Rohingya Cultural Bulletin

7/28/2019 Rohingya Cultural Bulletin

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Introduction:The Arakan State in

Burma, bordering

Bangladesh, is inhabited

by two ethnic sister com

-munities, the Rakhine

Buddhist and the

Rohingya Muslim. The

Rakhine Buddhists are

the majority group

while the Rohingya

Muslims are minority

group. The Rohingyas

numbering

approximately 2 million

are enduring continued

persecution and the

ethnic cleansing policy

of military regime in

Burma. Also about 1.5

million Rohingyas have

been living in exile in

many countries all over

the world.

Continued Page: 2

The Rohingya Community in Burma

The Rohingya Communi-ty in Burma

1-8

Henna 9

Music 9

Aung San Suu Kyi 9

Life in the Camp 10

Sport 11

Our Journey to Ireland 11

Food 12

Religion & Beliefs 13

Name & Marriage 13

Our Experience inIreland

14-15

Clothes / Dress 15

Holidays & Celebrations 16

Inside this bulletin

Our Journey to Ireland in Our Own Words

Our journey to Ireland

came unexpected and

all thanks to responsible

organisations including

Irish government, the

process has gone

through smoothly.

After a meeting

between UNHCR and

Irish Ministry of

Integration in 2008,

OPMI (Office for the

Promotion of Migrant

Integration) they met

and told us in

Bangladesh that they

would like to bring

some of the refugees to

Ireland. They informed

us that it would take 2-3

months to process and

the opportunity was

waiting for us. The

Experience in Ireland

Continued Page: 11

social life, welfare etc. which we

rarely heard of in the camp.

We are very grateful for the

guidance to change some of the

social behaviours that were

developed under the difficult

circumstances in the camp such

as talking slowly, convincingmistake done, being patience,

seeking helpContinued Page: 14

Our foundations for the new lives

have been laid down in the

Ballyhaunis training centre.

Although it was exciting, cold

and wet weather, we had our first

group meeting on the following

day.

We were told that safety is thefirst thing we need to consider

living in Ireland unlike the life in

the camp where no advice or

help was provided on health or

other safety. We were given

information on how to use fire

extinguisher, how to bring

children to school, how to cross

the road and how to follow the

safety rules all the time we can.We also learned about

healthcare, education, housing,


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Page 2 Rohingya Cultural Bulletin


The Rohingyas in Burma

continue to suffer from several

forms of restrictions and human

rights violations. The Rohingyas

freedom of movement is severely

restricted and right to education is

harshly deprived. They are also

subjected to various forms of

extortion and arbitrary taxation;

land confiscation, forced evictionand house destruction and

restrictions on marriage.

Arakan was neither a part of

Burma nor Bangladesh, it was a

separated region until by the

invasion of Burmese king

Bowdawpaya in 1784. The last

dynasty of Arakan ruled from

15th to 18th century and was

highly influenced by Muslim

culture. The basis of Muslim

religious faith, the kalima was

inscribed on all of the coins.

Rohingya Muslims are natives of

that region of Burma mentioned

in 1799 fifth volume of Asiatic

Researches. The colonial British

census records in 1825 A.D show

one Muslim for every two

Buddhists in Arakan. All of

Burma's constitution and

citizenship acts provide

indigenous status to all people

who were permanently residing

in Arakan or in the Union of Bur-

ma before 1825. The above

mentioned Muslims prior 1825were counted as one of the

lawfully indigenous races of

Burma. But, today the military

regime is accusing all Rohingyas

to be Bangladeshi illegal

immigrants effectively denying

them Burmese citizenship.

According to the Burmese

Constitutions of 1947 and 1974

and the 1948 Citizenship Acts,

Rohingyas are Burmese citizens.Rohingyas enjoyed public

employment and obtained

Burmese Passport. The

Rohingyas got the rights to elect

and to be elected in all levels of

administrative institutions

including parliament. School

textbooks identified the

Rohingya as one of the nations

143 ethnic groups and from 1961

to 1965, the Burmese

Broadcasting Service even had a

Rohingya-language program.

The general election for the

Constituent Assembly was held

in Arakan in 1947. From the

holding of the elections until the

1962 military takeover, three

parliamentary general elections

were held for both houses of

Parliament in 1951, 1956, and

1960 respectively. In the 1951

general elections Rohingyas won

5 seats, four in the Lower House,

and one in the Upper House. The

Rohingyas had no political Party

of their own. They stood either as

independents or as supporters of

AFPFL. In 1956 and in the 1960

general elections Rohingya

retained all their five seats of

north Arakan. A number of

Rohingya were democratically

elected to Burmas parliament

and many held high-level

government positions.

In the 1990 general elections the

Rohingyas were able to vote andwere allowed to stand as

candidates, a right normally

denied to non-citizens. The

National Democratic Party for

Human Rights (NDPHR), a

Rohingya political Party, won

four seats, capturing all the

constituencies in Buthidaung and

Maungdaw. Subsequently, the

NDPHR, like many other

political parties that won seats inthe 1990 elections, was

deregistered by the military

regime in March 1992. From the

latest general election of 2010,

four Rohingya MPs are elected

and representing in parliaments.

Denial of Citizenship:The Rohingyas of Burma are

vulnerable as they have no legal

status in their homeland and are

Map of Burma

today the military regime is

accusing all Rohingyas to be

Bangladeshi illegal

immigrants effectively

denying them Burmese

citizenship


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Page 3


considered non-citizens. The

plight of the Rohingyas

demonstrates how people without

citizenship rights in their own

country can be forced out andbecome refugees. The Burma

Citizenship Law of 1982 has

reduced the Rohingyas to the

status of State-less people.

Although the 1982 Citizenship

law is also discriminatory

towards the vast majority of the

Indian and Chinese populationsof Burma, as the promulgation of

this law took place soon after the

exodus of Rohingyas refugeesinto Bangladesh in 1978.

Once the refugees had been

repatriated, this law was

specifically designed effectively

to deny Rohingyas the right to a

nationality. The 1982 Citizenship

law has had the effect of

rendering the vast majority of

Rohingyas ineligible to be

Burma citizens. The law alsomakes no provision in relation to

stateless persons. (i.e.

