Siapakah Rohingya itu? oleh Mohd Rafiq
Etnik Rohingya adalah penduduk asli negara bahagian Arakan. Arakan sendiri merupakan sebuah Negara seluas 14.200 mil persegi yang terletak di barat Myanmar. Merupakan daerah pesisir timur teluk benggal yang bergunung-ganang.
Bersempadan dengan utara India, Timur Laut China, Timur Magwe dan Pegu, selatan Irrawady dan barat laut Bangladesh. Ketika ini dihuni oleh sekitar 5 juta penduduk yang terdiri dari dua etnik utama, Muslim Rohingya dan Rakhine / Maghsyang beragama Buddha.
Perkataan Rohingya berasal dari kata Rohang, yang merupakan nama lama dari negara Arakan. Etnis Rohingya sudah tinggal di Arakan sejak abad ke 7 Masehi. Hal ini merupakan bantahan bagi junta militer yang menyatakan, bahawa etnis Rohingya merupakan pendatang yang di tempatkan oleh penjajah Inggris dari Bangladesh. Memang secara fisik etnis Rohingya memiliki kesamaan fisik dengan orang Bangladesh. Merupakan keturunan dari campuran orang bengali, Parsi, Mongol, Turki, Melayu dan Arab menyebabkan kebudayaan Rohingya sedikit berbeza dari kebanyakan orang Myanmar. Termasuk dari segi bahasa yang banyak dipengaruhi oleh bahasa Arab, Parsi, Urdu dan Bengali.
Arakan dulunya merupakan sebuah negara merdeka yang pernah dikuasai secara bergantian oleh orang Hindu, Buddha dan Muslim. Pada 1203 M Bengal menjadi sebuah negara Islam, dan sejak saat itu pula pengaruh Islam mulai merambah masuk ke wilayah Arakan. Hingga pada akhirnya pada 1430 M Arakan menjadi sebuah negara Muslim. Selama 350 tahun kerajaan Muslim berdiri di Arakan dan Umat Islam hidup dengan aman. Namun pada 24 September 1784 M raja Boddaw Paya dari Burma menakluk Arakan dan menguasainya.
Pada 1824-1826 perang Anglo-Burma pertama berlaku. Ketika perang ini berakhir pada 24 Februari 1426 yang ditandai dengan termetrainya perjanjian Yandabo menyebabkan Burma, Arakan dan Tenasserim dimasukkan ke wilayah British-India.
Lalu dengan Government of India Act. tahun 1935 diputuskan bahwa Burma terpisah dari British-India pada 1 April 1937. Melalui keputusan ini pula di gabungkan Arakan menjadi sebagian British-Burma, bertentangan dengan keinginan majoriti penduduknya yang beragama Islam dan ingin bergabung dengan India. hingga pada akhirnya Arakan menjadi bahagian Burma merdeka pada tahun 1948.
Penduduk Muslim Rohingya merupakan majoriti penduduk di Arakan, dengan jumlah kurang lebih 90 peratus. Namun selama 49 tahun kemerdekaan Burma (Myanmar) jumlah itu terus berusaha dikurangi, mulai dari pengusiran hingga pembunuhan, hingga saat ini hanya tinggal sedikit umat Islam Rohingya di selatan Arakan sedangkan di bagian utara Rohingya masih menjadi majoriti.
Nasib Muslim Rohingya Berubah Setelah Burma Merdeka?
Pada saat bangsa Burma yang lain merayakan kemerdekaan pada tahun 1948, Umat Islam Rohingya justru seakan dipencilkan dari kegembiraan itu. Kerana tidak di undangnya satu pun perwakilan Umat Islam Rohingya saat perjanjian penyatuan Burma di tanda tangani pada 12 September 1947 di Pinlong, negara bagian Shanantara Jenderal Aung San (Ayah tokoh pro Demokrasi Aung San Su Kyi) dan perwakilan dari berbagai etnik di Burma untuk bersama-sama merebut kemerdekaan dari Inggris dan kemudian membentuk negara persekutuan Burma yang terdiri dari negeri negeri sesuai dengan komposisi etnik dan dengan hak untuk menggabungkan diri setelah 10 tahun, Etnik Rohingya sama sekali tidak dilibatkan dalam proses ini.
