnesty to 20,000 prisoners by Mr. Sein in May and that all of them had been released by the end of July.

“The President in exercising the mandate vested upon him by the constitution will further grant an amnesty at an appropriate time in the near future.”

The Government is also reaching out to the international community, Mr. Lwin said, pointing out that Myanmar had received visits by heads of State and high-level delegations from regional and international organisations over the past five months. The President also made official visits to Indonesia and China.

Source: UN News Service

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ARAKANLAND

ARAKAN ROHINGYA NATIONAL ORGANIZATION CONTACTS
WITH AL QAEDA AND WITH BURMESE INSURGENT GROUPS ON THE THAI
BORDER

Classified By: COM CARMEN M. MARTINEZ; REASON 1.5(D).

¶1. (C) Summary:  Under pressure from Bangladesh, the Arakan
Rohingya National Organization (ARNO) contacted the Karenni
National Progressive Party in late August 2002 regarding the
possibility of relocating its bases to KNPP-controlled
territory on the border between Thailand and Burma. According
to a report prepared by Burmese military intelligence, ARNO
also sought membership in the Democratic Alliance of Burma, a
loose confederation of Burmese insurgent groups now operating
on the Thai/Burmese border.   KNPP reportedly refused ARNO's
request.  The DAB also rejected ARNO's application for
membership, but has forged a "military alliance" with ARNO,
according to the paper.  The Burmese also report that ARNO's
Chairman Nurul Islam, has received a U.S. visa and is en
route to the United States via Saudi Arabia.  The facts in
the Burmese paper appear plausible.  Its purpose is probably
to draw a connection between Al Qaeda, which has supported
ARNO, and Burmese insurgent groups active on the Thai border.
End Summary.

¶2. (C) The following are edited excerpts from a Burmese
military intelligence report on the Arakan Rohingya National
Organization.  It was given to us on October 7 by Brigadier
General Kyaw Thein, ostensibly to clarify recent news reports
alleging connections between Al Qaeda and ARNO forces based
in Burma.  According to Kyaw Thein, there are links between
ARNO and Al Qaeda, but all of ARNO's bases are in southeast
Bangladesh.

¶3. (C) Begin text:

Arakan Rohingya National Organization (ARNO) -- Its
Historical Background & Latest Situation (Sept, 2002)

Historical Background

Muslim Terrorist-Insurrection groups such as the Rohingya
Solidarity Organization (RSO), Arakan Rohingya Islamic Front
(ARIF) and Hak Kavt group combined and established the
Rohingya National Council (RNC) on 28 October, 1998.  The RNC
was then reorganized as the Arakan Rohingya National Council
(ARNC).  The Rohingya Liberation Army (RLA) was also formed
by combining all the armed insurgents of the groups.  The
Arakan Rohingya National Organization was formed to organize
all the different Rohingya insurgents into one group under
pressure from Muslim groups outside Burma.

Organization of ARNO

The headquarters of ARNO was opened at No. (30 Ju-ma-khar
street, Ju-ma-khar ward, Chittagong in Bangladesh.  Their
camps are based at Zai-Lar-Saw-Ri HQ camp--map reference
(PG-2916), Daw-Maw-Sri camp--map reference (P6-0537) and
Kyar-Laung-Taik camp--map reference (PG-2026).  ARNO group
had an estimated strength of about 200 insurgents, of whom
about 170 are equipped with a variety of arms.  A Central
Committee of ARNO is organized as follows:

(a)  Chairman
(b)  Military Commander
(c)  Secretary
(d)  Asst Secretary (Chittagong Office-in-Charge)
(e)  Central Committee Member (Asst Military-in-Charge)
(f)  do
(g)  Central Committee Member
(h)  do
(i)  do
(j)  Foreign Liaison-in-Charge
(k)  Foreign Fund Raiser
(l)  Representative for Malaysia
(m)  Cox's Bazaar District Organizer
(n)  Finance Officer
(o)  Liaison Officer
(p)  Advisor
(q)  Camp Commander (Zai-La-Saw-Ri Camp)
(r)  Deputy Camp Commander
(s)  Camp Commander (Daw-Maw-Sri Camp)
(t)  Camp Commander (Kya-Long-Taik Camp)

Meeting of Five Members of ARNO with Taliban leader Osama Bin
Laden

Five members (names still under inquiry by the GOB) of ARNO
attended a high-ranking officers' course with Al Qaeda
representatives on 15 May, 2000 and arrived back in
Bangladesh on 22 June.  During the course, they discussed
matters relating to political and military affairs, arms and
ammunition, and financing with Osama Bin Laden.  Mohamed Arju
Taida and Mohamed Rau-Sheik Ar-Mar Darsi from the Taliban
were present with them at the meeting.  Ninety members of
ARNO were selected to attend a guerrilla warfare course, a
variety of explosives courses and heavy-weapons courses held
in Libya and Afghanistan in August, 2001.  Thirteen out of
these selected members participated in the explosives and
heavy-weapons training.

