Rohingyas “As ugly as ogres”

Hong Kong Consulate General Ye Myint Aung's letter about Rohingyas

In recent news (give or take a week), a Burmese diplomat by the name of Ye Myint Aung at the Burmese Consulate in Hong Kong used very politically incorrect language in describing the Rohingyas, an Muslim ethnic minority that has created controversy for the Burmese government, because they are not recognized as Burmese but as Bengali immigrants. Ye Myint Aung, in the letter above, refers to the Rohingyas as very “dark brown” and as “ugly as ogres.”

This perhaps reflects prevailing trends in Burma, where light skin color remains fashionable (probably a product of Westernization and colonial rule), as in the rest of Southeast Asia. But strangely enough, most Burmese are not exactly light-skinned or “fair” in the least. Of course, there are those with lighter skin pigmentation, especially among the Shans, Kachins and mixed Chinese. But the darker-skinned Burmans, Mons and Arakanese predominate in Burma. Step away from an issue of the latest Myanmar People magazine and into a typical Burmese town and the picture becomes much clearer.

Regardless, what Ye Myint Aung said reveals some sentiment the Burmese hold against ethnic minorities, especially ones they see as “foreign.” It’s sad to see words like “ugly as ogres” printed on paper when things like sort are so commonly said, to say the least. In all honesty, the concentration of melatonin in one’s skin should have nothing to do with the way they’re perceived, but it’s an unfortunate fact of reality.

Here’s to hoping tomorrow is a better day.

For a look at the recent reaction and follow-up after this letter was sent, check out the following articles:

• “Myanmar’s Outrageous Racism Excused” (Asia Sentinel)
• “Burma envoy raps ugly, dark Rohingya” (Bangkok Post)
• “Skin Color and Prejudice Endangers Rohingya” (The Irrawaddy)
• “Myanmar envoy brands boatpeople ‘ugly as ogres’: report” (AFP)
• “From South to South: Burma’s Stateless Minority Under the Tip of Globalization’s Spear” (Huffington Post)