Rohingyas).

The current 1982 Burma citizen-

ship law unlike , the preceding

1948 Act, which conferred equal

right on all citizens, creates three

classes of citizen; full citizens,

associate citizens and naturalized

citizens (the Rohingya don't

qualify into

any of these

three). The

Rohingyas are

not issued any

new nationalidentity cards

which are is-

sued to other

citizens. The

withholding of

citizenship has

become a mechanism for

discrimination and persecution

on the basis of ethnicity. ID cards

are essential in all national

activities. ID cards must becarried at all times and a card

number has to be given when

buying, or selling anything,

staying overnight with friends or

relatives outside your own

council area, applying for any

civil service and professional

post and other daily activities.

Most of the National Registration

cards (NRCs) issued to the

Rohingyas during the

parliamentary governments or

before SLORC/SPDC regime

have been confiscated by the

authorities. The authorities had

issued Temporary Registration

Cards (TRCs) to some

Rohingyas in Maungdaw and

Buthidaung, locally known as

white cards against their

protest. This was nothing but adesign to degrade their national

status and put them in a state of

uncertainty.

Restriction of Movement:Rohingyas in Arakan State must

routinely apply for permission to

leave their village, even if it is

just to go another nearby village.

This has had serious

repercussions on their livelihood

and food security, as they are

often unable to seek employment

outside their village or trade

goods and produce unless they

have official permission and

obtain a pass which they mustpay for. Most Rohingyas cannot

afford to pay on a regular basis

for these permits. As two-third of

the Rohingyas are poor day

laborers, the restrictions on their

movement also greatly affects

their ability to find work in other

villages or towns.

These restrictions prevent people

from seeking work in other

villages, trading, fishing or evenattending a funeral of a relative

or visiting a doctor. When

Rohingyas want to travel to a

village in the same township they

must obtain a local travel pass at

the VPDC. If they need to go

further, for example to another

township, they need to apply for

a different kind of travel permit

at the Immigration department at

the Nasaka camp. It is almost

impossible for Rohingyas of

Maungdaw and Buthidaung to

visit Sittwe, the capital city of

Rakhine State (Arakan). If

Rohingya from Sittwe manage to

travel to north Rakhine State, it is

Rohingya National Flag

The Rohingyas are not issued

any new national identity

cards which are issued to

other citizens. The

withholding of citizenship

has become a mechanism for

discrimination and

persecution on the basis of

ethnicity.


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extremely difficult for them to

return to their homes in Sittwe.

Rohingyas' inability to travel

freely greatly inhibits their ability

to earn a living, obtain proper

health care, and to seek highereducation.

The restrictions on the movement

of Rohingyas are imposed on all

Rohingyas because they are

Rohingyas, not on members of

other ethnic nationalities in

Rakhine State. They have a severe

negative impact on the lives of

thousands of Rohingyas who have

not committed any offence.

Especially serious is the fact thatthese restrictions constitute, in

addition, violations of other basic

human rights for the Rohingyas

including the right to work, and

the right to an adequate standard

of living.

Forced Labor:North Arakan has turned into a

militarized zone resulting in the

increase of forced labor and otherviolations of human rights. The

SPDC officials are extracting

statements from the people that

there is no forced Labor .The

armed forces routinely confiscate

property, cash, food and use

coercive and abusive recruitment

methods to procure porters. The

Rohingyas have to build, without

wages, military establishments,

roads, bridges, embankments,

pagodas and ponds. The villagers

have had to plough the farm land

and grow various vegetables, to

construct buildings of the camps,

to carry woods from the forest to

bake bricks, to clean up the camp

compounds every day, and to

repair the damaged roads and the

streets nearby the camps. Since

January 2nd, 2005, the villagers

have also to pay sentry guards

for Na Ka Pa along the rivers and

seashores from 5pm to 6am

every day.

Forced labor demands from theauthorities' place a large burden

on the Rohingya population as it

leaves them with not enough

time to do their own work. Most

of the times it is the poorest who

must undertake forced labor, as

people who can afford are able to

pay a bribe to the authorities.

Land Confiscation, Forced

Eviction and HouseDestruction:

The confiscation of land from the

Rohingya population in Northern

Rakhine state is related to the

establishment of "model

villages", the construction or

expansion of Na Sa Ka, military

and police camps and

establishing plantations for

security forces and also for new

settlers. Recently theprocess of forced

eviction had been

intensified by the

authorities.

A model village is

usually built to house

about 100 families.

Each family receives

four acres of land, a

pair of oxen and house.

These model villages have been

built on land that was confiscated

from the Rohingya population.

Houses and health centers in the

model villages are built by forced

labour by the Rohingya. The

majority of people in model

villages do not cultivate the land

allocated to them and instead rentit out to Rohingya farmers, in

some cases the same people from

whom the land was originally

confiscated.

This deprives them of

opportunities to sustain their

livelihood as these are rice fields,

shrimp farms grazing grounds for

their cattle. The Rohingya

population of nearby villages are

often forced to build the housesand other facilities without pay.

They have to provide the

building materials as well.

The building and the extension of

military camps mainly for the Na

Sa Ka have also led to land

confiscation. Moreover the Na Sa

Ka has confiscated land for

commercial purposes, mainly to

establish shrimp farms but alsorice fields for themselves. The

Rohingya never receive

compensation and are also forced

to work on the same fields that

were confiscated from them.

Recently the Rohingya

population have been issued with

expulsion orders and forced to

dismantle their homes. They

started with 40 houses and

arrested the heads of eighteenBurma National Flag

Most of the times it is the

poorest who must undertake

farced labour, as people who

can afford are able to pay abribe to the authorities


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Page 5


families, some women, who

protested and refused and sent

them to jail. After the

dismantling the families were not

given any other place to go.

These have forced the Rohingyasto become increasingly landless,

internally displaced, to

eventually starve them out to

cross the border into Bangladesh.

Arbitrary Taxation and

Extortion:

Rohingyas in northern Rakhine

State are subjected to extortion

and arbitrary taxation at the

hands of the authorities. Thesevary from tax on collecting fire-

wood and bamboo to fees for the

registration of deaths and births

in the family lists, on livestock

and fruit-bearing trees, and even

on football matches.