Arrival of Two Taliban at ARNO Headquarters

Al Ha-Saud and Al Ja-hid, two members of Taliban group,
arrived at ARNO's headquarters in Zai-La-Saw-Ri Camp on 2
November, 2001 from the Rohingya Solidarity Organization's
(RSO) Kann-Grat-Chaung camp.  They met with Nur Islam
(Chairman), ZaFaur-Ahmed (Secretary) and Fayos Ahmed (acting
Chief-of-Staff Army), ARNO, and discussed the reorganization
of RSO and ARNO.  It was learned that ARNO/RSO and Taliban
groups planned to hold a meeting on 15 November, 2001. Nur
Islam, Chairman of ARNO, also declared that the Arakan
Rohingya Islamic Front (ARIF) and the Rohingya Solidarity
Organization (RSO) had agreed to reorganize as integrated
members of ARNO. However, Mullah Dil-Mar from RSO did not
agree with this re-organization and resigned with his
entourage of insurgents.

Foreign Correspondents Arrived at ARNO Headquarters

Ban-Draban correspondent from Bangladesh, Ha-Saud-Ahmed and
two foreign correspondents (still under inquiry by GOB) went
to ARNO's headquarters at the Zai-La-Saw-Ri Camp and met with
the acting Camp Commander who was Chief-of-Staff Army Salein.
They inquired about the following data.

(a)  Day, Month and Year of establishment of ARNO
organization.
(b)  Attitude and objective.
(c)  The year the ARNO had departed from Myanmar.
(d)  Present strength of forces and fighters.
(e)  Types of Arms and Quantity.
(f)  Is it to build Rakhine as a separate and an independent
(State/Nation) or to ask for Democracy?
(g)  List of Anti-Myanmar groups in Bangladesh.
(h)  Muslim organizations and Non-Muslim organizations in
Bangladesh to be separately identified.
(i)  Necessary funding and funding countries.
(j)  The present financial situation.

Vice Chairman of ARNO Fayos Ahmed's Meeting with Insurgent
Leaders based and active in Thailand

Fayos Ahmed, Vice-Chairman of ARNO, along with U Maung Lu Gyi
from NUPA (National Unity Party of Arakan), arrived in
Bangkok from Bangladesh on 27 August, 2002 and proceeded to
Chiang Mai.  Then, through the Burma Border Consortium,
including the help of an English woman named Mrs. Pippa
Curwen, wife of DAB Aye Saung, they talked with the leaders
of KNPP (Karenni National Progress Party) -- Aung Than Lay
(Vice Chairman), Raymond Htoo (General Secretary), U Khu-Ral
(joint General Secretary) and Aung Myat (Chief of Staff -
Army).  Fayos Ahmed said that ARNO had been told to leave
Bangladesh by the Bangladesh authorities and that it was
difficult for them to continue in Bangladesh.  He also
mentioned that the USA and other various organizations were
continuously watching them on account of assumed contacts
with the Al-Qaeda group.  So he asked for a camp to be opened
in a suitable place in the area of KNPP, in as much as
Thailand was the most suitable country for them.

Then Fayos Ahmed met with Mai-Aik-Hpone, Secretary of
Pa-Laung State Liberation Front (PSLF), Khun-Okkar, Chairman
of Pa-O People Liberation Organization (PPLO) and Aye Maung
from the Lahu national group.  In addition, he discussed the
ARNO's critical situation with Chiang Mai-based VOA, BBC and
RFA news media, NGOs in Thailand and Shwe-Kharr of the Chin
National Front (CNF).  He proceeded from Chiang Mai to Mae
Sod on 5 September and talked with Bo Mya (Vice-Chairman),
Pado Man-Sha (General Secretary) and Tar-Ma-La-Baw at KNU
headquarters.

Fayos Ahmed discussed with KNU the above mentioned matters
and the possibility of ARNO's becoming a member of DAB.
Application for a membership in DAB by ARNO was not granted
on the objection of Aung Sein Tha from Democratic Party of
Arakan (DPA) and Khaing Soe Aung from Arakan Liberation Party
(ALP).  Both Khaing Soe Aung and Aung Sein Tha bitterly
rejected the proposal on the grounds that the Rohingya were
not indigenous to Rakhine State and that they could not
accept them at all as ethnic people.  Though DAB has not
granted the membership to ARNO, it has made a military
alliance with ARNO.