Berbeza dengan etnik lain yang berhak mendirikan negara sendiri, etnik Rohingya kehilangan haknya, bahkan wilayahnya (Arakan) diserahkan kepada etnik Rakhin yang beragama Buddha, walaupun populasinya kurang dari 10 persen penduduk Arakan. Sejak saat itulah hak-hak etnik Rohingya berusaha dihilangkan oleh parapolitik Buddha Burma.
Bahkan semenjak tentera junta menguasai Burma keadaan semakin buruk, bukan saja hak-hak politik yang dikekang, tetapi juga dalam bidang sosial-budaya, hal ini ditandai dengan ditutupnya tempat-tempat belajar bahasa Rohingya pada tahun 1965 oleh junta.
Bentuk-Bentuk Kekejaman Junta Militer Terhadap Muslim Rohingya?
1. Penafian Pemberian Kewarganegaraan, Hal ini menyebabkan etnik Rohingyamenjadi bangsa tanpa kewarganegaraan. Walaupun mereka merupakan penduduk asliArakan. Hal ini menyebabkan Junta memiliki kebenaran untuk mengusir etnikRohingya dari tanah leluhurnya, akibatnya lebih dari setengah populasi Rohingyadiusir dari Arakan. Kebanyakan saat ini hidup di pengungsian di Bangladesh, Malaysia, Thailand dan Arab Saudi (termasuk Indonesia, pernah perahu etnikRohingya sebanyak 50 orang yang terdampar di Aceh 2 atau 3 tahun lalu. Kesanlainnya adalah perubahan populasi penduduk Arakan, yang mana asalnya 90 peratusMuslim menjadi hanya 30 peratus atau hanya sekitar 1,5 juta dari 5 jutapenduduk, sedangkan selebihnya adalah orang Rakhine (Buddha) dari luar Arakanyang sengaja ditempatkan di Arakan.
2. Sekatan Untuk Berpindah, Etnis Rohingya yang masih tinggal di Myanmarsaat ini menghadapi masalah yang sangat pelik, iaitu larangan perjalanan darisatu daerah ke daerah yang lain. untuk pergi keluar daerah mereka harusmendapatkan kebenaran dari pihak berkuasa tempatan, yang sememangnya amat sulituntuk dilakukan. Selain itu etnik Rohingya di Arakan utara telah dimasukkan kedalam kem padat yang tidak memungkinkan mereka untuk berpindah dan menjadikanmereka sebagai buruh paksa.
3. Sekatan Dalam Kegiatan Ekonomi, Bukan itu sahaja, pihak Junta jugamenolak membrikan izin usaha bagi etnis Rohingya, sedangkan di sisi lain Juntamengenakan cukai yang sangat tinggi bagi etnik Rohingya yang majoritinya adalahpetani dan nelayan. Akibatnya sebagian besar hasil pertanian, perikanan danharta milik etnik Rohingya saat ini telah di sita secara paksa, sebagai hukumankarena tidak mampu membayar cukai.
4. Sekatan Dalam Bidang Pendidikan, Dalam bidang pendidikan hal yang samajuga diterapkan oleh junta. anak-anak etnik Rohingya dilarang masuk keuniversiti yang ada di Myanmar dan pada saat yang bersamaan juga dilarangmelanjutkan pendidikan tinggi keluar Myanmar.
5. Pembunuhan, Penahanan dan Penyiksaan, Pihak Junta telah melakukankekejaman lainnya yaitu berupa pembunuhan etnik Rohingya, bahkan hal inidilakukan secara rambang dalam rangka penghapusan etnik Rohingya. Selain itupenyiksaan dan penahanan secara haram dilakukan setiap hari di Arakan, ratusanetnis Rohingya hilang dan tidak diketahui nasibnya setiap tahun. Saat ini Arakantelah menjadi tempat penyiksaan etnik Rohingya.
6. Buruh Paksa.
7. Pengusiran Etnik Rohingya dari kampung mereka.
8. Penghinaan Terhadap Kaum Wanita dan Sekatan Perkahwinan,bukan sesuatuyang ganjil lagi di Arakan ketika tentara tiba-tiba masuk ke dalam rumah etnikRohingya pada tengah malam dan memperkosa kaum wanita di depan suami dananak-anak mereka. Aduan terhadap perkara ini hanya akan diakhiri denagnpenahanan oleh polis terhadap pelapor bahkan dalam banyak kes pelapor disiksadan dibunuh. Selain dari itu pihak junta juga sengaja menyusahkan gadis-gadisRohingya untuk bernikah dan berkahwin.