The authorities impose very high

rates of taxation on the food

grains and on various agricultural

products of Rohingya including

staple food, rice. In addition,shrimp tax, vegetable tax, animal

or bird tax (for cows, buffalos,

goats, and fowl), roof tax, house-

building or repair taxes, etc, are

collected by force. Every

Rohingya who breeds either

cattle or domestic livestock has

to pay certain amount for each

and every item they possess.

Every new born or death of the

above has to be reported paying a

fee.

The Rohingyas have to pay taxes

for everything, for cutting bam-

boos or woods in the jungles,

fishing in the rivers and breedinganimals at homesteads from

December 2002. The Rohingya

villagers have to pay yearly a

new tree tax of Kyat 2500 per

betal-nut tree and kyat 5000 per

coconut tree. Na Sa Ka

authorities have appointed agents

for every essential item and

warned the Rohingya not to sell

their products directly except

through such agents. They arepaid prices fixed by the Na Sa

Ka, which is usually one-third of

the market price. The sale of the

cattle must also be registered and

paid for. There have been several

reports of Rohingyas being

arrested and accused of breaking

various regulations such as

having been to Bangladesh or

failing to pay their taxes.

Registration of Births and

Deaths in Families:

All Rohingya households are

obliged to report any changes to

the family list to the authorities

for the registration of births and

deaths in families. Rohingyas are

forced to pay fees to the VPDC

or the Na Sa Ka. A Rohingya

family has to pay kyats 1500

when a new child is born andKyat 1000 when a member dies,

to register it in their family list.

Since mid 2002, Rohingya

pregnant women have had to

register themselves in person at

the nearest Na Sa Ka camp,

which may be some hours walk

away from their village. Women

were asked to show their faces

and their abdomens.

Restrictions on Marriage of

RohingyasThe authorities in Northern

Rakhine State have forcefully

introduced a regulation that the

Rohingyas are required to ask for

permission to get married. Thisrestriction is only enforced on

Muslims in this area and not any

of the other ethnic minority

groups living in the region. In

fact, there are no written rules or

procedures for the marriages of

Rohingyas. All are verbal orders

but they are to be followed with-out question. Non-compliance

results in heavy punishment.

In recent years, imposition of

restrictions on marriage of

Rohingya couples has further

intensified. The marriageable age

is at 18 for girls and 20-25 for

boys. Marriages need to be

solemnized with the consent and

sometimes, in the presence of the

army officers. It is near

impossible for the couples and

their guardians to observe all theformalities which include

medical tests, recommendations

from various administrative

departments and army

commanders including Na Sa Ka

border security forces and other

law enforcing agencies and

police.

Since 2002, the authorities had

begun to demand large amounts

vary from tax on collecting

firewood and bamboo to fees

for the registration of deaths

and births in the family lists,

on livestock and fruit-bearing

trees, and even on football

matches.

Since mid 2002, Rohingya

pregnant women have had to

register themselves in person

at the nearest Na Sa Kacamp, which may be some

hours walk away from their

village.


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in taxes from Rohingyas who

request for permission to get

married. The authorities also

appear to have limited the

number of permissions given

each year. People have had towait for two to three years to get

permission, even after paying

large sums of money, and they

had to go to the Na Sa Ka camp

several times for it. In general,

Rohingya couples must pay a

substantial amount of money to

the Na Sa Ka varying from

50,000 to 300,000 Kyats. Usually

the bride and groom must each

pay the same amount of money.After payment, permission is not

always given. This restriction

especially affects poor people,

who are unable to obtain such

large amounts of money. In some

villages there have been no

marriages at all during the last

year because of this restriction.

There are also consistent reports

of young couples fleeing to

Bangladesh because this is the

only way for them to get married.

Once in Bangladesh it is very

difficult for them to return, as

their names have often been

removed from their family list by

the authorities.

Deprivation of Right to

Education:

Since the new Burma Citizenship

law in 1982, the Rohingyastudents are denied the right to

education. It is problematic to

pursue higher studies while

professional courses are barred to

them. Rohingya students who

stood in selection tests and got

formal admission in various

institutions located in Rangoon

and Burma proper are unable topursue their studies as they are

disallowed to travel. During

recent years about 1500 students

have to stop their further studies.

In October 2004, over 165

Rohingya University Students

could not sit their supplementary

examination as they were denied

travel documents to go to Sittwe

by the authorities.

Arbitrary arrest, torture and

Extra-Judicial Killing:While Arakan remained totally

shut from outsiders, the Burmese

authorities has been carrying out

a relentless torture and killing

campaign in Arakan particularly

against the youths without

putting anyone on trial. Over 100

innocent Rohingyas were killed

in 2009 in different parts ofArakan. Hundreds of Rohingyas

are put behind bars and are

subjected to inhuman torture.

They are also used as human

shields and are forced at gun

point to act as watchmen against

any possible rebel attack. The

inhuman forced labour treating

the Rohingyas as human cattle is

on the increase. They are

subjected to severe beatings andrandom killings while pottering

or engaged in other works.

The Rohingya elected

representative in 1990 General

Elections of the NO.1.

Constituency of Buthidaung

Township Arakan State, U Kyaw

Min (a) Mr. Mohamed Shomshul

Anwarul Hoque, 55, was arrested

by the authorities for unknownreason. He is an executive

committee member of National

Democratic Party for Human

Rights (NDPHR), which is only

Rohingya political party with the

winner seats in 1990 General

Elections. He is also a member ofCommittee for Representatives

Peoples Parliament (CRPP). He

was picked up from his Rangoon

home by the Burmese military

agent on 17th March 2005.

Special Police agent went to his

house around midnight and told

him to follow them for some

questions and then he was carried

away by police car. His family

members are not able to trace hiswhereabouts.

Abuse of Rohingya Women and

Elders:Rohingya women have become

victims of rape, molestation and

dishonour, increasingly at the

hands of security forces. They

are not allowed to wear hijab;

their age of marriage is limited

and are subjected to forciblecontraception. Many Rohingya

women were forcibly married by

security forces and then left them

away. Rohingya women are

compelled to stay in camps set

up by the security forces for so-

called training where they are

subjected to rape and dishonour.

