Add your comment by filling out the form below in plain text. Comments are approved by a moderator and can be edited in accordance with RFAs Terms of Use. Comments will not appear in real time. RFA is not responsible for the content of the postings. Please, be respectful of others' point of view and stick to the facts.
Rohingyas are not Bengalis, they are distinct ethnic race who should be termed as Arakanese Muslims. They are not even illigal immigrants from Bangladesh. Myanmar government has already verified their nationality. During the period of 1978 to 1990 almost 2,50,000 rohingyas fled to Bangladesh to escape persecution by Burmese military and took refugee in Bangladesh. Later, Myanmar verified their nationality and found 2,36,000 as Myanmar nationals and took back them to Myanmar. another 24,000 waits for verification. That means rohingyas are Myanmar nationals. so they should be given their due rights. Myanmar govt should not act racist like. and for Rakhines, lessons are yet to be learned. they forgot who tried to eradicate them from their land and who gave them shelter during their time of distress. Bamars say, if you see a snake and a Rakhine, first kill the Rakhine. It is more dangerous!!
Nov 19, 2012 01:30 PM
Reply to this commentI just listened the Obama's original speech in the Yangon University .It was so shocking to see how most of the other local media not mentioning about the rohingya issue that he addressed.
Obama was thoughtful enough that he understood the problem was most Burmese people are brain washed badly(through school and religion)to be xenophobic and hate (anybody who looks like any kind of Indian decedents) and most of the people think that war on Afghanistan and Iraq is merely to wipe out Muslims or Islam.
Therefore, he was trying to educate those wrongly educated people who are afraid foreigners and people from different religious background.
However, it is so sad that skynet stopped translating his speech after 5 minutes because it seems like they are scared that majority of Burmese people will be open-minded and stop hating who don't look like them.
Nov 19, 2012 12:23 PM
Reply to this commentWhere are the Rakine Buddhists to write comment against the above news? I invite them very cordially.
Nov 19, 2012 02:03 AM
Reply to this commentPresident Thein Sein should listen to the people of Burma's voices, which clearly said we do not want Bangali Illegal to settle in our mother land. Bangali illegals are nothing but trouble makers and they are the threats of Rakhine Local who are more than enough suffering living with them.
Nov 18, 2012 11:23 AM
Reply to this commentRohingya are citizen of Burma. Must return their full citizenship. Not just some rights. Do not be tricky U Thein Sein. You must listen from both parties to come to justice not only from only one side. Do you need to teach that? You are a president.
Nov 17, 2012 10:18 PM
Reply to this comment
It's understandable that the Burmese people are not in-step with the thinking in Western Countries like the US yet, but to be in-step they need to think carefully. 99% of Americans are not the indigenous people of America. Only the North American Indians are indigenous people and they are very small in number. The same could be said of all of South Ameaica, Canada, Australia etc etc. To be born in a country is to have citizenship and that's the way of the world.
Nov 20, 2012 04:39 PM
Reply to this comment