A Brief Appraisal of the Rohingya Movement , Part-2 ( Two )

QUEST  FOR  LONG TERM “ DG ” POST  IN  ARU / SAVE   the “ARU”

For current Acting ARU-DG , It may be harder than he imagines for his quest for long term DG post if he continues to mishandle the ARU agreed principles not taking care of the serious concern of the Councilors,senior leaders.coordinators and members of 25 parties who made him DG for a period of 18 months with a hope that he may change the course of Rohingya political direction  and unite  various Rohingya activists and group as a fresh new face with highly educational background.

He was selected and elected as well as assigned as DG to prepare ground work of future ARU programs through co-ordinated efforts of four co-coordinators in the fields of foreign affairs,education,refugee,media and diplomacy with mutual consultation of 10 member ARU Council.

The most important task of ARU-DG was to prepare and the drafting of a Constitution of ARU  by participation of all ARU members so that it can be approved in the next ARU Congress which was due to  be held after 18 months period is over.The second important thing was to register ARU in USA as a NPO  establishing a Secretariat to run ARU activities under DG’s Supervision.

The entire Rohingya people particularly Rohingya diaspora welcomed Mr.Wakaruddin and put trust in him to architect the destiny of Rohingyas and move them in a new direction through mass mobilization and united efforts.

Unfortunately, it was a wrong choice made by the sagacious and veteran senior Rohingya leaders and Rohingya patriotic forces making a person DG who never indulged in Rohingya politics and lacks total political experience with minimum knowledge of team work in team spirit.The main reason to select and elect the First ARU-DG  was because he holds a PhD. degree, works as a Professor in American University and good personal character without any black spot in the past.

In reality, it was a great achievement of Rohingyas to be able to unite and form ARU with the support of EBO and OIC which was only possible by the three years extensive efforts of Br.Nurul Islam (ARNO),Dr.Mohammed Yunus and Molvi Salim of RSO and respectable  AFK Jilani.Unfortunately, I was not invited to participate in the Jeddah Convention even though I myself met Br.Talal Daous,the head of the Dept. of Muslim minority affairs of OIC three times in previous years with Molvi Salim and Ustad Hussain Ershad of MMC, discussed about the unity of the Rohingyas as well as holding the forth coming Rohingya convention.To my utmost surprise was that I approached the OIC and Br.Talal to give me the opportunity to participate in the said convention through email and phone request which was not granted as the Convention organizers did not find me worthy of that great gathering of Rohingyas.

So,staying away out of ARU platform which excluded consciously and knowingly any members of Arakan  capital city Sittwe, ancient city Mro-haung,Rohingya dominant township Kyauktaw Representatives including other townships of Southern Arakan in the Union of ARU, it is hard for me to involve in ARU’s current critical situation to save it for the greater interest of Rohingyas.However, being a part and parcel of Rohingya nation,I find myself compelled to raise my voice in constructive way that may be beneficial for the advancement of ARU in the future.

Matter to ponder very seriously is that it was not clearly decided in the 2011 Jeddah hosted Rohingya national convention and in ARU declaration how ARU administration will be taken care of if 18 months mandated DG period expired and the expected ARU general congress after 18 months fails to convene who will be Acting DG and how it will be chosen by the members of ARU as well as what should be done for future actions of ARU in that scenario or failure. condition.

Today’s ARU problem is the result of short-sightedness of ARU founders.

In fact, it was a Rohingya historic moment that three decades old Rohingya political power players , popularly known two figures in whole Rohingya nation Br.Nurul Islam and Dr.Mohammed Yunus sincerely,honestly and eagerly in good faith paved the way in 2011 Jeddah Convention with selfless attitudes to make a new leader in Rohingyas named as ARU-DG Wakaruddin so that entire Rohingya people can unite for the struggle of Rohingya survival . All Rohingyas inside Arakan,Burma and those scattered all over the world except few welcomed and accepted him whole-heartedly as a new leader.

The leader of a nation is ultimately judged by not his personal records,ability to make his own agendas, or by popularity.The leader is judged by few of his very big decisions right or wrong.The appraisal are made during his mandated term in the post ,more definitely after leaving the post of leadership ,for ARU it was eighteen months ARU-DG post.

Now. a lot of communications are seen in the net regarding the falure activities of first ARU -DG which I do not want to bring here for general Rohingya readers.However,the DG claims that he has done the best within his reach within uncountable odds and internal problems of misunderstanding in ARU members.