There were many instances that

women were raped in their

houses before the very eyes ofthe children or parents.

Rohingya religious figures and

elders are increasingly harassed,

tortured and sometimes their

beards are shaven off and are

forced to issue religious decree to

allow non-Islamic practices.

Mosque buildings are totally

banned since 2000 in Arakan

State while several existing

Over 100 innocent

Rohingyas have been killed

during last one year in

different parts of Arakan.


7/16

Page 7


Mosque and madarasa were

dismantle by Na Sa Ka.

The Forgotten Rohingya

Refugees in Bangladesh:The Rohingyas have faced

continuing persecution by themilitary government in Burma

and have escaped to Bangladesh

in large numbers, with the

biggest influx in 1991-1992

when about 270,000 of them

crossed the border. Although

many of these refugees have

since then been forcefully

repatriated to Burma under the

supervision of UNHCR, there are

still about 22,000 refugees livingin two registered refugee camps

in southern Bangladesh. The

refugees are completely

dependent on UN and aid

agencies for food.

In addition, an estimated 200,000

Rohingyas are living illegally in

Bangladesh without access to

protection or humanitarian

assistance. Since economic

opportunities in Bangladesh are

limited, the Rohingya outside of

camps are not living in

Bangladesh for economic

security, rather they are fleeing a

history of persecution and human

rights abuses by the Burmese

government. At first the

Government of Bangladesh was

welcoming towards the

Rohingyas and made efforts toaccommodate them. In recent

years, however, it has pushed for

all refugees to be sent back to

Burma and has rejected any

possibility of local reintegration

for them.

Recently, the Government ofBangladesh, in order to improve

economic relations with Burmese

military regime, has declared that

the remaining Rohingya refugees

in the camps should be

repatriated by any means.

Meanwhile the military

Government of Burma has not

cleared most of the refugees in

the two camps for return and

accuses them of having contact

with insurgents. The Burmese

military regime has created a

complicated system of

bureaucratic conditions and

procedures which make it very

difficult for refugees to be

cleared and repatriated. Even

though the Government of

Bangladesh wants the refugees to

leave, there is a very slow rate ofrepatriation.

The refugees who eventually

make it to Burma find conditions

there as bad as before, with

restrictions on movement, forced

labour, violence and

intimidation. They often have no

choice but to re-enter

Bangladesh.

Ongoing Etnic CleansingKaryn Becker defines ethnic

cleansing on Model United

Nations Far West as "the

elimination of an unwanted

group from a society, as by

genocide or forced migration".

Historically, Rohingya faced

ethnic cleansing before and after

Independence of Burma in 1942

and 1948, and on a number of

state-sponsored occasions underformer dictator, general Ne Win

and now from the semi-quasi

civilian government.

When it comes to Rohingya,

Burmese society is influenced

with malevolent propagandas

against Rohingya as "Bengali",

"Illegal Immigrant", "Influx

virus", "lower class" and even

"terrorist". The Rohingya have a

history of being in Arakan state

for hundreds of years, have been

suffering untold discriminations

and persecutions

for more than 50 years, and are

considered by the United Nations

as one of the most persecutedpeople in the world.

The hostility has intensified after

an alleged raping of a Buddhist

girl by three Rohingya boys

which has lead to killing of 10

Muslims by 100 Buddhist mobs

and spread all over Arakan state

on 8th June 2012 causing

numerous villages to be burnt

down, countless mosques and

historical monuments destroyed

and demolished, various

properties looted, thousands of

innocent Rohingya killed,

uncounted number of defenseless

girls raped, and youths and

educated Rohingya kidnapped.

Many prominent Burmese

democratic activists from inside

and outside of Burma who fought

against the military junta havebeen calling the military to "wipe

out" or "cleanse" Rohingya from

Arakan and spreading anti-

Rohingya sentiments through

Burmese media which is playing

a great role in hiding the real

truth and propagating the biased

news. Nonetheless, many monks

including Association of Sittwe

and Mrauk Oo called not to sell

and communicate with

Rohingya Women are

compelled to stay in camps

set up by the security forces

for so-called training where

they are subject to rape and

dishonour


8/16


Rohingya Language

Ruingga is the spoken language

of Rohingya which is slightly

similar to Chittagonian language

spoken in the neighbouring

Chittagong region of Bangladesh.

The earliest written language

dated back over 300 years in

which Arabic was used as scripts.

However, during British colonial

time from 1826 until 1946,

English, Urdu and Farsi became

the scripts for the written

language. Then Hanafi, a

combination of Arabic, Burmese

and Roman was developed after

independence of Burma.

For the latest being

Rohingyalish, as the former

Hanafi was failed among the

people due to the difficulty inmodernizing for the typing.

Currently Rohingyalish is based

on only Roman alphabets which

are readily available in using

computers and mobile phones.


Rohingya, blocked humanitarian

aids reaching to homeless and

starved Rohingya, and called to

send all Rohingya "back to their

native land".

At the same time, Burmese

president, Thein Sein who was a

general in previous junta rule

announced on July 13 2012 the

Rohingya as non-citizens of

Burma and told visiting UNHCR

chief, Antonio Guterres to be

ready for the deportation of all

Rohingya to a third country. He

has given the ultimate power to

military, police, border securityforces and former Buddhist

militant group in Arakan who

have signed ceasefire agreement

to deal strictly with Rohingya.

On the other side of Burma,

Bangladesh government has

closed the border and pushed

back a lot of Rohingya boat

people who were escaping the

ethnic cleansing. And also it toldforeign aid groups such as MSF,

ACF Britain's Muslim Aid UK to

suspend their services and leave

the country.

It has become a silent field of

ethnic cleansing in Burma where

foreign media, investigation

teams and aid groups are banned,

Anti-Rohingya sentiment is ever

increasing among Burmesepeople while military and ultra-

nationalists are showing their

importance in the newly formed

democratic government by

committing ethnic cleansing as

well as democracy champion,

Aung San Suu Kyi watching the

show by keeping silent and

saying "I don't know" when

asked about whether she

considered Rohingya as citizens,forgetting the human rights

abuses Rohingya have been

suffering.