According to Fayos Ahmed, ARNO Military-in-Charge, Salem
Ulah, had contacts with Al-Qaeda and some members of ARNO
forces were arrested when they were sent to join the Taliban
in Afghanistan and attacked the Americans.  These ARNO forces
were sent to Afghanistan along with Rohingya groups in
Karachi, Pakistan. Rohingya groups are in many countries like
Pakistan, India, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, UAE, Palestine and
Australia.  Chairman Nurul Islam has received an American
visa and departed for Saudi Arabia from Bangladesh, with an
intent to reside in Saudi Arabia for a short period and then
depart for the United States.  Fayos Ahmed, during his short
stay in Thailand, met with Dr. Allen from NCGUB Foreign
Affairs Department, David Htaw from KNU and David Smile from
Burma Lawyer Council (BLC).  He went to Thailand as an editor
of a news media and returned to Bangladesh on 12 September.

Investigation of Members of Rohingya Jihad Caught in Singapore

Hanbali and Baasyia are leaders of Jemaah Islamiyah
(JI)-organized Rabitatul Mujahideen group which was involved
in the whole region as a Muslim organization.  Through
contacts with Muslim groups in the region, active cooperation
was achieved in matters of training, weapons-buying,
financing, exchange of information and terrorist military
operations.  The other organizations which cooperated were
Gerakan Aceh Merdeka (GAM), two organizations in Southern
Thailand and Rakhine and Rohingya terrorist-insurgents in
Myanmar.  ARNO has established a contact with Al-Qaeda and
five Central Committee members of ARNO paid a visit to
Afghanistan in April, 2001.  Besides, ARNO has also
cooperated with Republic of Islam Aceh (RIA) and Egyptian
Jammah Jihad Mesir (JJM).  It is believed that there exists a
small community of Rohingya's in Patuwat, Malaysia.

End text.

Comment

¶4. (C) The Burmese report has enough specificity to make it
generally plausible. The Government of Bangladesh advised
ARNO in May that it had to clear out of its bases in
southeastern Bangladesh and, shortly thereafter, 195 members
of the Arakan Army turned themselves in to the Burmese.  As
yet, ARNO has not moved from Bangladesh.  According to the
Burmese, ARNO and RSO together still maintain eight bases in
Bangladesh.  If the Burmese report is correct, however, they
are looking for a new base of operations.

¶5. (C) The Burmese view all these groups as terrorists.
Their purpose in giving us this report is to make sure we are
aware of the alleged contacts between ARNO and the Burmese
insurgent groups on the Thai border.  Presumably, they hope
to bolster relations with the United States by getting credit
for cooperation on the CT front.  End Summary.
Martinez.

Source: http://www.wikileaks.ch/cable/2002/10/02RANGOON1310.html

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ARAKANLAND

Update Time: 2011-09-13 08:43:18

Mohsin Sheikh:
Wikileaks has revealed that there is a link between the Rohingya
refugees sheltered in Bangladesh with that of Islamic extremists.
Under the cloak of NGOs the Islamic militant outfits are operating
among the Rohingyas in Teknaf.  Besides, the Rohingyas are also
involved in human trafficking.  For this they have a certain style.
This information was found in the regular report to the Washington
from the US Embassy in Dhaka.  This was published in a wire of the
recent wikileaks files.  The wire was sent by the then US Ambassador
Harry K Thomas.  In the wire it was said that a Poloff knew details
of Rohingya affairs by talking to a human rights activist from
Belgium.  The said woman human rights activist, Chris Lewa by name is
engaged with Forum Asia in Bangkok, and was engaged with the Rohingya
affairs for a period of six years prior to 2005.  She used to come
regularly to Bangladesh for conducting resettlement of the Rohingyas
and she had close links with the UNHCR run camps.
Lewa informed Poloff, a US official that, the militant Islamic
organizations are conducting programmes under the guise of NGOs.  One
of the organizations was the ‘Samannito Manabik Uddyog’ or
“Coordinated Human Venture.” The organization is linked to Al-Haramain
of Saudi Arabia.  Lewa claimed that though the activities of
Al-Haramain are closed in Bangladesh it is working in coordination
with ‘Samannito Manabik Uddyog’.  She added that the Rohingyas had two
opposing organizations.  One is ‘moribund’Arakan Rohingya National
Organization (ARNO) and the other is the militant’ Rohingya Solidarity Organization.