He said a constitution of ARU was already drafted in time and many ARU members revised it and fully prepared to discuss over it and approve it in the Rohingya national congress to be held at appropriate time when OIC finds a suitable place for the holding of the Congress meeting.This job was done as assigned to him by the ARU convention.A copy was sent to OIC for perusal .

The DG also said as per resolution of ARU he registered ARU as an NGO in USA establishing a secretariat to run by him as mandated which he already declared in the net in 2012.

He also claimed he carried out remarkable activities working together with US State Departnet, Foreign Relation Committee and many NGOs for the sake of Rohingyas issuing statement,giving speeches in the conferences, holding demonstrations , trevelling Asia,Europe and Middle eastern countries for Rohingya causes and diplomacy.He said that he was working so much tirelessly that even he can hardly manage his own persnal and family matters as well as his job in the university.

He asked then why some people amongst the Rohingyas are after him criticizing and making obstacle on his way to greater  achievement of ARU to save the Rohingyas.One of the most DG’s sincere claim is that he did not get any financial support from OIC or other NGOs and most expenses were being covered by his own money or from the fund of BRANA (Burmese Rohingya Association of North America).

If the above-mentioned clarifications were given to Rohingya public and ARU members, then, why we read many contradictory communications in the net ? We need to examine what went wrong in ARU-DG activities that needed to be corrected to advance the ARU as a unified umbrella organization to represent the Rohingya cause in 21st century.

Here we can find the following short-comings of ARU-DG which can be easily  corrected,managed and overcome provided there is a willingness to do so in  DG’s mind as following-

1-The ARU-DG acted all good deeds and he carried out the ARU’s responsiblities single-handed without mutual and formal discussions with ARU council members and lack of empowerment to coordinators as well as failure of formal contacts with those 25 parties who made him DG.

2.The DG complied the ARU resolution and established a Secretariat in his home registering ARU as a non-profit organization in his state of Pennsylvenia.However, no details of the registered ARU as NPO incorporation was sent to Council members such as names of  the board of directors and office bearers  of A

RU which created a big confusion in original Jeddah based ARU members.In this way,ARU-DG  runs  two ARUs,one is the one formed by 25 parties and another one is his own DBA- ARU of Wakar registered  in USA.

3.The ARU-DG played a very suspicious game that he took all good references when contacting  US based NGOs and Muslim organizations including Stae Dept. by using  the OIC supported ARU  to win the trust  and in contrary completed all appointments and communication in the name of BRANA(Burmese Rohingya Association in North America) making credit of BRANA which is only belonged to him with few related persons.

The conscious Rohingya public became very much confused as ARU-DG is tactfully using three organizations  ( such as BRANA,ARU-Wakar and ARU of OIC/EBO) for his own agendas.

There are some other things I do not want to make them problemetic issues, to err is human being,so ARU-DG might have knowingly or unknowingly committed  some mistakes which became complication and confusion among the Rohingyas.

Now the ARU-DG claims that all Rohingyas all over the world support him and his remarkable activities except few in USA ,Canada ,Saudi Arabia and Malaysia whose total members will not exceed more than ten persons.There are also various rumours that he is trying to prolong his DG post upto 5 years with his own authority and support of some of his  supporters,however, it can not be taken as authentic even though during ANA interview the host  Shah Hossain mentioned DGs  title  as the President of ARU which the DG did not refuse or clarified.

To keep the  hardly earned OIC/EBO supported 25 parties represented ARU as the only unified Rohingya umbrella organization that can unite all Rohingyas and organizations of Rohingyas to spearhead the cause of Rohingyas in this critical condition of the suffering Rohingyas most of the task must be done by ARU-DG.

By this way , the current problems of ARU can be solved in my opinion-

The following preventive measures are needed to do by ARU-DG-

1.Until ARU congress can be held by the efforts of Saudi based Jalia with the required funding of OIC and EBO in June-2013 (estimated date by DG, not confirmed) the current DG must become Acting DG until next Congress with the consent of ARU Council members and voters of ARU to legitimise the current activities and duties of Acting ARU-DG.

A  required by-law can be passed with ARU members for the smooth continuance of ARU mandate.

2.To become clean and rebuilding the trust and confidence of DG in ARU circle and the Rohingyas, the Acting DG must immediately work in team spirit with 4 coodinators  and council members to avoid internal splits and confrontation.