9. Rusuhan anti Rohingya, pihak junta sengaja mewujudkan rusuhan diberbagai wilayah Arakan secara sistematik dalam rangka melenyapkan etnik inidari Myanmar, akibatnya ribuan etnik Rohingya mati dan harta benda mereka jugahancur. Dengan cara ini pihak junta boleh lepas tangan terhadap orang awamBuddha yang telah diupah oleh junta untuk membunuhi etnik Rohingya.
10. Penghancuran, Ratusan Masjid dan Madrasah telah dihancurkan oleh pihakjunta, bahkan Al Qur抋n dalam banyak kasus dibakar dan diinjak-injak olehtentara sedangkan kitab-kitab tentang Islam disita dan dijadikan sebagai bahanpembungkus. Pihak junta juga melarang kaum Muslim untuk melakukan berbagaiibadah.
Kesepuluh tersebut tersebut hanya sebagian dari kejahatan pihak junta terhadapkaum Muslimin Rohingya, diwaktu ini jumlah etnis Rohingya di Myanmar dianggarkanseramai 2 juta orang dan sebanyak 1,5 juta diantaranya tinggal di Arakan.Sebanyak 600.000 tinggal di Bangladesh, 350.000 di Pakistan, 400.000 di ArabSaudi dan 100.000 di UAE, Thailand dan Malaysia.
Sampai bilakah kita menutup mata dari kekejaman junta terhadap saudara kita Muslim Rohingya? Kita mungkin tidak peduli dengan kekejaman yang berlaku di Myanmar dan memang seharusnya kita tidak perlu ambil tahu dengan keadaan mereka,tetapi hakikatnya Rohingya adalah saudara kita sesama Islam.
Maka mulai saat ini mari kita bantu saudara kita dengan segenap kemampuan yangkita miliki. Doakan mereka, Doakan laknat dan kehancuran bagi junta, sebarkaninformasi tentang keadaan yang meereka hadapi, kumpulkan bantuan, baik uangmaupun tenaga untuk membebaskan Arakan dari Myanmar.
oleh: Mohd Rafiq
Friday, August 14, 2009
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Bangladesh for repatriation of Myanmar refugees
Bangladesh for repatriation of Myanmar refugees: Dipu Moni About 28000 registered refugees living in two camps and nearly 400000 unregistered refugees living outside the camps.
Raymond Hall, regional representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) called on Foreign Minister Dr. Dipu Moni at the Foreign Ministry Sunday when they discussed early repatriation of Rohingya refugees to Myanmar.(UNB, Dhaka)
During the meeting, Dipu Moni mentioned Myanmar is an immediate neighboring country and politically of high importance for Bangladesh. She said Bangladesh has economic and commercial cooperation with Myanmar.
The Foreign Minister thanked the UNHCR representative for their support to Bangladesh regarding the Myanmar refugees living in Bangladesh. She mentioned that about 28000 registered refugees living in two camps and nearly 400000 unregistered refugees living outside the camps are a heavy burden on Bangladesh economically, socially environmentally and also in terms of law and order.
Despite the country's severe resource constraints Bangladesh has so far done a good job in providing basic needs to the Myanmar refugees for the last three decades.
Dipu Moni told Hall that the continuous flow of illegal entrants were causing huge damage to the country's scarce land, forest and other resources. Deterioration of law and order situation has also been a major concern in Cox's Bazar district due to illegal activates carried out by these illegal entrants from Myanmar.
She said there had been some positive progress with regard to repatriation of the remaining Myanmar refugees especially after the Foreign Minister's visit to Myanmar.
Dipu Moni hopes that as a follow up to that progress the repatriation of the rest of the refugees would be aliened amicably .She expressed the hope that the authorities in Myanmar would soon resume repatriation of their citizens ending their miseries of living away from home.
Both Dipu Moni and Hall agreed that it is necessary to create favorable condition within Myanmar for repatriation of the refugees. She mentioned that some of the refugees repatriated on earlier occasions had sneaked back into Bangladesh.
She said Bangladesh wants to finalize the repatriation of the remaining Myanmar refugees to their homeland as soon as possible, and sought UNHCR assistance in this regard.
