AHRC calls for Respect for Human Rights in Myanmar
The American Human Rights Council (AHRC-USA) calls on all governing parties in Myanmar and on the military, which took over the rule of the country from elected civilians, to protect the human rights of all citizens, especially minorities. The Rohingya Muslims have been subject to systematic racism, ongoing ethnic cleansing and torture.
Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, has been far from being a democratic country- indeed, it was a greatly flawed democracy before the coup. During civilian rule, the Rohingya was subject to genocide. Their villages were attacked and properties were burned and destroyed. Hundreds of thousands sought refuge in Bangladesh, Myanmar’s neighboring country, fearing return.
AHRC remains hopeful that Myanmar will facilitate the basic human right of return of the Rohingya to Myanmar. AHRC calls on the international community, including the US, to assure the Rohingya’s safe return. Most of the Rohingya have not returned to Myanmar and the perpetrators of the genocide have largely not been held accountable.
“Democracy is not just about elections, it is about respect for human rights as well,” said Imad Hamad. “Myanmar, before the current coup, fell short of being a real democracy,” added Hamad. “And now with this coup the hope of democratic change that respects the human rights of everyone, especially the Rohingya, seems more unlikely than before,” concluded Hamad.
Ray Hanania is an award winning political and humor columnist who analyzes American and Middle East politics, and life in general. He is an author of several books.
Hanania covered Chicago Politics and Chicago City Hall from 1976 through 1992 at the Daily Southtown and the Chicago Sun-Times. He began writing in 1975 publishing The Middle Eastern Voice newspaper in Chicago (1975-1977). He later published “The National Arab American Times” newspaper (2004-2007).
Hanania writes weekly columns on Middle East and American Arab issues as Special US Correspondent for the Arab News ArabNews.com, at TheArabDailyNews.com, and at SuburbanChicagoland.com. He has published weekly columns in the Jerusalem Post newspaper, YNetNews.com, Newsday, the Orlando Sentinel, Houston Chronical, and Arlington Heights Daily Herald.
Hanania is the recipient of four (4) Chicago Headline Club “Peter Lisagor Awards” for Column writing. In November 2006, he was named “Best Ethnic American Columnist” by the New American Media. In 2009, Hanania received the prestigious Sigma Delta Chi Award for Writing from the Society of Professional Journalists. He is the recipient of the MT Mehdi Courage in Journalism Award. He was honored for his writing skills with two (2) Chicago Stick-o-Type awards from the Chicago Newspaper Guild. In 1990, Hanania was nominated by the Chicago Sun-Times editors for a Pulitzer Prize for his four-part series on the Palestinian Intifada.
His writings have also been honored by two national Awards from ADC for his writing, and from the National Arab American Journalists Association.
Hanania is the US Special Correspondent for the Arab News Newspaper, covering Middle East and Arab American issues. He writes for the Southwest News newspaper group writing on mainstream American issues.
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