Myanmar: Is a warning by the Election Commission enough for offense against Islam by the RNDP?

Rakhine Nationalities Development Party (RNDP)

December 27, 2012

M-Media

MT

The Rakhine Nationalities Development Party (RNDP) was sent in and warned by the Union Election Commission on 25 December in Nay Pyi Taw about three matters. Among the three matters is the writing offending Islam and Muslims of Myanmar featured in the Toe-Tat-Yay Newsletter (Volume 2, Issue 12), a political publication of the RNDP.

The author with the pseudonym “Marga Thitsar” of the article, titled “If Rakhine State Disintegrates” and featured in the Toe-Tat-Yay, hatefully insults Islam and Muslims of Myanmar.

By violating (i) the Constitution, (ii) existing laws, and (iii) the Political Parties Registration Law, the official political publication of the 

RNDP leader Dr. Aye Maung

who himself chairs the Citizens‘ Fundamental Rights, Democracy and Human Rights Committee at the Amyotha Hluttaw (the Upper House) has committed the following-

(a) Offense against Islam adhered by millions of people around the world;

(b) Offense against Muslim festivals;

(c) Offense against mosques;

(d) Comparison of the Islamic call to prayer, the Adhān or Azan, with the sound of the animal, the cow;

(e) Misinterpretation of and offense against the Feast of the Sacrifice by Muslims;

(f) Use of rude and offensive words in describing all the indigenous and citizen Muslims of Myanmar;

(g) Hateful incitement against all the indigenous and citizen Muslims of Myanmar who are involved in businesses and professions within legal bounds by mentioning the numeral symbol (786) of bismi-llāhi r-raḥmāni r-raḥīm, which means “In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful”;

(h) Wrongful misrepresentation of Islam and Muslims in spite of Islam’s clear prohibition against marriage to those of different faiths and against forced conversion of anyone to Islam;

(i) Wilful disturbance of multi-faith peace, and incitement to hatred among the indigenous peoples and citizens and to national disintegration;

(j) Incitement by abusing religion for political gains;

(k) Rude and offensive comparison of all the Muslims across the world with animals.

The Union Election Commission (UEC) only gave a warning to the RNDP for its insult to a world religion, i.e. Islam, as mentioned below. It is stated in the notice by the UEC to the RNDP that the party is liable to face action up to disbandment by referring to Sub-Section (d) [A political party must abstain from writing, delivering speech or organizing and instigating that can cause conflict or that can affect dignity and morals relating to nationality, religion, individual or public.] and Sub-Section (e) [A political party must abstain from abuse of religion for political ends.] of Section 6 of the Political Parties Registration Law. However, the UEC only gave a warning regards blatant breach of these regulations by the RNDP. Therefore, we strongly encourage that the government of the Union of Myanmar and the Union Election Commission immediately take decisive action according to law in order to prevent conflict between citizens of diverse races and groups and religious affiliations who have resided in peace in the Union of Myanmar for thousands of years.

The author with the pseudonym “Marga Thitsar” of the article, titled “If Rakhine State Disintegrates” and featured in the Toe-Tat-Yay, hatefully insults Islam and Muslims of Myanmar.