Asian Correspondent
December 30, 2014
The U.N. General Assembly has approved a resolution urging Burma, which is also known as Myanmar, to provide “full citizenship” to its Rohingya Muslim minority and to allow them to move freely throughout the country.
Denied citizenship by national law, the 1.3 million Rohingyas are effectively stateless and have almost no rights. Burma authorities want to officially categorize them as “Bengalis,” implying they are illegal migrants from neighboring Bangladesh.
Following deadly clashes with the majority Buddhists after Burma started a transition from dictatorship to democracy in 2011, the Rohingyas now live under apartheid-like conditions in camps or in restricted villages.
The assembly resolution adopted by consensus late Monday also urges Burma’s government to ensure that the Rohingyas have equal access to services such as health care and education and address the root causes of violence and discrimination.
