Dear Sir, Dear Madam,
We, "The Council for Restoration of Democracy in Burma (CRDB)", an organization of Rohingyas in exile, are going to hold a press conference at the National Press Club in Oslo of Norway on Oct 19.2007 at 13:30 Friday in collaboration with The Union of Rohingya Communities in Europe (URCE). The address of the Press Club is as below:
Postrupklelleren Presseklubb
Øvre Stottsgate 23
0150 Oslo, Norway
Ph: +4722419201
http://www.tostrupkjelleren.no/
We hope that you would kindly attend the press conference or send your representative.
Apart from displaying a short documentary film on the plight of Rohingyas, we would like to highlight the following points among others in the press conference:
(1) Heartrending stories of crackdown during 27 years long Military Rule from 1962 to 1988:
Since 1988, the military crackdown which has been being conducted by the Burmese military rulers against the pro-democracy activists, are more or less known to the world. But the atrocities which were perpetrated by the military rulers during 27-years long military rule since 1962 to 1988 turning the whole country into a secret state of terror and isolating the country from the rest of the world - is not so much known to the world.
So, we want to highlight some harrowing incidents of that period in the press conference. At the sametime, we want to express our full support and solidarity to the ongoing struggle led by our respected monks on behalf of all Rohingyas living in exile.
(2) Harrowing events of genocidal operations against Rohingyas and the events of communal violence between Rohingyas and Rakhines:
Arakan is a state under the Union of Burma. It is inhabited by many ethnic communities like Rohingyas, Rakhines, Christians, Chakmas, Hindus, Mros, Khumis, Kamens and some other hill tribes.
The Burmese military rulers have turned Arakan into a land of bloods and tears of distressed human beings through systematic persecutions and genocidal operations from one hand and on the other hand by constantly spreading the poison of communalism in Arakan as a part of its "Divide & Rule" policy with a view to permanently trample Arakan and plunder its huge natural resources and thus the military rulers have divided the people of Arakan into many hostile groups who many often point their guns against their neighbors.
So, we want to highlight in the press conference the harrowing events of the series of genocidal operations led against the Rohingyas through the decades and the events of other communal violence which has been continuing between the two sister communities - Rohingyas and Rakhines and which has left over 3 hundred thousand Rohingyas dead so far and compelled over 1.5 million Rohingyas to leave their motherland Arakan and live in different countries of the world as undocumented and stateless refugees.
(3) Dropping 7 hundred thousand Rohingyas from the voter list in Bangladesh will cause a big Human Tragedy and cause Terror Risk across the whole South Asian region and Middle East:
It is true that Bangladesh is a small country of only 147,570 square km with an overwhelming population of 134.6 million people out of which 70 million people live below the poverty level and out of them 45 million people live on below a dollar a day. Despite these so many limitations and limited resources, Bangladesh has given shelter to over 7 hundred thousand Rohingya undocumented refugees over the last 3 decades and for this, we express our deep gratitude to the government and people of Bangladesh. But the ongoing process of the Election Commission of Bangladesh to drop over 7 hundred thousand Rohingyas from the voter list subsequently barring them from getting the National ID Card will be a question of life and death for those undocumented Rohingya refugees who took refuge in Bangladesh particularly since 1978 after being uprooted from their motherland "Arakan" of Burma by its military rulers through a series of genocidal operations, inhuman persecutions and in denial of their citizenships in thier own motherland where they have been living centuries after centuries.
It may be mentined here that after the finalization of the voter list in Bangladesh and after the completion of the National ID Card Issuance Programme by the Bangladesh government by next year, the survival of Rohingyas in Bangladesh without ID Card will be quite impossible, because the ID Card will be essential in all walks of life and without ID Card, it will be impossible to even buy a medicine or get treatment in a hospital.
At present over 4 hundred thousand Rohingyas live in Bangladesh as undocumented refugees and over 3 hundred thousand Rohingyas have been living in different countries of the world particularly in Middle East with Bangladesh passports.
So, we want to highlight in the press conference all the grim consequences if so many Rohingyas are dropped from the voter list which will cause a big Human Tragedy and also cause a dangerous Terror Risk across the whole South Asian region and the Middle East due to the exploitation of innocent Rohingya youths taking advantage of their total helplessness and frustration by different terrorist organizations whose networks are widespread all over the region.
However, there are many other points and events that we want to highlight in the press conference.
With thanks and best regards.
A. Rahman Farooq
Chairman
The Council for Restoration of Democracy in Burma (CRDB)
Address: 2975 Vang i Valdres
Norway
Media Contact: +4797413036
