A/HRC/39/CRP.2
that until recently this motto was displayed prominently on billboards and in offices. 1515
Although this motto now appears to be less prominent, it is still featured on the Ministry’s
website. On 26 August 2011, during a discussion in the lower house of Parliament about the
issuance of white cards to the Rohingya, the then Minister of Immigration stated: “Our
Ministry is trying its best to uphold the slogan ‘Race is not swallowed by the earth but by
another race’”.1516
700. Another influential publication in relation to the hate narrative against the Rohingya
is the book Influx viruses – The illegal Muslims in Arakan by U Shwe Zan and Dr. Aye Chan,
published in the United States in August 2005.1517 The title and content of the publication
refer to the Rohingya in an offensive and degrading manner, with a stark difference between
the English and Myanmar language sections. The latter refer to the Rohingya as “hairy with
long beards” and to “Bengali Kalars … swallowing other races”. Similar patterns are seen
with the Paccima zone magazine, where the English content – some of which was also
authored by Dr. Aye Chan – was drafted in a very different tone and style to the Myanmar
language content, possibly in an attempt to project a more acceptable image to the
international community.
701. Several interlocutors informed the Mission that the publication of the Paccima zone
magazine in February 2012 marked a turning point in the targeted campaign of hate and
hostility against the Rohingya in Rakhine State. 1518 The first volume of the magazine includes
a foreword drafted by the Maungdaw District Administrator. It also lists some of the most
senior State officials and police chiefs from Maungdaw and Buthidaung Townships as
“patrons” and “committee members” and includes the names and pictures of monks who
were “consultants”.1519
702. The magazine includes one section containing a series of anti-Rohingya articles
written with provocative titles such as “Black tsunami in a pitiful disguise” or “Slow
invasion”. Articles present the entire Rohingya population as terrorists; assert that the term
“Rohingya” was invented to take over the land; make reference to a “Rohingya invasion”;
challenge the claim that the Rohingya suffer human rights violations; portray the Rohingya
as perpetrators of serious abuses; and accuse the international community of believing
“Rohingya lies” and in prioritising Maungdaw and Buthidaung over other parts of Rakhine
State. In one article, the Rohingya are referred to as the “common enemy” of all the ethnic
groups in Myanmar.1520 Another article, “What the Rohingya is”, states:
What the Rohingya is, is the latest weapon of the religious extremist terrorists… they
are trying their very best to steal the land. Current actions of the Muslim extremists
are extremely frightful.1521
1515
1516
1517
1518
1519
1520
1521
V-240.
Pyithu Hluttaw, “Question from U Thein Nyunt of Thingankyun Constituency, on whether the Union
Government was aware of the fact that the Township Immigration Offices incurred arbitrary delays
for people of Islamic faith to go through the nationality verification process, to obtain household list
and birth certificates, as answered by the Minister of Immigration and Population, U Khin Yi” (26
August 2011), available at: https://pyithu.hluttaw.mm/question-2747
K-112. The first author used to be an immigration officer in Rakhine State, while the second author is
a Rakhine historian and professor at Kanda University of International Studies in Japan. He is
currently the Chair of the “Ancillary Committee for Reconstruction of Rakhine National Territory in
the Western Frontier”, a body set up after the 25 August 2017 attacks.
Paccima zone magazine, volume 1. On file with the Mission (K-112). “Paccima zone” refers to the
Maungdaw-Buthidaung region.
Maungdaw District Administrator; Chief of Maungdaw District Police Force; Maungdaw District
Planner; Buthidaung Township Administrator; Chief of Buthidaung Township Police Force; Chief of
Buthidaung Township Planning Administration, and the Administrator of GAD for Buthidaung
Township.
Paccima zone magazine, volume 1, ��Local people’s view on the so-called Rohingya” (February
2012), pp. 60-61.
San Shwe Maung, “What the Rohingya is” (Paccima zone magazine, volume 1, February 2012) pp.
30-32.
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