Rohingya were recognized as

one of the ethnicities of Burma

and had enjoyed the full

citizenship rights until the

dictator Ne Win over took power

in 1962 and implemented a

discriminatory citizenship law in1982 which has striped the

Rohingya from being citizens of

Burma and made them

vulnerable from persecutions and

ethnic cleansing.

Language Corner

1. Hi/Hello

Assolamu Alikum. (Translation:

Peace be upon you)

2. How are you?

Tu ken aso?

3. What is your name?

Tur nam ki?

4. Where do you stay?

Tu ho tko?

5. Where is your house?

Tur gr ho?

6. I am Rafique (or) My name is

Rafique.

A Rafique (or) Ar nam

Rafique

7. How old are you?

Tur boc hoddr?

8. What do you do?

Tu ki gor?

9. It is great pleasure to meet

you.

Tur li mili bic kci lager.

10. Thank you so much

Ture bic ckuria.

11. Welcome

Ture bari luwazar.

12. Hope to see you again.

Acgorir ar ek mottr dola

iyoum.

13. Ok

Thk ase.


9/16

Page 9Page 9

Music and song reflects the lives

of people the way they think, feel,

express and the way they are.

Likewise, the lives of Rohingyas

are influenced with one of the

most important factors of culture,

that of music and song.

Rohingyas use many traditionalinstruments such as Tobla and

Juri in combination of modern

musical instruments.

Song plays an oral medium for

transmitting emotion, feeling and

sentiment of Rohingyas in order

to keep their history alive to the

majority of non-literate commu-

nity through religious, philo-

sophical and country songs.

In summer time, many Rohingya

youngsters go for singing under

the moonlit nights with or with-

out their musical instruments tofeel fresh. There are also many

groups of singers and musicians

who release songs of all genres,

and even it is easy for anyone

who wants to dedicate a song for

special one mentioning the name

in the song from his or her fa-

vourite singer.

Howla is a kind of popular song

sung in almost every wedding

ceremony by women accompa-

nied with dancing. Bitayali Get

(song), Jari Get and Gazr Get

are some of the melodious songs

popular among Rohingya com-

munity.

It is well noted that Rohingya

Music and Song was broadcasted

on May 15, 1962, the year before

Ne Win military regime sieged

power.

Music & Song

Henna

Henna is a traditional and

religious practise of art both used

by women and men alike. It is

mentioned in so many of the

sayings of the Prophet

(Muhammad) that it has effects

of medicinal and beauty.

Henna paste (Mehendi in

Rohingya language) is made

from Henna leaves and ground

until it become paste and

used by women and girls in the

occasions of engagement,wedding, religious ceremony or

normal day. It is applied

overnight on hands, nails and

faces with different patterns of

art or word. The colour of Henna

appears after a few hours of

application of the paste and lasts

three to four weeks.

Elderly Rohingya men also use

Henna as a way of the Prophet on

either hair or beard which made

them golden or light red

coloured.

From the point of medicine,

Henna paste plays an important

role in Rohingya lives as a home

remedy which is applied on

injuries like of opened or closed

broken bones, dislocation of

joints or acute illnesses such as

headache, backache, stomach

pain or burns as a source of pain-

killer, tissue growth and bone or

joint stabilizer.

Aung San Suu Kyi

Aung SanSuu Kyi is

the leading

face of the

pro-

democracy

movement

and the

leader of

National

League for

Democracy. She was born on 19

June 1945 from General AungSan (the architect of Burma) and

Daw Khin Kyi (a former

ambassador to India). She

married Dr. Michael Aris, a

scholar of Tibetan cultural and

has two sons, Alexander Aris and

Kim Aris. She won the election

in 1990 but the result was

nullified by the military. She has

spent 15 of 21 years under house

arrest and she won many awards,

most famously, Noble PeacePrice in 1991 and Freedom of the

city of Dublin in 1999 which she

received officially on June 18,

2012.

Although she is very vocal

against the military rule and

stands for equal rights, she has

been well and questioned by

human rights organizations for

remaining silent on the ongoing

massacre of Rohingya.


10/16


phones, computers and many

more.

The last but not the least is

education. It is necessary for

everyone regardless of places

and situations. Although there is

a programme organized by RTMInternational in Bangla

curriculum since 2008,

unfortunately it is offered up to

level 5, those who wish to study

more have no chances of

continuing.

Even though refugees are

encouraged to take part in

different types of games such as

football, volley ball, cricket,tennis and basketball organised

annually by TAI official, the life

in the camp remains very

restricted in terms of basic needs

and security.

Life in the Camp

Many members of the Rohingya

community fled from the native

Arakan state of Burma

(Myanmar) in 1992 due to the

well-founded fear of persecution

from the military junta and takenrefuge in 19 camps under the

Coxs Bazaar district of

Bangladesh which were

acknowledged by UNHCR

(United Nations High

Commissioners for Refugees) and

Bangladesh government.

Since then, approximately

240,000 from 260,000 refugees

have been forcefully repatriated to

Burma under the name ofVoluntary Repatriation.

Currently, there are only 2

registered and 2 unregistered

camps. Due to the continuous

persecutions and unassured

security in Burma, most of the

repatriated refugees are forced to

refuge in the unregistered camps

and many living all over

Bangladesh.

The life in the camp has no

differences from the life inBurma, fully restricted in terms of

food, education, healthcare and

movement, and also encountered

rape, false-case.

Due to the unmet basic needs

such as proper treatment and

nutrition, many face malnutrition

and infant mortality. There are

examples of children death just

after birth due to the lack of care

and women suffering from

internal bleeding and weaknessafter giving birth.

Rape is another major issue faced

in the camp. Local gangs from

nearby villages come and take

away many refugee girls, and

some of them forcefully married

to local youths.

False and fabricated cases

against innocent refugees are

very common in the camp life.Head of refugee families are

major targets by local people and

government authorities in order

to repatriate refugees forcefully,

extort money for using mobile

There are examples of

children dying just after birth

due to lack of care and

women suffering from internal

bleeding and weakness after

Surviving in the Camp


11/16

Page 11

Our Journey to Ireland in Our Own Words

news has made us all surprised,

felt very lucky and thankful

although we almost barely knew

where Ireland was.

