Dr. Abid Bahar
The ongoing debate with Dr. Aye Chan, the co-author of “Influx viruses”
We began our debate in the Global Voices (see google/Golbal voices/ Aye Chan) on the book "Influx Viruses," coauthored by Dr. Aye Chan. Dr. Aye Chan now teaches in Japan. I am Abid Bahar. I am a human rights activist, trained by the Canadian Foundation for Human Rights and now I teach in Canada.
We had discussions on Dr Chan's two other works, one "Who are the Rohingyas" and the other one " The Development of Muslim Enclave in Arakan (Rakhine) State of Burma (Myanmar)" My original question to Dr. Aye Chan was mainly about his co authored book, "Influx Viruses." I asked him what does he mean by Rohingyas as Bengali Influx viruses? How could humanbeings be viruses?
We are continuing our debate here online.
Dear Dr. Aye Chan:
Let us begin by dealing with different issues that we have identified so far in the Global Voices.
Why an open dialogue in the Global voices you, citing your article “The Development of Muslim Enclave in Arakan (Rakhine) State of Burma (Myanmar) you suggested me to have my response in an academic journal. You said, "Mr Bahar, you should rather write a review of my article in an academic journal."
Here I am repeating it again to you, I was not questioning about your article on "enclave...".I am mainly questioning about the article "Who are the Rohingyas," and the book "influx viruses" published on line. I don't know why each time I asked you questions on those two articles (popular among the ultranationalists of Arakan) you referred me back to your article on "enclaves... published in a journal." Since the two controversial works mentioned above were published in online, logically I want you to please join me on line.
In the beginning I want to make it clear to you that I have no personal problem with you but that as a human right activist I am presently working with human rights groups and they find this type of statement/ book "Influx Viruses" to be a serious threat to regional peace for which I needed to have response/ answers from you. They find some of these ideas to have the potential to cause riot/ genocide not only in Arakan but in Bangladesh between Bengalis and the Moghs. This is because it dehumanizes the Bengali people in general and the Rohingyas in particular in Arakan and in Bangladesh. This way your topic becomes an international issue. We can not, of course, ignore this type of ideas because it may fuel trouble in the region. Like in Serbia, we don't want any Doctor to play the role of Dr. death in the region. So we are monitoring the development before such thing happens.
Denying responsibility as a scholar
When I raised this question to you on the Global voices about your book "Influx Viruses" first you denied your responsibility.
(1) Then you blamed some people in your Arakani community without identifying them by name so that we could refer them to the concerned authorities.
(2) You said that it was published without your consent. But we saw the cover page in English and the content in Burmese was flashing with your name on it for a long time. It was only after the protest on the Global Voices that recently it is taken off the Rakhapura.com site. If you don't want to be part of it can you make a statement condemning this group who published it without your permission?
(3) Then the point is if you had no connection with the group how come you allowed them to publish your anti Rohingy article”Who are the Rohingyas..."in their online site? In this aren't you contradicting yourself?
The name Rohingya and Rakine
(1) In your use of name "Chittagonian" for the Rohingyas of Arakan, you referred to the colonial administrators for their use of the term. (See Global voices/Aye Chan) But you seem to dislike many colonial policies, including their use of the name Mogh for your community's post colonial changed name Rakkines. If you aren't biased as a scholar why to use double standard in the use of some biased colonial ruler's chosen name "Chittagonian" for the Rohingyas? Would you than officially prefer to be called your community with the colonial administrator’s chosen name "Mogh"? If you like colonial naming so much will you then make a declaration against the present day use of the name Rakine for Mogh; to correct the name when they ask for asylum in USA or Japan?
(2) If you are a scholar (as you claim yourself see article on Rohingyas) not a Mogh/ Rakine ultranationalist activist why than you had to sent a protest note to the Japanese authorities in which you cited the colonial administrator's chosen name when a Rohingya given asylum in Japan. Strange!
(3) As a scholar in linguistics, you understand the meaning of the two terms; epic vs emic. You must know that in Choosing a name what is more preferred is the group's chosen name over the outsider given name? In Arakan Rohingyas are called with a racist name "kula"dark skinned people. In denying the Rohingya chosen name for themselves, aren't you acting anti Rohingya and acting against your own academic trainning. Also denying the identity of the name Rohingya, isn't it taking the similar military's approach to denial of their existance of Citizenship than your pretention of a democracy leader?