Raymond Hall, regional representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) called on Foreign Minister Dr. Dipu Moni at the Foreign Ministry Sunday when they discussed early repatriation of Rohingya refugees to Myanmar.(UNB, Dhaka)
During the meeting, Dipu Moni mentioned Myanmar is an immediate neighboring country and politically of high importance for Bangladesh. She said Bangladesh has economic and commercial cooperation with Myanmar.
The Foreign Minister thanked the UNHCR representative for their support to Bangladesh regarding the Myanmar refugees living in Bangladesh. She mentioned that about 28000 registered refugees living in two camps and nearly 400000 unregistered refugees living outside the camps are a heavy burden on Bangladesh economically, socially environmentally and also in terms of law and order.
Despite the country's severe resource constraints Bangladesh has so far done a good job in providing basic needs to the Myanmar refugees for the last three decades.
Dipu Moni told Hall that the continuous flow of illegal entrants were causing huge damage to the country's scarce land, forest and other resources. Deterioration of law and order situation has also been a major concern in Cox's Bazar district due to illegal activates carried out by these illegal entrants from Myanmar.
She said there had been some positive progress with regard to repatriation of the remaining Myanmar refugees especially after the Foreign Minister's visit to Myanmar.
Dipu Moni hopes that as a follow up to that progress the repatriation of the rest of the refugees would be aliened amicably .She expressed the hope that the authorities in Myanmar would soon resume repatriation of their citizens ending their miseries of living away from home.
Both Dipu Moni and Hall agreed that it is necessary to create favorable condition within Myanmar for repatriation of the refugees. She mentioned that some of the refugees repatriated on earlier occasions had sneaked back into Bangladesh.
She said Bangladesh wants to finalize the repatriation of the remaining Myanmar refugees to their homeland as soon as possible, and sought UNHCR assistance in this regard.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
History of Rohingya's
INTRODUCTION
The Rohingya Problem has of late become a matter of great concern to the government and to the people of Bangladesh as well as Muslim Ummah.
Several lakhs of uprooted Rohingyas, men, women, and children, have been forced to leave their homeland Arakan and took shelter in Bangladesh.
This is happened not once but twice, in 1978-79 and 1991-92; the problem is not yet over. This is a man-made problem, created by the ruling Burmese military junta.
It is not due to the fault of the Rohingyas themselves and the reason is political and coercive policy of Burmese Junta.
In Arakan, Rohingyas form a solid group, which is an eyesore to the Burmese government.1 The Rohingya have been settling in Arakan from long before the British occupation of the country. In fact the forefathers of Rohingyas had entered into Arakan from time immemorial.
The Burmese ruling junta do not know, or pretend not to know that the Rohingyas have a long history, a language, a heritage, a culture and a tradition of their own that they had built up in Arakan by their long and historic settlements. In fact the Rohingya have been settling in Arakan for more than a thousand year.
2 In order to know and understand the full context of the Rohingya problems, it is necessary to know the geographical location, the population, the historical background and culture, ethnic origin, chronology of activities of Rohingya Nation.
ARAKAN once a sovereign and independent State, is now one of the states of the Union of Burma.
3 Under different periods of history Arakan had been an independent sovereign monarchy ruled by Hindus, Buddhists and Muslims.
After Bengal became Muslim in 1203 AD, Islamic influence grew in Arakan to the extent of establishing Muslim vassal state beginning in 1430 AD.
Muslim’s rule and influence in Arakan lasted for more than 350 years until it was invaded and occupied by Burman king Boddaw Paya on 28 December (Saturday) 1784 AD.4 The First Anglo-Burmese War (1824-26) was ended on 24 February 1826 when Burmese ratified the Treaty of Yandabo and Burmese ceded Arakan and Tenasserim to British India. Then under the Government of India Act of 1935, Burma was separated from British India on 1 April 1937.
Arakan was made a part of British Burma against the wishes of its people and thus finally Arakan became a province of independent Burma in 1948.
GEOGRAPHICAL FEATURES OF ARAKAN
No one will deny, however firmly he may believe in free will, that the destinies of men are to a large extent determined by environment. Among the many influences covered by this term, the most powerful are geographical.
Geographical facts influence the course of history. Climate determines man’s food and other wants.
The physical features of the earth, sea and mountains fixed the occupation of the people inhabiting a particular area. It is a fact of history that geography plays a great part in shaping the political life of a country and moulding the socio-cultural pattern of its people.