The journey started on Thursday

23rd of April 2009, divided into

three groups. When we were told

the day before the journey, we

were very much excited for it

that we have never dreamed,

seeing airport for the first time,

training proper use of toilet,

getting into the plane even

though we were excited we were

fearful for the unknown journeythat awaited for us.

The flight, one of the very first

experiences, took us from Dhaka

(Bangladesh) to Dubhai and then

London and finally arrived in

Dublin with the help of UNHCR

and OMI staffs. When we got offthe plane, what cold and rain.

We felt we would die.

At the end of the day, we were

being transferred to Ballyhaunis

Refugee Orientation Training

Centre, by bus. Lots of people

had never been on a bus before.

The next day, training started for

6 weeks from social to law and

order.

Experiencing and coping with

completely new places and social

life has been a major step. This

might not be possible without the

kindness and hard work of

countless people who have

taught and guided us from

everything needed in everydaylife.

Experiencing and copingwith completely new places

and social life has been amajor step.

Continued from Page: 1

Every day and every night, we,

Rohingyas from Carlow have so

many reasons to thank and appre-

ciate what the agencies and peo-

ple of Carlow have been doing.

Without their helps and guides,

we will never be where we are

today.

As a Burmese saying goes,Thalok Sabu, Thu Chizu mean-

ing even a spoonful or handful of

food someone provided, you are

obliged to be grateful ever. We

are eternally thankful all the

lovely and kind people from the

Carlow who have taught, guided

and showed us almost everything

that we need to know in lives

from language, cooking, hous-ing, gardening, drawing art,

keeping safe, sporting, communi-

cating, to parenting and so much

more.

We would like to express again

and again our greatest feelings of

gratitude towards all the agencies

and people of Carlow, and in-

deed we are ever indebted fortheir help.

Carlow, A Town We Are Ever Grateful

Kla literally means sport or

game in Rohingya language, and

there are many indigenous Kla

which are held based on seasons,

genders and ages.

Many are held in summer andwinter although there are some in

rainy season. One of the most cel-

ebrated sports is Gthi Kla

(Rowing) with 10 to 20 rowers on

a boat which is wider than mod-

ern rowing boat. Some of the oth-

er popular sports are Boli Kla

(wrestling), Qundha Kla

(Rounded Stone Lifting), Dop

Marani Kla (Diving and Swim-

ming), and Paddy Transplanting

Competition.

Youngsters of both genders are

also very keen in playing various

games such as Bosgya Buri Kla(Bag Jumping), Saws Sa

Rani Kla (Slippering), Kut

Kut Kla (Hopscotch), Rosi

Fal Don Kla (Rope Jump-

ing), Mol Kla (a kind of

Bounding crossing), Gla

Kla (Monkey Ladder Bean

Throwing), Dhudhu Kla

(Chasing Calling Dhu) and

Dhang Kla (Batting of cylindri-

cal piece of wood).

Unfortunately, due to the various

restrictions, many of the indige-

nous sports of Rohingyas are

vanishing.

Rohingya Sport & Game

Part of the Carlow Cricket Club


12/16


Rice is the staple food grain for

Rohingyas. The diet of

Rohingyas is simple rice, fish,

vegetables, milk and chillies;

meat is taken occasionally. The

majority of Rohingyas eat fisheswith fresh vegetables or potatoes.

Dry fishes and salted fishes are

also not uncommon among

Rohingyas. On all festive

occasions, cows, water buffaloes

and goats are slaughtered for sale

and distribution. They eat

mutton, beef and chicken after

Halal according to Islamic

teaching.

People during Manriques days

were very fond of rice cake and

dried fish. The traveller writes;

Rice cakes, the usual food for

these people without which, in

spite of eating other food, theystill feel hungry (Manrique, 1,

99)

People of this district still

prepare variety of rice cakes

popularly known as Pitha on

special occasions or whenever

need rises. Sidol (decomposed

fish), Xaga (Hak or vegetables),

dried fish, etc. were some of the

common food of the common

people of Arakan-Chittagong

region during Manriques time.

(S.B. Qanungos A History of

Chittagong P. 545).

The Arakan with its geographical

location inherits a mixed culture

in food Indian cuisine, the

Rakhine dish and the English.

While snacks of foreign nature

are commonly made, the

traditional snacks known as

Pira is in vogue. Pira is made

of rice powder. Coconut,

molasses, etc.

Food

Ingredients:

Fish - 250g/9oz

Turmeric Powder - 6gm/3tsp

Salt - 12g/3tbsp

Mustard Oil - 100ml/31/2 fl oz

Onion Seeds - 4g/2tsp

Water - 1l/32fl ozGreen chillies slit - 5

Green coriander (chopped) -

8g/3tbsp

Method:1. Marinate the fish with 1tsp each of turmeric powder and salt for

half an hour.

2. Heat the mustard oil in a pan, fry the whole fish till three quarters

done. Remove and drain the excess oil.

3. In the same oil add onion seeds, remaining turmeric powder, water

and green chillies and bring to the boil.

4. Add the fish and cook for about 10 minutes.

5. Serve hot, garnished with green coriander.

Serves: 4

Curry Fish Recipe

Ingredients:

- a whole young

chicken without

skin- onion

- garlic

- spice

- turmeric

- spice

- black pepper

- cardamom

- cinnamon

- salt

Method:

Chicken:

- remove skin, giblets and feet- twist and put neck into a chest hole,

and legs into abdominal cavity

- apply turmeric inside and outside the

chicken

Marinade:- heat 4 tsp of oil in medium

- put 2 tsp of minced garlic, 3 tsp of

minced onion, 1/2 tsp of black pepper,

2 tsp of spice and stir well for 3

minutes

Durs Kura (Chicken Roast) Recipe

- put whole chicken while applying the mari-

nade inside and outside

- add 200 ml of hot water and 1 tsp of salt to

taste

- stir and cook for 30-45 minutes

Gravy:- put 2 sliced onions on 2 tsp of medium heated

oil until it gets brown

- add another onion into halves, 4 cardamom

seeds and 2 small pieces of cinnamon

- transfer the marinated chicken and fry until it

is brown for 5-8 minutes

- and now ready to be served


13/16

Page 13

Religion and Beliefs

Islam is the main religion of

Rohingya people. As the

followers, they follow five main

pillars of Islam namely having

faith in the Oneness of God,

performing five daily prayers,almsgiving to needy, self-

purifying through fasting and

performing pilgrimage to

Makkah for those who are able at

least once in a life-time.

