By Kyaw Ye Lynn
YANGON, Myanmar
Members of Myanmar's Muslim community have welcomed the lifting of a state of emergency in troubled multi-ethnic Rakhine State, but fears still remain for the future of the many who remain in the area's internally displaced people camps.
In an email to Anadolu Agency Tuesday, Muslim Rohingya lawmaker Shwe Maung underlined that the declaration had been of particular concern to Muslims, as it had infringed on their religious practice.
“Rohingya had a harder time than others, as we were even not allowed to pray at Mosques and religious festivities were also restricted,” Shwe Maung -- a former lawmaker from the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) -- said.
The state of emergency was imposed in 2013, the year after a series of sectarian disputes in Rakhine left 57 Muslims and 31 Buddhists dead, around 100,000 people displaced in camps and more than 2500 houses burned -- most of which belonged to Rohingya.
“Generally speaking, we welcome the state of emergency being lifted,” he added, urging Aung San Suu Kyi’s incoming National League for Democracy (NLD) government to ensure equal freedom and treatment for all in the area, which houses a majority of the country's Rohingya Muslims.
Suu Kyi’s NLD takes power April 1 from the USDP having romped home in Nov. 8 elections
State media reported Tuesday that the declaration in the underdeveloped and troubled region had been lifted after three years, citing an announcement by the office of outgoing President Thein Sein.
It stated that “no [further] threat to the lives and property of the people were found”.
Meanwhile, an official from Rakhine's regional government told Anadolu Agency on Tuesday, that no decision had been made as to what would happen to the thousands of displaced people placed in camps.
“We have not received any instruction or orders to let them leave,” said the official, who did not wish to be named as he had no authority to talk to media.
In February, Southeast Asia-based human rights group Fortify Rights demanded that the government immediately and unconditionally facilitate the right to return for more than 145,000 Rohingya and others confined to Rakhine's 67 internment camps, after a plan to sell the properties they had been forced out of was frozen.
“I don’t think they would be allowed to return home immediately [although the curfew was lifted],” he added.
Zaw Win, the chairman of the ethnic Muslim Kaman National Progressive Party (KNPP) -- which represents around 50,000 Kaman, most of whom live in Rakhine – told Anadolu Agency by phone that he also had no news on what would happen to the around 1000 Kaman in the camps.
“We are stuck between the two communities. Rakhine people think we are as same as Bengali [Rohingya] because of religion, while our members are discriminated in the camps where Bengali or Rohingya are the majority,” said Zaw Win.
Myanmar's government refers to Rohingya as “Bengali” to imply they are interlopers from Bangladesh
“We want our ethnic people allowed back to home," Zaw Win underlined.
Others expressed doubt Tuesday that the religious tensions that led to the violence had evaporated.
Aye Aye Soe, of the Women and Children Humanitarian Network, told Anadolu Agency by phone of the limited rule of law and low "mutual trust" that still exists between the Buddhist and Muslim communities.
“The situation right now in the area is not good enough to let them live together,” said Soe, who recently visited Rakhine for training on Community Harmony to both Buddhist Rakhine and Muslim Rohingya.
“As Rakhine State is the second poorest region of the country, I think it should only be when law and order are enforced effectively and development projects are implemented [that they are allowed to return]."
Analysts have said that they suspect that the antagonism between Rakhine Buddhists and Muslims was state sanctioned, with the government attempting to divide the communities to control the region’s economic output.
In December 2015, Parliament approved the demarcation of land in the first phase of a long-delayed economic zone planned to house an industrial park in Rakhine.
Local residents and businesses have protested that around 85 percent of investments for the project are due to come from Chinese companies.
China -- Myanmar's largest trading partner -- enjoyed a cozy relationship with Myanmar under the junta that ruled for 49 years.
In 2011, power was ceded to a semi-civilian government headed by President Thein Sein -- considered by many to be a junta proxy.