The physical features and natural peculiarities indeed reflect the life and culture of the land. The history of a country cannot be appreciated without the knowledge of its geography.
Hence, ideas of natural peculiarities form an essential preliminary to the study of its history and culture.
The geographical peculiarities of Arakan had a tremendous influence on the political, social, spiritual, economic and cultural of its people.
The natural feature of this land, which were, and even now are, peculiar to itself, left distinctive marks on the socio-cultural institutions, mental outlook, way of life, education, food, dress and manner and customs of its people.
THE LOCATION AND AREA OF ARAKAN
The present day Arakan State is situated between North Latitude170-15' and 210-17' and East Longitude 920-11' and 940-55'.
The total area of Arakan during British period was about 20,000 sq.miles which has been reduced to 14,200 sq. miles in 1974. It is situated between Burma proper on the east and south (to the east Magwe Division and Pegu Division; to the south Irrawadi Division); and Bay of Bengal and People's Republic of Bangladeh on the west; and on the north Bangladesh and Chin State.
8 The Arakan Hill-tracts district (5235 sq. miles) bordering India and southern most part of Arakan from Kyauk Chaung river to cape Negaris have been partitioned from Arakan mainland without the native people's consent.
It is a narrow mountainous coastal strip of land with 443 miles coastal belt from the Naf River to Cape Negaris.
It is wider in the Muslim north, which is about 100 miles in breath and tapers down gradually to the south where it is at least 25 miles wide.
THE HILLS OF ARAKAN
The Western Mountain Belt of Burma, also known as Arakan Yoma Mountains, is a series of ridges that originate in the northern mountains are and extend southward to the south-western corner.
The Arakan Coastal Strip is a narrow, predominantly alluvial belt lying between the Arakan Yoma Mountains and the Bay of Bengal. In some places the strip disappears as the mountain spurs reach the sea.
To the south of Akyab district are the Barongas, three detached ranges of low hills running southwest into the sea.
Arakan is seperated from the Chittagong region of Bangladesh by the river Naf.
The northern part of Arakan is covered with hills, and from this region three low ranges run southward. In the west, between the Naf and Mayu rivers and terminating near the mouth of the latter, is the steep Mayu range, the southern portion of which lies paralled with and not far from the coast.The western spurs of the Arakan Yoma Range cover the broken country east of the Lemro River.
Between the Kaladan and the Mayu rivers two ridges run parallel to each other to within 20 miles of Akyab on the coast, throwing out spurs into the Mayu valley and Ponnagyun township but with steep sides on the Kaladan side.
THE RIVERS AND ISLANDS OF ARAKAN
Arakan is blessed with geographical diversities.
The rivers of Arakan generally flow from north to south being separated from each other by abrupt high watershed. Arakan is a land of creeks and chaungs.
There are a number of rivers and streams (chaungs) that flow in the Arakan into the Bay of Bengal. In all, there are seven rivers in Arakan.
They are the Naf, the Mayu, the Kaladan, the Lemro, the Ann, the Taungup and the Sandoway. The four major navigable rivers are the Naf, Mayu, Kaladan and Lemro and all they are situated in the northern Arakan.
All these four rivers are tidal and easily navigable all the year round.
There are hundreds off-shore islands in Arakan of which Rambree and Cheduba are the largest. Rambree Island is the biggest of the offshore Island in Arakan comprising an area of 2,310 square miles being east to west 22 miles and north to south 105 miles. It lies between 180-55' and 190-32' North Latitude and between 930-30' and 930-58' East Longitude. Along the western coast line of the Island rises a range of low hills but the coast to the east and south is low-lying tract, ringed by mangrove jungle.
The second biggest is Cheduba Island situated off the coast betwee 180- 45' and 180 - 50' North Latitude and between 930-30' and 930-45'.
It has an area of about 200 square miles, being east to west 20 miles and north to south 10 miles. In this island there is a Red Mountain and in its western parts there grow a kind of sweet smell grass.
Other note-able islands are Boronga Islands, Savage Island, Kyun Thaya, Sagu Kyun, Ganga Kyun, Ye Kyun and Kyun Zin and many of, which are cultivated.
CLIMATE OF ARAKAN
Arakan State is situated in the tropical zone and as such it is subject to tropical climate.
But its situation with a sea to the west and ranges of hills to the east has neutralised the extremes of the climate to a considerable extent.