Lewa said, though ARNO had its military wing, it is moderate, and
liberal.  because of the political asylum granted to its top leader,
Nurul Islam, in the UK, and also for the detention of its military
wing leader in Chittagong prison, the organization grew feeble.  Lewa
thought that the arms and ammo in the ammunition store caught by the
Bangladesh Army in Cox’s Bazar possibly belonged to ARNO.  With the
leaders gone into hiding, the members of the organization may have hid
them.  Lewa also said that she knew little about RSO.  But she assumed
that should there be any linkage with the Islamic extremists, that
should be none other than the RSO.    Lewa claimed that  after 1950
the Rohingya refugees started moving to cities like Mecca and Jedda,
and there they sought work or took jobs by availing work permits.
According to her estimate there are more than half a million Rohingya
in Mecca, Jedda and Emirates.  They take advantage of going to the
Middle East during the hajj.  At that time they mix up with the
Bangladeshis as people from Chittagong and go to Mecca.
Large numbers of Rohingyas from Burma (Myanmar) enter illegally into
Bangladesh to take advantage of the hajj.  Lewa said a travel agent in
Chittagong was connected to collecting visas for 400 Rohingyas for
their hajj trips.

Lewa added that many Rohingyas are spreading across South Asia in
recent times.  They went to Karachi through the road link in India.
She estimated that at lease 200,000 Rohingyas have gone to Karachi
this way.  The Biharis and Rohingyas are directly involved with human
trafficking in Pakistan, which the Pakistanis knew too.  She talked to
16 such women (victims of trafficking) in Pakistan.  They said that
they came to Pakistan to join their families in Pakistan.  She also
said that those who are giving human rights assistance to the
Rohingyas in Pakistan had links with Jamat-e-Islami.***

Link of Source:

http://www.coxsbazarnews.com/news_details.php?details=7816&newscatid=93

Source: 8888peoplepoweryahoogroups

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ARAKANLAND

New York- World Arakanese Organization (WAO) U.S.A. Branch successfully held " the Commemoration Ceremony of 9/11 Attack and Protesting Meeting over the Misuse of "Arakan" and Fabrication of Arakan History" at the place of Sukhavidy Hall in New York City on Sun Day, September 11, 2011.

Thirty Five people as attendees were participating, mourning the Sept. 11 victims by terrorist attacks.

During the meeting Dr. Aye Kyaw presided the ceremony and Ko Than Tun Aung served as master of ceremony.

Dr. Aye Kyaw delivered the opening speech and he briefly explained the term of Arakanese (Rakhine) and what is definite the term of Rohingya in word of Arakanese according to Guru U U Tha Tun.

 Dr. Aye Chan, Arakanese famous scholar, also academically explained on his research knowledge pointing out a background note of Chittagongnian Bengalis who have come from Bangladesh to Arakan/Burma.

All attendees were very interesting during the Dr.Aye Chan's clarification described it with authentic facts and documents. And then they respectfully ask the questions about background note of Bengali Immigrants, both Dr.Aye Kyaw  and Dr.Aye Chan responded all questions to answer.

The meeting started at noon and successfully ended at the evening of five O'clock.

Source: WAO-USA

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ARAKANLAND

Akyab, Arakan- Sept.9, 2011-72nd  Anniversary Memorial Ceremony of Ven. U Ottma Day successfully held in the in front of U Ottama Statue in Akyab by Rakhine National Development Party (RNDP) without any stoppage of Burmese local authorities. There were marching many people who give moral merit and value to Ven. U Ottama. Nearly 400 Arakanese Monks also paid their homage with candle light and bouquet.

Ven. U Ottama, a World known as Sun of Asia, a worthy son of Arakan, a national independence figure of Burma, was the solo who first instigated politically to arouse the anti-colonial feeling of the people not only in his native Arakan but also the whole of Burma.

Please here watch to link: 

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ARAKANLAND

WAO-USA- World Arakanese Organization (WAO) U.S.A branch has planned to hold " the Commemoration Ceremony of 9/11 Attack and Protesting Meeting over the Misuse of "Arakan" and Fabrication of Arakan History" in New York City on Septem 11, 2011. WAO-USA's Statement has said thousands of innocent people died on September 11, 2001 due to a group of Islamic extremists. We invite you all to join us in denouncing the worst terrorist attack in American history and remembering those perished on that day.

On the other hand, Bengali immigrants in Burma have explicitly misused Arakan as their ancestral land and extensively attacked Arakan history with their fabricated stories. Arakanese believe in peace and compassion and we have lived with different ethnic people of Burma and other migrants for years. We also believe in peaceful coexistence and such actions done by the Bengali immigrants are nothing but a disturbance to peaceful coexistence. We cordially invite you all to join us in denouncing their illicit act.

http://www.wikileaks.ch/cable/2002/10/02RANGOON1310.html

Time: 12:00 PM – 5:00 PM September 11, 2011 (Sunday)
Place: 2230 Benson Avenue, #A-1 Brooklyn, NY 11214

Direction:Take D train to Bay Parkway and walk for about 3 minutes.

Contacts: Ko Tint Wai (347-785-2060)
                   Ko Tun Won (347-447-6878)

Source: WAO-USA

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