An aspiring politician, Abdul Rasheed’s foreign roots become a major setback in upcoming elections in Mayanmar even though he is among those few Rohingya Muslim’s who have citizenship of Myanmar.
Rasheed had planned to contest on November 8th general election under the democratic government led by Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi.
Rasheed in an interview said, “We have all these documents that the government issued, and they don’t accept the fact that my parents are citizens. I feel bad about that and concerned.”
The election law authorities cancelled 6 nominations as they failed to prove their parents were citizens at the time of their birth.
The election is another important test for Myanmar as it makes a transition away from the military rule but rights groups say the disqualification of Rohingya candidates demonstrates the limits of reform.
Head of Burma Rohingya Organization U.K, Tun Khin, released a statement saying, “Everyone in Myanmar, regardless of their ethnicity or religion, must have the same opportunity to contest in elections.buy viagra super force online https://www.ecladent.co.uk/wp-content/themes/twentysixteen/inc/new/viagra-super-force.html no prescription ”
He also urged the international donors to stop the funds to the electoral agency.
Myanmar doesn’t accept the term ‘Rohingya’ or the community as an indigenous ethnic group.
Rohingya’s in Myanmar are labelled as “Bengalis” who illegally immigrated from Bangladesh regardless of if they legally travelled and are citizens of Myanmar.
During the military government rule Rohingyas were destitute of the proofs of their identities which left their origins as questionable.
Monywa Aung Shin, a senior official from Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy, said the electoral organisations that rejected the candidates were just following the law.
“Whether Bengali or not, foreigners and non-ethnic people are not allowed to run in the election,” he said.
An independent Rohingya candidate, Abu Tahay who also has been rejected from contesting elections said the exclusion of Rohingya people from the election – as candidates and voters – meant they would feel thwarted in trying to reach their goals of securing citizenship and living in “peaceful coexistence” with all citizens.
He further added that “They don’t have any hope for their future.”
One of the six contestants, Aye Win who has been approved to contest elections said there are fewer chances of winning as many Rohingyas are still not given the citizenship which is definitely not a good sign.