So, the Climate of Arakan in general is not extreme. It is mild and salubrious in the south.
There are only three seasons: summer, rainy and winter season. In the northern part of Arakan the climate is unhealthy due to the existence of vast tract of un-cleared jungles in the valleys.
Temperature seasonally varies from 460 to 710 F and the weather is humid except during the month of April and May.
The summer season is from March to May and the rainy season is from June to October. The winter/cool season, from November to February, is cool and pleasant.
The average maximum temperature of the Arakan State for the whole year is 78.19 degrees and the average minimum 77.96 degrees, the average mean being 78.08 degrees. The average rainfall of Arakan for the past 10 years (1970-80) has been a little less than 200 (193.56) inches.
The rainfall varies from an average of 221.05 inches in Akyab to 158.97 inches at Kyaukpru and 200.66 inches at Sandoway. The southern part of Arakan frequently visited by cyclones, which cause damages to life and property
The Rohingya Problem has of late become a matter of great concern to the government and to the people of Bangladesh as well as Muslim Ummah.
Several lakhs of uprooted Rohingyas, men, women, and children, have been forced to leave their homeland Arakan and took shelter in Bangladesh.
This is happened not once but twice, in 1978-79 and 1991-92; the problem is not yet over. This is a man-made problem, created by the ruling Burmese military junta.
It is not due to the fault of the Rohingyas themselves and the reason is political and coercive policy of Burmese Junta.
In Arakan, Rohingyas form a solid group, which is an eyesore to the Burmese government.1 The Rohingya have been settling in Arakan from long before the British occupation of the country. In fact the forefathers of Rohingyas had entered into Arakan from time immemorial.
The Burmese ruling junta do not know, or pretend not to know that the Rohingyas have a long history, a language, a heritage, a culture and a tradition of their own that they had built up in Arakan by their long and historic settlements. In fact the Rohingya have been settling in Arakan for more than a thousand year.
2 In order to know and understand the full context of the Rohingya problems, it is necessary to know the geographical location, the population, the historical background and culture, ethnic origin, chronology of activities of Rohingya Nation.
ARAKAN once a sovereign and independent State, is now one of the states of the Union of Burma.
3 Under different periods of history Arakan had been an independent sovereign monarchy ruled by Hindus, Buddhists and Muslims.
After Bengal became Muslim in 1203 AD, Islamic influence grew in Arakan to the extent of establishing Muslim vassal state beginning in 1430 AD.
Muslim’s rule and influence in Arakan lasted for more than 350 years until it was invaded and occupied by Burman king Boddaw Paya on 28 December (Saturday) 1784 AD.4 The First Anglo-Burmese War (1824-26) was ended on 24 February 1826 when Burmese ratified the Treaty of Yandabo and Burmese ceded Arakan and Tenasserim to British India. Then under the Government of India Act of 1935, Burma was separated from British India on 1 April 1937.
Arakan was made a part of British Burma against the wishes of its people and thus finally Arakan became a province of independent Burma in 1948.
GEOGRAPHICAL FEATURES OF ARAKAN
No one will deny, however firmly he may believe in free will, that the destinies of men are to a large extent determined by environment. Among the many influences covered by this term, the most powerful are geographical.
Geographical facts influence the course of history. Climate determines man’s food and other wants.
The physical features of the earth, sea and mountains fixed the occupation of the people inhabiting a particular area. It is a fact of history that geography plays a great part in shaping the political life of a country and moulding the socio-cultural pattern of its people.
The physical features and natural peculiarities indeed reflect the life and culture of the land. The history of a country cannot be appreciated without the knowledge of its geography.
Hence, ideas of natural peculiarities form an essential preliminary to the study of its history and culture.
The geographical peculiarities of Arakan had a tremendous influence on the political, social, spiritual, economic and cultural of its people.
The natural feature of this land, which were, and even now are, peculiar to itself, left distinctive marks on the socio-cultural institutions, mental outlook, way of life, education, food, dress and manner and customs of its people.
THE LOCATION AND AREA OF ARAKAN
The present day Arakan State is situated between North Latitude170-15' and 210-17' and East Longitude 920-11' and 940-55'.
The total area of Arakan during British period was about 20,000 sq.miles which has been reduced to 14,200 sq. miles in 1974. It is situated between Burma proper on the east and south (to the east Magwe Division and Pegu Division; to the south Irrawadi Division); and Bay of Bengal and People's Republic of Bangladeh on the west; and on the north Bangladesh and Chin State.
