Rohingya crisis unfolds before international community
Stunning reports of large scale and discriminate persecution against Myanmar’s Rohingya minority have captured the world’s attention and drawn widespread condemnation against Myanmar’s de facto leader, Aung San Suu Kyi.
In Myanmar, civil unrest plagues the streets as Buddhist Nationalists has engaged in the ethnic cleansing of the non-Buddhist minority. While the exact number of victims is currently disputed, there is well-substantiated evidence of ethnic cleansing purpertrated by Buddhist Nationalists in the form of large scale acts of violence including brush fires, the razing of homes and business, rape, kidnapping, and murder.
The Rohingya are an ethnic minority group in Myanmar comprising mostly of peoples practicing Islam. Their presence in Myanmar dates back to the 17th century when they arrived in the country to find employment as migrant laborers in tea farms and rice fields. Under British Imperial Rule, the Rohingya were safeguarded by amnesty programs in place that allowed them to live and work peacefully in the area; however, these once respected amnesty programs collapsed once Myanmar gained independence in 1948. Since then, the Rohingya fell victim to hate crimes and violence coming from Buddhist Myanmarese groups resenting the Rohyngyan presence in the newly formed nation.
These acts of violence began as rogue acts; however, over the last three decades simmering tensions have resulted in large-scale discrimination and violent behavior towards the Rohingya. The government did little to stem the increase in hate crimes, as they themselves considered the Rohyingya and alien and unwanted minority outside of Myanmarese law. In 1954, a Rohingya Rebellion erupted in defiance of continued persecution and their nation’s enabling of it.
The rebellion, which was quickly suppressed, fueled an exponential rise in public resentment against the Rohingya. What began as isolated attacks soon evolved into systematic persecution, which has lasted throughout the latter half of the 20th Century.
While this persecution has large persisted to varying degrees throughout the early 21st century, in 2012 accusations against several Rohingya men of raping and killing a Buddhist woman led to an eruption of large scale attacks by Buddhist Nationalists, which have continued on and off ever since.
In August 2017, as a result attacks committed by the Rohingya Salvation Arma (ARSA), a government mandated military campaign has left thousands dead. In order to escape merciless killing and persecution, close to half a million have resorted to fleeing to the neighboring country of Bangladesh.
Bangladesh initially accepted fleeing Rohingya with open arms and has displayed concern and compassion for the ethnic minority. However, Bangladesh being a third world country itself with a population that is above its carrying capacity, the country is finding it increasingly difficult to accommodate the growing number of Rohingya people escaping to Bangladesh. Nevertheless, Bangladesh Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina, has expressed her concerns for the safety of the Rohingya and her desire to create and facilitate Rohingya safe zones in Bangladesh so those crossing the border have ways they can be safe and receive food, shelter and other necessities.
In the grander scheme of affairs, with refugee and displacement initiatives becoming less viable and scarcer and the numbers of Rohingya being killed and tortured in Myanmar continuing to rise, the need for a strong international response has become increasingly crucial in ensuring the safety of the Rohingya.
Global organizations geared towards protecting social liberties and serving social justice such as the United Nations and other intergovernmental organizations are now scrambling to gather support and finances from the international community to mitigate the ongoing crisis. Many countries have already publicly responded to the situation and have been advocating for resolving this issue on an international level via sanctions against the Myanmar government.
These efforts from countries across the world led to the calling of a meeting of the Peoples’ Tribunal — an international governing organization consisting of members from various parts of the world. After reviewing evidence and observing the crisis in Myanmar a verdict was reached and The Peoples’ Tribunal has now declared the government of Myanmar guilty in the charges of genocide and war crimes against the Rohingya people.
Following the verdict of Myanmar, The Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army has released a statement regarding their full intent to strive to defend, salvage, and free the Rohingya. This group is working alongside the UN to call for Myanmar Government and Special Forces teams to engage in measures to protect the Rohingya.
The future of the Rohingya is bleak without the support of the international community, with their population now spread across several borders and many still facing the real threat of violence at the hands of Myanmar forces.
In the immediate future, further international cooperation in providing financial and on the ground aid to asylum seekers in their short (or possibly long) term resettlement is desperately needed. Furthermore, if the current reports are substantiated, the avenue of sanctions against Myanmar’s government must seriously be considered by the UN. Current investigations are ongoing, including one led by former UN-Secretary Kofi Annan, tasked with job of investigating possible crimes against humanity as well as determining the best response strategies.
Edited by Ed McCombe.