Lack of Responsibility as a scholar
(1) Your ideas of Rohingyas as "influx viruses" as Bengalis causing trouble in Arakan as mentioned above has the potential to cause communal problem in Bangladesh.
(2) Many Arakani Moghs refer your work as true history compared to the "Fake History". In the above way how can a biased history be a true history? Your work seen globally is based on selective data. My research findings on "Burmese invasion and the rise of non-bengali settlements in Bangladesh" where contrary to your views I found the non Bengali ethnic groups of Chittagong such as the Chakmas, Tanchaingyas, and the Moghs of Bandorban, Cox's Bazar and Backergonj, and the Rohingyas of southern Chittagong are a rsult of historic cronic troubles in Arakan for which it has earned the name "Mogher Mulluk" lawlees society. Your ideas of "influx virues" are of similar type of views that in the past caused the Rohingya genocide of 1942. And as mentioned above, now it has the potential to create lawlessness even in outside Arakan.
Your assumption of Rohingyas as "Chittagonians" helps the xenophobic military, the ultra nationalist Arakanese ANC, the Rakhanapura Xenophobic cite. etc. to continue to show intolerance to people who were born in Arakan of Burma. They are denying their birth rights, their citizenship rights. Your work justifies such actions. Your work is not a healthy sign of progress in Arakan. From the above analysis it shows that your assumption in your enclave article, more clearly exposed in the Rohingya article then in the book Influx viruses is based on opportunism and intended to incite extremism and not helping in the peaceful living among communities in Arakan and its surrounding regions.
It is my understanding that in this type of pumped up in prejudice attitude, no one wins. Fueling the flames of unrest between the Rakines and the Rohingyas will not help the democracy movement in Burma. Therefore, when democracy comes to Burma logically the leaders will have to avoid your type of ideas of dehumanizing Rohingyas as "foreigners" as “influx viruses". The reason is they are anti democratic ideas and internationally seen as ideas that can incite people to commit genocide.
In doing all these to fulfill Rakine's ultranationalist ambitions for Arakan first get autonmy then to independence will have your anti Rohingya campaign work as constraints, because to the Burmans Arakani people are not even united within themselves. Therefore, the Burmans for practical purposes will continue keep the control of the troubled province in the central government's hands.
So for you an inclusionist policy, with no xenophobia, willing to share power with the Rohingya citizens can only help to your success.
Dear Mr Aye Chan,
In order to bring unity among your community members please stop blaming the Burmese military, democracy leaders and the Rohingyas for all your troubles. This is fooling people.
The problem in Arakan is about the Arakani Rakine community's ultranationalist leader's hijacking power and lack of respect to their fellow citizen's right to exist. This is partially because the Rakines are living in the medieval period with their big and lost dreams in an improvised Burmese province. In this hopelessness they see the Rohingyas as the only escape goat.
Mr. Chan be practical, in our time there is no golden age of Arakan. You country is a small place with fisherman and farmers. Your both Mohamuni and its spirit were long taken away by the Burmans, your Arakan Hill Tracts was also taken away, the gas will soon be piped out of Arakan. You are still dreaming to become famous. Ofcourse some people are doning something about it. They are produceing refugees for international consumption. That is what makes your modern Arakan internationally famous. That is what involves us with you province, nothing else.
How low can the Xenophobists Go!
In our contemporary period, Arakan has become so intolerant that the ancestors of the Rohingyas, one was General Wali Khan, than General Sindi Khan with their army of thousands of Pathan,and Bengali Hindu and Muslim soldiers came to rescue you and helped in the innaguration of the golden age of Arakan's Mrauk U dynesty. Now you call their decendents, the Rohingyas as “viruses" and you are part of ths hate propaganda. Can you deny it?
(1) If you are a truly democracy supporter and as you think your friends in New Youk misguided you to add your name in a book of xenophobic nature, please help us find the names of the pesons involved in this campaign. We need their names.
(2) please also send me the persons responsible for the hate propaganda in the Rakhasapur site. I am sure you know them because you must have knowingly sent your Rohingya article to the site for publication. If you can't provide their names the blame for incitement will likely to come on you.
(3) please also let us know for how long you knew these people and your connection with them.
(4) Please let us know about your connection with other similar groups working with the army in Arakan in the Rohingya extermination policy. I am positive that most Arakani peace loving people will prefer to distance from these types of ideas.
I will wait for your reply Dr, Chan.
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