8 The Arakan Hill-tracts district (5235 sq. miles) bordering India and southern most part of Arakan from Kyauk Chaung river to cape Negaris have been partitioned from Arakan mainland without the native people's consent.
It is a narrow mountainous coastal strip of land with 443 miles coastal belt from the Naf River to Cape Negaris.
It is wider in the Muslim north, which is about 100 miles in breath and tapers down gradually to the south where it is at least 25 miles wide.
THE HILLS OF ARAKAN
The Western Mountain Belt of Burma, also known as Arakan Yoma Mountains, is a series of ridges that originate in the northern mountains are and extend southward to the south-western corner.
The Arakan Coastal Strip is a narrow, predominantly alluvial belt lying between the Arakan Yoma Mountains and the Bay of Bengal. In some places the strip disappears as the mountain spurs reach the sea.
To the south of Akyab district are the Barongas, three detached ranges of low hills running southwest into the sea.
Arakan is seperated from the Chittagong region of Bangladesh by the river Naf.
The northern part of Arakan is covered with hills, and from this region three low ranges run southward. In the west, between the Naf and Mayu rivers and terminating near the mouth of the latter, is the steep Mayu range, the southern portion of which lies paralled with and not far from the coast.The western spurs of the Arakan Yoma Range cover the broken country east of the Lemro River.
Between the Kaladan and the Mayu rivers two ridges run parallel to each other to within 20 miles of Akyab on the coast, throwing out spurs into the Mayu valley and Ponnagyun township but with steep sides on the Kaladan side.
THE RIVERS AND ISLANDS OF ARAKAN
Arakan is blessed with geographical diversities.
The rivers of Arakan generally flow from north to south being separated from each other by abrupt high watershed. Arakan is a land of creeks and chaungs.
There are a number of rivers and streams (chaungs) that flow in the Arakan into the Bay of Bengal. In all, there are seven rivers in Arakan.
They are the Naf, the Mayu, the Kaladan, the Lemro, the Ann, the Taungup and the Sandoway. The four major navigable rivers are the Naf, Mayu, Kaladan and Lemro and all they are situated in the northern Arakan.
All these four rivers are tidal and easily navigable all the year round.
There are hundreds off-shore islands in Arakan of which Rambree and Cheduba are the largest. Rambree Island is the biggest of the offshore Island in Arakan comprising an area of 2,310 square miles being east to west 22 miles and north to south 105 miles. It lies between 180-55' and 190-32' North Latitude and between 930-30' and 930-58' East Longitude. Along the western coast line of the Island rises a range of low hills but the coast to the east and south is low-lying tract, ringed by mangrove jungle.
The second biggest is Cheduba Island situated off the coast betwee 180- 45' and 180 - 50' North Latitude and between 930-30' and 930-45'.
It has an area of about 200 square miles, being east to west 20 miles and north to south 10 miles. In this island there is a Red Mountain and in its western parts there grow a kind of sweet smell grass.
Other note-able islands are Boronga Islands, Savage Island, Kyun Thaya, Sagu Kyun, Ganga Kyun, Ye Kyun and Kyun Zin and many of, which are cultivated.
CLIMATE OF ARAKAN
Arakan State is situated in the tropical zone and as such it is subject to tropical climate.
But its situation with a sea to the west and ranges of hills to the east has neutralised the extremes of the climate to a considerable extent.
So, the Climate of Arakan in general is not extreme. It is mild and salubrious in the south.
There are only three seasons: summer, rainy and winter season. In the northern part of Arakan the climate is unhealthy due to the existence of vast tract of un-cleared jungles in the valleys.
Temperature seasonally varies from 460 to 710 F and the weather is humid except during the month of April and May.
The summer season is from March to May and the rainy season is from June to October. The winter/cool season, from November to February, is cool and pleasant.
The average maximum temperature of the Arakan State for the whole year is 78.19 degrees and the average minimum 77.96 degrees, the average mean being 78.08 degrees. The average rainfall of Arakan for the past 10 years (1970-80) has been a little less than 200 (193.56) inches.