To do this- (a) The Copy of  drafted and prepared Constitution of ARU submitted to OIC or

                         in the files of ARU Secretariat must be sent to all ARU members for further

                         Review and discussion,if possible to Rohingya public so as to get their

                         opinion and feed-backs.

                    (b) The incorporated ARU in USA document such as Certificate of ARU non-

                          profit Corporation copy including by-laws and financial statement  must be

                          sent to  all members of ARU,if possible a copy should be in the net for

                         information of Rohingya public.

                    (c) As Acting DG of ARU he must communicate with all ARU members to seek

                         the opinion of them how to implement the expected Rohingya Congress on

                         a broad-based policy and how to bring the remaining outside Rohingya

                         parties and activists under the fold and banner of ARU to make ARU the sole

                         Representative party of Rohingyas in the world.

                    (d) If financially possible, the Acting DG should  visit London,Dubai,EU and Asia

                         to meet remaining ARU members (as did in KSA)  to discuss about ARU

                         thoroughly and earn their confidence and trust,no one is against him.

                         Otherwise,if travel  is impossible, he should  talk by phone with all of them

                          disregarding previous misunderstanding and grudge.

                    (e)The Acting DG must avoid  bad languages when dealing ARU  council

                         members and need to show competent not blaming others for his own failure

                         in the past such as inability to arrange the meeting of ARU council members to

                         discuss on emergency basis when Rohingya nation was  the victims of  June -

                         2012 pogrom.

                    (f) The Acting  ARU-DG must stop misusing ARU authority to appoint new office

                         bearer such as appointing someone as chairman of media,forming new dept,

                         taking a decision single way without knowledge of ARU council members and

                         coordinators such as dealing with Burmese Govt. or Rakhine group in regard

                         with Rohingyas’ destiny or status.

It is my personal analysis and opinion put forward as a conscious Rohingya Activist for the

the prevention of ARU disintegration and fractionalism as happened before to Rohingyas previous parties.The current Acting DG  should not think himself above the law and he himself is all powerful to execute any agenda without consent of majority  ARU members.I am writing this for the interest of  disunited Rohingya nation so as to preserve  hard earned unity and legitimacy of a unified Rohingya political form ARU through EBO and OIC.

In the last few weeks, I saw some writings of ARU’s  honest and dedicated council members urging the ARU-DG with positive good suggestions particularly Br.Nurul Islam (CRCS), Sayed Hussain,Imum Hussain and Br.Enam.The outsiders of ARU were also posting in confidential way to limited Rohingyas only many issues about failures of DG in the  last 18 months.

Although wrong, I do applaud their attempt at looking at DGs activities and being vocal about their  beliefs and opinions of ARU  . It makes me proud seeing my fellow Rohingya brethren  getting involved and speaking up for what they believe in and think what  is  right or wrong for Rohingya people.

But elementary mistakes  from the DG,  like confusing the ARU council members and coordinators with hidden agenda that is related to the national security of Rohingya nation  by exposing to others ( such as A M Mujahid, a non Rohingya) without  knowledge of ARU policy makers and Council members  make me fear  that DG’s handling ARU and  his above the law action-taking  egoist  system is failing us- the Rohingyas.

My fellow Rohingyas  get focused on small right or wrong  partisan propaganda ( such as ERC,BRANA,ARU,ARNO,RSO,BRAFA,RCI,FRC,JALIA,etc … and forget we’re all on the same boat and the same  team. There’s a line out the door of Rohingyas  trying, no dying, to get in. Instead of pointing fingers of hate and blame across the aisle,

let’s start working together.

Let’s start with our future, the future leaders and Rohingya Activists.

BY ALL MEANS WE MUST PRESERVE AND KEEP ” ARU”  INTACT FOR  ROHINGYAS,

WE EXPECT ARU-DG will not Destroy it for his own Agenda and self-destructive thoughts !

Mohiuddin Mohamad-Yusof

New York,USA

Tel:- 1-202-594-2548

NB.The Author is not enemy of the ARU-DG, but a well wisher of ARU including DG.

The DG’s remark about me as Evil Guru in his recent email to one of ARU council member Imum Hussain Jani, calling me bad names such as begger as well as one of the few who are destructive forces of ARU ,gealous to  DG’s success and diplomatic achievement  is against the ethic of good moral conduct ,not suitable behaviour  for a person  like ARU-DG which should be ceased to avoid  further damage of DG’s personality.