Amnesty International said that despite Burma’s progress in aspects of democratic reform, the situation for ethnic minorities still remains grave.
The Burma researcher for Amnesty, Benjamin Zawacki, told an Australian radio channel that the persecution of the Rohingya community generally came in the form of mass arrests and ill-treatment whilst in detention. He noted that the crux of the problem was that Rohingya’s are not considered citizens of Burma. The Rohingyas are often described as terrorists or invaders by Burma’s media, and also have no sympathy from the government.
Zawacki pointed out that there was an opportunity for the US to apply pressure on Burma as the country’s engagement with Burma increases.
Zawacki said,
"Clearly the United States, in renewing its links to the country should very much raise the political temperature here and say look you have a population that you have systemically persecuted and discriminated against."
Zawacki also noted that it was challenging to draw attention to the plight of the Rohingya as the persecution contrasts with the current positive narrative surrounding the reforms in Burma.
The Burmese security forces are accused of violating the human rights of the Rohingya community in the western state of Rakhine, and Amnesty International says the numbers of reported incidents are on the rise.
However, the Burmese government has persistently denied any violations by their security forces against the Rohingya.