The rainfall varies from an average of 221.05 inches in Akyab to 158.97 inches at Kyaukpru and 200.66 inches at Sandoway. The southern part of Arakan frequently visited by cyclones, which cause damages to life and property
WELCOME TO RIC
Assalamualikum Wr.WbRohingya(s) are the Muslim people from the Arakan State of Myanmar and due to unfavorable political circumstances they become the refugees and take shelter to the neighboring countries.
As a result of which there are approximately ten thousand Rohingyas in Malaysia living in various states densely in Klang valley ,Johor,Kedah,Kelantan,Teranganu and Penang under the UNHCR protection. Rohingya Information Center (RIC) formed in 1996 with the aim of providing Rohingya Information from individual to all the authorities and relevant parties locally and internationally.
RIC is a non-political body which focuses on Rohingya societies to bring it into the level of modern and development stage so as to be able to live in the multi-cultural societies by abiding law and norms of country and respecting the culture and adopting its value to bring harmony to the societies as an integral part of the human life.
Rohingya Information Center (RIC) also necessitate to condemn against those who violate human rights, which caused some ethnics to be displaced and created the region chaos & unpeaceful.Every society from beginning to the modern life strive on living together, to develop and build communication in order to bring life more easier and harmonious to individual and society as a whole.
As a result of which there are approximately ten thousand Rohingyas in Malaysia living in various states densely in Klang valley ,Johor,Kedah,Kelantan,Teranganu and Penang under the UNHCR protection. Rohingya Information Center (RIC) formed in 1996 with the aim of providing Rohingya Information from individual to all the authorities and relevant parties locally and internationally.
RIC is a non-political body which focuses on Rohingya societies to bring it into the level of modern and development stage so as to be able to live in the multi-cultural societies by abiding law and norms of country and respecting the culture and adopting its value to bring harmony to the societies as an integral part of the human life.
Rohingya Information Center (RIC) also necessitate to condemn against those who violate human rights, which caused some ethnics to be displaced and created the region chaos & unpeaceful.Every society from beginning to the modern life strive on living together, to develop and build communication in order to bring life more easier and harmonious to individual and society as a whole.
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
RAYUAN SUMBANGAN UNTUK ROHINGYA
BANTUAN KEWANGAN YANG DIPERLUKAN
Bantuan kewangan yang diperlukan untuk menggerakkan program pendidikan dan dakwah untuk anak-anak masyarakat Rohingya dan sumbangan Pakaian, Makanan dan Barangan keperluan harian.
Sumbangan yang diterima akan digunakan untuk pembayaran elaun guru-guru agama, bahasa Melayu dan bahasa Inggeris, sewa asrama untuk madrasah, bil api-air, buku rujukan dan buku tulis, peralatan dan perabot, bantuan pemakanan berkhasiat dan kerja-kerja pemantauan dan dakwah oleh pemimpin-pemimpin RIC.
RAYUAN SUMBANGAN
Agensi Kerajaan, sektor korporat, NGO-NGO dan orang ramai yang berhajat boleh menyampaikan sumbangan melalui berikut:-
Telefon kami dan datang terus di pejabat kami.
ROHINGYA INFORMATION CENTER MALAYISA (RIC)
53000 Kuala Lumpur,
018-262 2397 (En. Yahya)
018-399 7940 (En. Rafiq)
Emai : info.ricmalaysia@yahoo.com
Bantuan kewangan yang diperlukan untuk menggerakkan program pendidikan dan dakwah untuk anak-anak masyarakat Rohingya dan sumbangan Pakaian, Makanan dan Barangan keperluan harian.
Sumbangan yang diterima akan digunakan untuk pembayaran elaun guru-guru agama, bahasa Melayu dan bahasa Inggeris, sewa asrama untuk madrasah, bil api-air, buku rujukan dan buku tulis, peralatan dan perabot, bantuan pemakanan berkhasiat dan kerja-kerja pemantauan dan dakwah oleh pemimpin-pemimpin RIC.
RAYUAN SUMBANGAN
Agensi Kerajaan, sektor korporat, NGO-NGO dan orang ramai yang berhajat boleh menyampaikan sumbangan melalui berikut:-
Telefon kami dan datang terus di pejabat kami.
ROHINGYA INFORMATION CENTER MALAYISA (RIC)
AL 28, Jalan Tioman 3,
Taman Setapak Garden,
53000 Kuala Lumpur,
018-262 2397 (En. Yahya)
018-399 7940 (En. Rafiq)
Emai : info.ricmalaysia@yahoo.com
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