Internet Unshackled, Burmese Aim Venom at ethnic {Moslem} minority

The New York Times ^ | 15 Jun 2012 | Tom Fuller

[Cronos]

..as the poverty-stricken country of 55 million makes a delicate transition to democracy, hateful comments are also flourishing online about a Muslim ethnic group, the Rohingya, that is embroiled in sectarian clashes in western Myanmar that have left more than two dozen people dead.

..In online forums, Rohingya are referred to as dogs, thieves, terrorists and various expletives. Commenters urge the government to “make them disappear” and seem particularly enraged that Western countries and the United Nations are highlighting their plight.

..the government of President Thein Sein tries to steer the country toward reconciliation between the military and the people, and between the Bamar majority and the dozens of smaller ethnic groups.

So far, the violence has been limited to Rakhine, which is relatively isolated from the rest of the country by a mountain range. But many among those who have posted angry comments on Internet sites have equated the Rohingya with other Muslims scattered around Myanmar. In Yangon, Myanmar’s main city, worshipers at mosques reported that prayer services left out traditional Friday sermons as a precaution against widening the sectarian conflict.

..A United Nations report published in December described the Rohingya as “virtually friendless” among other ethnic groups in Myanmar. That is a polite assessment.

The source of the hatred toward the Rohingya is complex but appears to turn on religion, language, colonial resentment..

The provenance of the Rohingya is as difficult to trace as that of many of Myanmar’s other ethnic groups: they appear to be a mixture of Arabs, Moors, Turks, Persians, Moguls and Pathans, according to the United Nations. Myanmar’s government counts more than 130 ethnicities in the country. The Rohingya are not on that list.

[Cronos]

The thing that many don't realize is that the renaming of Burma is not just a "let's change a colonial name' thing but the fact that Burma is named after the largest (but not majority) ethnic group -- the Barman.

it's like the Netherlands which was called by the name of one of its regions -- Holland -- for a long time

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but back to the point -- the article says A United Nations report published in December described the Rohingya as “virtually friendless” among other ethnic groups in Myanmar. That is a polite assessment. - well, duuh, they're moslems...

[Norm Lenhart]

Glad to see that some people on the planet don’t care about PC BS and are willing to stand up for themselves.

Wish it happened here too.

[WellyP]

“...Rohingya are referred to as dogs, thieves, terrorists and various expletives...” Seems like they have it about right!

[jmacusa]

Tough to make friends when your first instinct is to kill them. Good to see these worthless Saracen bastards being called out for what they are.