The People's Record

An ongoing chronicle of communities of resistance around the world: anti-racism, anti-zionism, anti-imperialism, the Arab Spring, anti-austerity protests in Greece and across Europe, student movements all around the world, the Occupy Movement, anti-capitalist movements, anarchist movements, socialist movements, leftist communities and other relevant international news.

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Myanmar announces amnesty for 452 jail inmates in “goodwill gesture”  November 15, 2012 Myanmar has pardoned hundreds of prisoners under an amnesty that appears to be a goodwill gesture just days before a visit by US President Barack Obama.  The government ordered the release of 452 prison inmates on Thursday in a move criticised by pro-democracy activists for allegedly failing to grant freedom to many political detainees. It was not immediately clear if any jailed dissidents were among those given amnesty, prompting rights groups to renew calls for officials to bring transparency to one of the world’s most opaque prison systems. Myanmar has long insisted that all prisoners are criminals and release no official information on political detainees. “This is extremely disappointing because we haven’t heard of any political prisoners being released. This is a shame,” said U Naing Naing of the Central Social Assistance Committee, which helps families of political prisoners. Other groups that monitor political prisoners gave similar reports. Many political detainees are in remote areas where communications are difficult, so the extent of the release may not be known for several days. State media said some of the prisoners to be released are foreigners who will be extradited, but gave no details. — Human Rights Watch (HRW), the New York-based watchdog group, accused the government of using strategically timed prisoner releases to appease the international community. “The government of Burma has said they are committed to releasing all political prisoners. So why haven’t they?” Phil Robertson, the group’s deputy Asia director, said. “This whole process is being drawn out unnecessarily to maximise the Burmese government’s leverage with the international community.” The last release took place in September, a week before Thein Sein visited New York for the UN General Assembly. Thein Sein’s government has spearheaded a major transition towards democracy, easing harsh media censorship, signing ceasefire deals with armed rebel groups, and opening the country more to Western investment. But rights groups say Thein Sein has not yet consolidated the political and economic reforms. The military is still dominant and is commonly implicated in rights abuses. Source Funny, you’d think they’d jail more political prisoners in anticipation of an American President’s visit, not release them. 

Myanmar announces amnesty for 452 jail inmates in “goodwill gesture” 

November 15, 2012

Myanmar has pardoned hundreds of prisoners under an amnesty that appears to be a goodwill gesture just days before a visit by US President Barack Obama. 

The government ordered the release of 452 prison inmates on Thursday in a move criticised by pro-democracy activists for allegedly failing to grant freedom to many political detainees.

It was not immediately clear if any jailed dissidents were among those given amnesty, prompting rights groups to renew calls for officials to bring transparency to one of the world’s most opaque prison systems.

Myanmar has long insisted that all prisoners are criminals and release no official information on political detainees.

“This is extremely disappointing because we haven’t heard of any political prisoners being released. This is a shame,” said U Naing Naing of the Central Social Assistance Committee, which helps families of political prisoners.

Other groups that monitor political prisoners gave similar reports. Many political detainees are in remote areas where communications are difficult, so the extent of the release may not be known for several days.

State media said some of the prisoners to be released are foreigners who will be extradited, but gave no details.

—

Human Rights Watch (HRW), the New York-based watchdog group, accused the government of using strategically timed prisoner releases to appease the international community.

“The government of Burma has said they are committed to releasing all political prisoners. So why haven’t they?” Phil Robertson, the group’s deputy Asia director, said.

“This whole process is being drawn out unnecessarily to maximise the Burmese government’s leverage with the international community.”

The last release took place in September, a week before Thein Sein visited New York for the UN General Assembly.

Thein Sein’s government has spearheaded a major transition towards democracy, easing harsh media censorship, signing ceasefire deals with armed rebel groups, and opening the country more to Western investment.

But rights groups say Thein Sein has not yet consolidated the political and economic reforms. The military is still dominant and is commonly implicated in rights abuses.

Source

Funny, you’d think they’d jail more political prisoners in anticipation of an American President’s visit, not release them. 

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Malaysians protest persecution of MuslimsAugust 4, 2012 Thousands of people in Malaysia have taken to the streets in protest at the ongoing violence against the minority Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar. The protestors gathered in front of the Myanmar Embassy to voice their outrage at the persecution and massacre of Muslims in the Southeast Asian country. They demanded a meeting with the officials of the Myanmar Embassy. Their request, however, was declined by the Myanmar’s officials. The demonstrators also called for an immediate end to the violence against Rohingyas.  Reports say some 650 Rohingyas have been killed in the Rakhine state in the west of the country in recent months. This is while 1,200 others are missing and 80,000 more have been displaced. The UN says decades of discrimination have left the Rohingyas stateless, with Myanmar implementing restrictions on their movement and withholding land rights, education, and public services from them. The world body has also described the Muslim community as the Palestine of Asia and one of the most persecuted minorities in the world.  Earlier this week, the Human Rights Watch (HRW) condemned the Myanmar government for the killing of minority Rohingya Muslims during a recent wave of sectarian violence in the country. “Burmese (Myanmarese) security forces committed killings, rape, and mass arrests against Rohingya Muslims after failing to protect both them and Arakan Buddhists during deadly sectarian violence in western Burma in June 2012,” the rights organization said in a report on Wednesday. HRW also called on Myanmar to “take urgent measures to end abuses by their forces, ensure humanitarian access, and permit independent international monitors to visit affected areas and investigate abuses.” The Buddhist-majority government of Myanmar refuses to recognize Rohingyas, who, it claims, are not natives, and classifies them as illegal migrants though the Rohingy as are said to be Muslim descendants of Persian, Turkish, Bengali, and Pathan origin, who migrated to Myanmar as early as the eighth century. Source

Malaysians protest persecution of Muslims
August 4, 2012

Thousands of people in Malaysia have taken to the streets in protest at the ongoing violence against the minority Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar.

The protestors gathered in front of the Myanmar Embassy to voice their outrage at the persecution and massacre of Muslims in the Southeast Asian country. 

They demanded a meeting with the officials of the Myanmar Embassy. Their request, however, was declined by the Myanmar’s officials. 

The demonstrators also called for an immediate end to the violence against Rohingyas. 

Reports say some 650 Rohingyas have been killed in the Rakhine state in the west of the country in recent months. This is while 1,200 others are missing and 80,000 more have been displaced.


The UN says decades of discrimination have left the Rohingyas stateless, with Myanmar implementing restrictions on their movement and withholding land rights, education, and public services from them. 

The world body has also described the Muslim community as the Palestine of Asia and one of the most persecuted minorities in the world. 

Earlier this week, the Human Rights Watch (HRW) condemned the Myanmar government for the killing of minority Rohingya Muslims during a recent wave of sectarian violence in the country.


“Burmese (Myanmarese) security forces committed killings, rape, and mass arrests against Rohingya Muslims after failing to protect both them and Arakan Buddhists during deadly sectarian violence in western Burma in June 2012,” the rights organization said in a report on Wednesday. 

HRW also called on Myanmar to “take urgent measures to end abuses by their forces, ensure humanitarian access, and permit independent international monitors to visit affected areas and investigate abuses.” 

The Buddhist-majority government of Myanmar refuses to recognize Rohingyas, who, it claims, are not natives, and classifies them as illegal migrants though the Rohingy as are said to be Muslim descendants of Persian, Turkish, Bengali, and Pathan origin, who migrated to Myanmar as early as the eighth century.

Source

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