The Rohingya crisis
Any complacence regarding the Rohingya issue should be shrugged off and replaced with pragmatic plans to resolve the matter Dr. Uttam Kumar Das writes from Washington DC, USA
The issue of the Rohingyas came to the forefront given the ongoing tensions along the Bangladesh-Myanmar border.
Almost every day, I see reports in the Bangladeshi newspapers on the issue. The regional and international news media and other organizations, bloggers and networks of the Rohingyas, are also covering the issue.
The Rohingyas are an ethnic and Muslim minority group from Myanmar. They are based mainly along the western border of Myanmar bordering Bangladesh. The area is now named the Raakhine state and was formerly Arakan.
The Rohingya refugee crisis (no more just a ‘problem’) in Bangladesh has been a long-standing one. It has been lingering on for nearly two decades.
Following the influx during 1991-92, an estimated 258,000 Rohingyas were registered by the government of Bangladesh. They were granted “refugee status” by the host government. Though Bangladesh is not a party to the UN Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, 1951 and there is no national law on the issue, however, the “refugee status” was granted through an executive order which in fact lacks proper legal authority. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) joined the assistance and protection program following the invitation form the government.
UNHCR’s record indicates that so far about 237,000 Rohingya refugees from the 1991-92 influx have “voluntarily returned” to Myanmar. This “repatriation” process was instigated under a certain “package” of UNHCR between 1994 and 1997, which included monetary and other benefits. However, there has been no repatriation since 2006.
The reality is that of the so-called repatriated Rohingyas have returned back to Bangladesh and been living here clandestinely. Over the years, a significant portion of them managed to mix with the local population in the greater Chittagong, Cox’s Bazaar and other coastal areas. Certain political and local organizations were instrumental for their de facto local integration.
In the two official refugee camps in Cox’s Bazaar, there are now about 28,000 Rohingyas stranded for years. The government of Bangladesh is responsible for the law and order and management of the camps. UNHCR is responsible for looking after the protection (human rights situation) of the population.
The Rohingyas are victims of gross violation of human rights in Myanmar by the military regime who have been ruling the country since 1962. Also, the amendment in the citizenship law in early 1980s made the situation worse form the Rohingyas who do not fall under the “citizenship category” of 136 ethnic groups in Myanmar.
Out of about the 2.5 million Rohingyas, two million are now claimed to be living outside the country of origin, Myanmar. They are in Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Pakistan, India, Thailand, and in different Middle Eastern and European countries.
According to Amnesty International, the Muslim Rohingya people have continued to suffer from human rights violations under the military junta since 1978. AI observes hat “The Rohingyas’ freedom of movement is severely restricted and the vast majority of them have effectively been denied Burma citizenship. They are also subjected to various forms of extortion and arbitrary taxation; land confiscation; forced eviction and house destruction; and financial restrictions on marriage. Rohingyas continue to be used as forced labourers on roads and at military camps, although the amount of forced labour in northern Rakhine State has decreased over the last decade.”
It is very unfortunate that the international community, including the UN agencies and influential countries like the United States of America, United Kingdom, China, Japan, South Korea, Thailand, and India, have failed to perform their due role with regard to restoration of democracy and human rights in Myanmar. There is likely reason for that as well. These countries have their own business interest with the present military rulers of Myanmar. Certain researchers have claimed that human rights situation in Myanmar is worse than Sudan .
Given the present context of the Rohingyas, it has turned to a regional and international crisis. It has humanitarian, human rights, political and security dimensions. Some strategists have already made cautions that the Rohingya crisis may turned as the “next Palestine” in the region.
A vulnerable group of population who are stateless for decades, thrown out and living out of the country under inhuman conditions, who have no immediate solution to their plight, are prone to different vulnerabilities. The young women and girls are becoming victims of trafficking and forced prostitution. In the meantime, there are press reports that a group of Rohingyas are alleged involvement with the underground militant groups in Bangladesh and other countries.
Bangladesh, being the immediate neighbour of Myanmar and the major host country for the Rohingya population (either as refugees or illegal immigrants) should take serious note of the issue and speed up action in this regard.
It should immediately register all the Myanmar nationals living in the country (either Rohingya or Rakhine or Chin).
After having meeting and talking to few senior government officials, I got the impression that they are reluctant to make any list of the population. They have a wrong understanding that if the Rohingyas are listed they have to be granted “refugee statues.” To me granting refugee status is the political and legal decision of the government of Bangladesh.
However, the people are already in our territory and they are living on our soil and air, therefore there is no reason not to draw up a list of them. The policy makers and senior officials need to brainstorm on the issue and understand the diversified complexities of the issue. They need to be equipped adequately so that they can negotiate effectively with any western diplomats or officials of UN agencies in this regard.
The Rohingya crisis is no more an internal issue of Mynamar and Bangladesh. It has taken on regional and international dimensions. Therefore, Bangladesh should engage the regional and international community including the United Nations, European Union, SAARC, and ASEAN to find a just solution to the crisis.
The policy makers just want to solve the issue bilaterally which is not possible. Myanmar will not voluntarily solve the Rohingya crisis. Also, disputes concerning the control of oil reserves in the Bay and repeated tensions in the border areas indicate that any “bilateral solution” of the Rohingya crisis is unlikely.
The Government of Bangladesh should be strict in not allowing any “local integration plan” for the residual Rohingya refugees and not to open up the refugee camps. Any positive decision in this regard would instigate an influx of the remaining Rohingyas in Myanmar.
The political parties and human rights organizations in Bangladesh are silent on the Rohingya crisis. They should take note of the seriousness of the issue and stand up immediately in the interests of the country.
Dr. Uttam Kumar Das is affiliated with the University of Minnesota Law School and Human Rights Center as a Humphrey Fellow. His area of specialization include human rights, migration and refugee issues. He is a former National Protection (Legal) Officer) of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Bangladesh. E-mail: udas1971@yahoo.com
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