Hypocritical Netherlands crows about Burma elections!

In a display of outrageous hypocrisy, the Netherlands has issued a statement regarding the 7 November elections in Burma. In this statement of condemnation against the November 7 elections in Burma, the Netherlands also showed concern for the human rights of ethnic groups. Yes – that’s right. The Netherlands is concerned for the human rights of Burmese ethnic groups that face the prospect of persecution by the military junta!After the elections, there has been new violence in the country – and the Burma government may start a fresh campaign against ethnic groups. The 7 November election is described as the first election in 20 years, but viewed in the international community as a sham. The ruling military junta, the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC), is described as having won 80 percent of the vote – denies basic freedoms, imprisons human rights activists, and denied assistance to 700,000 victims of the May 2008, Cyclone Nargis. One of those democracy activists imprisoned by the Burmese junta was Aung San Suu Kyi, who was recently released from house arrest.

Rohingya flag

The Rohingya Muslim minority in Western Burma are under pressure. Human Rights Watch tells us that there are continued attacks against ethnic groups in Karen State and Shan State.  Religious minorities face “religious persecution, forced relocation, land seizures, and denial of citizenship and identity papers,” according to HRW. All ethnic minorities face forced labor, sexual violence against women and forced relocations. The Rohingya people have been discribed as the “lowest of the low” and the “world’s most forgotten people.” They face denial of legal rights, are jailed for no reason – and are treated just as bad in Bangladesh as in Burma.(UNHCR).Burma’s persecution of minorities: Wilders’ favorite kind of policies. Well, the denial of legal rights, freedoms, property seizures, and denial of citizenship rights of a Muslim minority sound like Geert Wilders’ kind of policies, aren’t they? In Europe, claims Wilders, “millions of Muslims cause problems.” The PVV probably understands the sentiments of the Burmese military government toward a trouble-some Muslim minority. After all, according to Wildersism, where there is Muslims, there is trouble. Here we have this hypocritical statement (emphasis mine) from the Dutch government:

Nevertheless, a large number of parties participated in the process, including opposition parties. The Netherlands and the EU are urging the Burmese authorities to turn these elections into the start of a process of national reconciliation, with an inclusive dialogue involving the government, the opposition and representatives of all the country’s ethnic groups. In time, such a dialogue should lead to a more stable Burma, with a democratically elected government that respects human rights and is capable of driving the country’s socioeconomic development forward. 

And the PVV? And Geert Wilders?! The Islamisation myth? And the threats and violence against Dutch Muslims?! - All while ignoring the torching of mosques?! The Dutch condemning an election is hypocritical, as look what happened when a diplomat rightfully and correctly called PVV-voters the psychotic nutcases that they are!Yep – in the Netherlands we have the so-called “dierenpolitie” (animal police) while mosques are torched – and there are accusations that the Dutch government is systematically doing nothing to protect the Netherlands’ Muslim minority.Tell the Dutch, as stated before, to clean their own house first! First of all, Wilders should be convicted for the spread of the hateful “Islamisation” myth. Let’s see an inclusive Dutch society for Muslims and more appointments to the Dutch government of people from Moroccan and Turkish backgrounds. There should then be national dialogue in the Netherlands and reconciliation for injustices against Dutch Muslims.This starts by the Dutch making a commitment to renounce all anti-Islam discourse from its politics and society and a purge of all anti-Islam actors. So as long as the PVV and Geert Wilders continue to be a shadow in the Dutch government, the human rights of Muslims are not safe, and the policy of not arresting those who are attacking mosques demonstrates the lack of Dutch commitment to the rule of law and human rights of its own Muslim minority.Let’s see if the “dierenpolitie” can arrest those who are attacking mosques. Let’s also see psychotherapy for PVV-voters!