Faith plays an important role for

Rohingyas. They are taught to

have faith in the Oneness of God

and Prophet Muhammad as His

last messenger. In earlychildhood, the noble Quran and

the Hadiths (sayings of the

Prophet) are taught at home or in

madaras (religious school) and

many specialise it becoming

scholars.

As well as Rohingya children are

taught to perform the five-timedaily prayers starting at the age

of adolescence. Men and boys go

to nearby mosques; and women

and girls perform at home.

Almsgiving and fasting goes

hand to hand, having to fast a

complete lunar month from

sunrise till sunset daily. Like all

Muslims around the world,

Rohingyas too give specialattention to this month as they

believe that these make them

abstain from committing sins;

and feel and share with those

unfortunate ones how they live,

how they feel and how they cope.

If someone is capable physically

and financially, he or she isobliged to perform pilgrimage

(Hajj) to Makkah once in a life-

time. The Hajj is the Abrahamic

origin, performed with many

rites for several days to fulfil

religious belief and feel all are

equal before God.

Unfortunately, it has been

extremely difficult for Rohingyas

to practise freedom of Religionin the state of Arakan due to the

numerous restrictions placed by

Burmese government.

Name & Marriage

Name is unchangeable from the

time of naming to the time of

death. Most Rohingyas generally

keep two names; one is Muslim

name and the other is Burmese.

Both names dont process

surnames. For every name used

whether from Burmese or Arabic

language, there is a meaning for

each word. For instant, Noor

Hakim is a Muslim name in

which Noor means Light while

Hakim refers to Wise, but Hakim

is not a surname.

Calling someone who is older

than the caller is very sensitive in

Rohingya culture. Rohingyas use

specific terms for specific age

groups and genders. For

example; Gera (elder paternal

uncle), Cacha (younger paternal

uncle), Mamu (maternal uncle),

Bodda (eldest brother), Majja

(second elder brother), and so on.

Name remains the same as the

original even after the marriage,

husband and wife bearing their

original names.

Traditionally, betrothal is

arranged by the Rohingya

parents. Once it is time for

marriage, Moharna (ornament) is

fixed by the parents or guardians

of the bride and the groom and it

is most essential according

Islamic law. It must be given bythe groom for the bride. Both the

bride and groom must declare

their willingness by pronouncing

the words Khawbul Ahsi (we

do agree) in front of at least three

witness and the Molvi Shaheeb

(religious scholar) who perform

the marriage. Divorce rate among

the Rohingyas is less than other

ethnicities of Burma. The

wedding ceremonies are held in

receptions as far as possible. Thereception diner is usually held by

the family of the bride-groom. In

special cases called Salami, the

reception dinner is held at the

brides home. During the

wedding month the relatives of

the newly wedded couple used to

invite them and are served with

at least one meal in consecutive

days by each and every

household of their relatives

which shows their affections for

the couple. In almost all

Rohingyas marriage ceremonies,

Howlla (Group singing) songs

and folk-dancing of girls and

women are common.


14/16


words and it was hard to

communicate with the teachers.

We were very fortunate to have

such kinds of hardworking

teachers. They started teaching

from the beginning with the

alphabet, we were asked to

collect and bring words toschool, and our teachers

explained with the very capacity

they had.

At the end of the school time, we

picked up our children from their

school and they told us to

supervise our children; otherwise

serious action would be taken if

failed to do so.

It has been a great experience

that education has the purest

value in the eyes of people and it

was needed to be successfulsocially and personally.

We were provided with the

greatest opportunity to study

ourselves again and to allow our

children to acquire knowledge. It

is nearly impossible to get this

opportunity in the camp where

the hope of people studying is

fading day by day from the

limited level.

Travel

of new life, welcomed us. And

Some Carlow local Muslims also

came to see us and invited for the

lunch and finally we have been

moved to the housed allocated

for us.

HousingEntering to houses, which totallydifferent from the ones we have

lived in the camp hut, was very

exciting and we were thankful

for it being filled with what was

necessary. It was like sleeping in

the free space unlike the nights in

the camp where all kinds of

worries were floating in the mind

whether there would be storm or

fire or robbery or kidnapping.

Everyone started to visit each

other and gossiping, men and

women alike, in person or onphones.

We were again introduced to

doctors, shopping centres, post

offices and many more by the

kind people from St. Catherines.

SchoolBeginning classes was not easy

at first due to the communication

barrier, and many of us barely

completely even level 5 in the

camp. We knew very limited

from concerned authorities in the

nearest place.

Thanks to Irish Government, we

were introduced to the facilitiesavailable in Ireland with an

interpreter all the time to visiting

post-office, seeing doctor,

shopping and even going for

praying at the mosque in

Ballyhaunis.

At one stage, we were very

happy and excited, that it was

like a king visit, when the

Minister for Integration paid a

visit to us. And also somemembers of Carlow Steering

Committee and a group of

Burmese from Ballina came to

visit us.

After guiding us through and

helping us to build the

foundation by so many lovely

people in Ballyhaunis, we weretold that we would be moving to

Carlow in 3 months times.

Trip to CarlowThe 29th of June 2009 was an

emotional day for all of us as we

were leaving behind so many

kind people in Ballyhaunis. In

the morning of the day, we were

boarded on three buses among

them two were heading to

Carlow and the remaining to

Dublin.

Staff from St. Catherines wholater played great role helping

and developing our foundations

Our Experience in Ireland in Our Own Words

At one stage the Minster

for Integration came to

visit us. It was like a king

had come to see us and we

were very happy.

National Refugee Orientation Centre,

Ballyhaunis, Co. Mayo

Continued from Page: 1


15/16

Page 15

outside the camp.

