IV. Rohingya Human Rights Defenders 84 Dr. Anita Schug, a member of the Rohingya women’s network who also serves as the Head of Women and Children Affairs with the European Rohingya Council (ERC), described her work, saying: “Since [ERC] came into existence, we have been tirelessly working at the governmental levels in Europe and elsewhere to restore Rohingya’s full citizenship rights.”371 She went on to describe the challenges posed by the ongoing restrictions on the right to nationality and the NVC process, saying: “The 1982 Citizenship Law only was made to exclude. The 1982 Citizenship Law was made and implemented by the genocidal military and is not in line with international norms.”372 Dr. Schug also spoke about the NVC process: “The Myanmar military is investing heavily in rewriting Rohingya history. [Myanmar] denies Rohingya existence by denying us Rohingya’s identity. In short, the NVC is a trap made to force Rohingya to deny their ethnic identity by themselves. [We] Rohingya are not fools to give up our identity.”373 Sharifah Shakirah, another member of the Rohingya women’s network and founder of the Rohingya Women Development Network (RWDN)—a Rohingya women-led organization that serves as a first point of contact for many Rohingya refugee women and girls in need of protection and services in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia—has also publicly advocated for Rohingya rights. Speaking about the NVC process, she told Fortify Rights: The NVC is for the foreign people that want to apply for Burmese citizenship, not for the Rohingya people . . . If Rohingyas are subject to a national verification process, the same process should be applied to everyone in the country, including Aung San Suu Kyi.374 ROHINGYA FACT-FINDERS AND BLOGGERS Rohingya fact-finders and bloggers are vigilant monitors of the situation for Rohingya communities and contribute critical information on human rights violations. The information these human rights defenders collect and share influences policy-decisions and contribute to international news media and dialogue on the situation affecting Rohingya. Rohingya fact-finders, who often conduct their work in secret, at great personal risk, and without recognition or reward, have been integral in amassing evidence, including films and photographs, documenting the Myanmar military’s crimes. They are often unnamed guardians of the truth. Rohingya bloggers take other personal risks to report and expose human rights violations committed against Rohingya. Nay San Lwin is a prominent Rohingya blogger and member of Free Rohingya Coalition. He initiated and contributes to several blogs, including Rohingya Today, to provide regular updates and information on the situation of the Rohingya. Speaking to Fortify Rights on the issue of Rohingya citizenship, he said: We, Rohingya are not demanding [the Myanmar government] to grant us citizenship. We are demanding [the government] to restore our citizenship. We were regarded as citizens and had full rights equal to all other Myanmar nationals. Our identity as Rohingya was officially recognized until the 1982 Citizenship Law was enacted. Myanmar must agree to restore both ethnic rights and citizenship rights if they want to bring back more than a million genocide survivors from Bangladesh. The National Verification Card and naturalized citizenship are not solutions. Rohingyas will never compromise to accept these cards.375 371 Fortify Rights electronic communication with Dr. Anita Schug, August 8, 2019. 372 Ibid. 373 Ibid. 374 Fortify Rights electronic communication with Sharifah Shakirah, August 13, 2019. 375 Fortify Rights electronic communication with Nay San Lwin, August 6, 2019.