Seeing freedom of traveling and

facilities or ways of traveling in

Ireland is one of the most

valuable experiences that we

have.Conclusion

Without the supports

of the agencies,

teachers, doctors,

Gardas, people of

Carlow and all

involved, it would be

impossible in building

new lives on the

foundation laid

down in

Ballyhaunis. We

are eternally grateful and

thankful for showing, giving

kindness and support that we

have never imagined to have.

As a saying goes, traveling

broadens mind. It is certainly

true. But freedom of travel is

absolutely needed. Rohingyas in

Burma need permission from the

government to go to next village

like traveling from Carlow to

closer than Kilkenny. There is

also restriction of movementinside the camp. People are

easily arrested by Bangladesh

authorities if they tend to see

Our Experience in Ireland in Our Own Words

But here I can travel

anywhere. Im free like a

bird.

Mohammed Rafique, addresses his new

community in Carlow at a welcome

evening in the Seven Oaks Hotel

Clothes & Dress

Rohingyas traditionally followthe Indo-Burmese dresses which

date back to the origin of

Rohingya hundreds of years ago.

Normally, Rohingyas dresses are

indistinguishable from the way

ordinary Burmese dress. Men

wear Bazu (shirt with long

sleeves) and Longgi or Doothi

(loincloths) covering until the

ankles. In addition to these, the

religious scholars prefer wearingKurutha, Jubba or Panjabi (long

clothes) together with hats, with

or without turbans. In official or

national occasions, Rohingya

men sometimes wear Taikpon

(collarless jackets) on top of the

shirts.

Similarly Rohingya women

follow the modest Islamic codeof dress. Once reached the state

of puberty, Rohingya girls are

advised to dress as modest as

possible and reflect morality and

privacy. When going outdoors,

they wear Burkha covering from

neck to below ankles and wrists

along with Hijab (scarves)

covering heads and

accompanying umbrella

regardless of weather. But athome, they wear scarves, long

or short sleeved clothes with

Thain (loincloths with various

patterns of art or flowers). For

the prayer purpose, they tend to

wear white long-sleeved clothes

and big scarves.

In the time of festivals,

Rohingya youths try to wear asnice as possible with the blends

of t-shirts, polo-shirts, Panjabi

(Indo dresses) and jeans.

The commonest of all is wearing

slippers (Sandal) both men and

women alike; lighter, slimmer

and smaller for women.


16/16


Rohingya Holidays

Like all ethnicities of Burma, the holidays of

Rohingyas can also be categorised into three groups

such as national, political and religious based on

two calendarssolar and lunar.

Rohingyas celebrate national holidays the way all

the people of Burma do, but political holidays arenot celebrated inside the country due to restrictions

and fears of government crackdown.

The only holidays celebrated widely inside the

country are the religious holidays, among them one

is regarded as a national holiday which is Eid-Ul-

Adha (Festival of Sacrifice) and others are

celebrated separately.

Rohingyas celebrate Eid-Ul-Fitr widely at the end of

Ramadan (Fasting month) for three days by

thanksgiving to Almighty Allah (God), reuniting

family, visiting friends, giving the poor obligatorycharity (known as Zakat), and many more.

Another widely celebrated holiday is Eid-Ul-Adha

at the end of Hajj (annual pilgrimage to Mecca) to

commemorate the trials and triumphs of Prophet

Ibrahim (Abraham) from Allah's (God's) command

to sacrifice his son Ishmael. To follow the

commandments of Allah, Rohingyas too slaughter

animals such camel, or goat and distribute meats to

three groups of people (immediate family andrelatives, friends and the poor); and followed by

visits with family and friends, and exchanges of

greeting and gifts.

Besides these, there are two major spiritual holidays

which are commonly celebrated by Rohingyas,

which are Lailatul Qadr (The Night of Power

when the first verses of the Quran were revealed to

Muhammad) and Shabe Barat (The Night of

FreedomAllah (God) frees all His sinful servants

who were destined for Hell). In these days,Rohingyas spend days paying homage to deceased

relatives and feeding the poor; and spend nights

intensely involved in prayer, meditation and seeking

forgiveness.

Independence Day (January 4th)

marks Burmas independence

from the British Empire in 1948

Union Day (February 12th

)marks the anniversary of the

Panglong Agreement in 1947

Burmese New Year Day (April

17th) marks the New Year of the

Burmese calendar

Rohingya Massacre Day (8th

June) started on 8th of June

2012 the state sponsored

massacre of Rohingya from

Arakan along with Buddhist

RakhineMartyrs Day (July 19th)

commemorates the assassination

of Aung San and several other

cabinet members in 1947

Rohingya Teacher Day (March

3rd) marks the date of birth of a

Rohingya Teacher in 1976

Rohingya Martyrdom Day

(March 28th) in 1942 when

Rohingya laid down their lives

while the Thakin the heinous

Rohingya massacre on 28th

March, 1942

Rohingya Indigenous Ethnic

Day (25th September) in 1954 at8.00 pm the then Prime Minister

of Burma, U Nu in his radio

speech to the nation declared

aboriginal Rohingya as an

indigenous Rohingya

Community

Rohingya Refugee MemorialDay (November 18th)

commemorates the deaths of

Rohingya Refugees on forced

repatriations in Bangladesh from1993 onwards

Darkness Day (December 28th)

marks the day of Burma

conquered ARAKAN by Burma

king Buda Puya on 1784.

Lailatul Qadr - Towards the end

of Ramadan, Muslims observe

the "Night of Power," which is

when the first verses of the

Quran were revealed to

MuhammadEid al-Fitr - At the end of

Ramadan, Muslims celebrate

"The Festival of Fast-Breaking."

Shabe Barat- The Night of

Freedom when Allah (God) frees

all His sinful servants who were

destined for Hell and the

Eminent Quran descended in it.

Hajj- Each year during the 12th

month of the Islamic calendar,

millions of Muslims make anannual pilgrimage to Mecca,

Saudi Arabia called Hajj.

Eid al-Adha- At the end of the

annual pilgrimage, Muslims

celebrate "The Festival of

Sacrifice."

Important Dates

Supported By

Rohingya Cultural Bulletin

Documents

Transcript of Rohingya Cultural Bulletin