In South-East Asia, conflicts have broken out between a Buddhist-Majority government and a Muslim Minority people known as the Rohingya. Millions have been dispersed as hundreds of thousands of individuals have been brutally attacked by the military. The violence has been exacerbated by the actions of militant groups that are revolting against the government and the crisis has been exacerbated by the actions of neighboring countries. However, recent developments have proven that the crisis can be solved through two things: international support and the passing of various policies entailed below.
Who are the Rohingya People? What is Occurring?The Rohingya People are a group of Muslim individuals that practice a form of Sunni Islam and live in a Buddhist-dominated nation called Myanmar (Burma). Based on their religious, ethnic, and linguistic differences compounded with increasing instability in the country, a crisis has developed: the Rohingya Crisis. It is estimated that as part of the Rohingya Crisis, there are over 1 million people that have been expelled from their country based on these sectarian conflicts. How long has the issue been ongoing? Prior to examining the history of the issue, it is necessary to examine the history of the Rohingya People. The Rohingya people can trace their history back to the 1400s, in which thousands arrived in the Arakan Kingdom (also known as the Rakhine) located in West Burma. Over the next couple of centuries, especially in the 1800s and 1900s during British Colonial Rule over Rakhine (in addition to rule of India), an influx of the Rohingya continued to occur. After achieving independence in 1948, various governing institutions in Burma have denied the group’s origins and history; as such, they have denied to recognize the group as one of the country’s 135 official ethnic groups. Despite being renamed Myanmar in 1989 and working to reform the country, the government continues to have pervasive anti-Rohingya sentiment. The government considers the Rohingya to be illegal immigrants from Bangladesh instead of individuals that have historical origins and traditions tracing to Myanmar. As such, stringent laws in the government have denied the Rohingya any rights to citizenship; various additional mandates have forced them to attain and hold national verification cards that identify them as foreigners without any citizenship-based rights. Beyond this practice, various other discriminatory directives including restrictions on “marriage, family planning, employment, education, religious choice, and freedom of movement,” as well as poor infrastructure development in the Rakhine state (home to most of the Rohingya people) that has led to an extremely high poverty rate in the state (78%) as opposed to the nation’s average (37.5%), have led to the refugee crisis. In addition to these socio-economic factors, new (or rather renewed) violence have forced these migrations to occur on a larger scale than ever before, especially since the government’s security forces are reportedly condoning violence to secure the western Burmese region. In fact, in 2018, a UN panel released a report [PDF] that claimed the Rohingya are being subjected to “genocidal intent” by the government through its various actions including the “targeting of civilians, committing of sexual violence, and promoting of discriminatory rhetoric against minorities.” The violence has resulted in the deaths of thousands, and possibly hundreds of thousands, according to Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), Amnesty International, and a variety of other sources. Additionally, according to satellite imagery by Human Rights Watch, at least 288 villages were partially or totally destroyed by fire in northern Rakhine state after August 2017, supporting claims that the military is burning down villages populated by the Rohingya. This violence has ultimately resulted in clashes between various groups, including the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) and the government. ARSA has been reported by the Myanmar government to attack civilians while ARSA denies doing so, rather claiming that they only wish to "defend, salvage and protect" the Rohingya against state repression "in line with the principle of self-defence". Furthermore, the government claims that its crackdown occurs after the 2017 ARSA attacks, but others claim that the country’s military has begun implementing its policies roughly a year before ARSA’s attacks. While it is relatively unclear who can be truly attributed to the extreme violence we have been seeing in recent years, it is clear that a genocide is occurring, no matter who is at fault. In other words, instead of focusing on the violence and pointing fingers to see who started it, the country’s government and the country’s people should focus on alleviating the suffering of the Rohingya and others. Where are the Rohingya Going?As mentioned earlier, millions of Rohingya individuals are believed to be leaving Myanmar. These individuals are traveling to various countries in South and Southeast Asia, including nations like: 1) Bangladesh The country is seeing likely the largest influx of the Rohingya people, yet it has some of the least resources needed to help them. According to the UN, more than 900,000 Rohingya refugees are in the country, living in various camps like in Cox’s Bazar District, now the location of the world’s largest refugee camp. A lack of education leaves almost 400,000 children illiterate, and high rates of disease outbreak including COVID-19, measles, tetanus, diphtheria, and others leaves many suffering from health issues. Additionally, it is reported that 60% of the water in the camps are contaminated, causing many to look for ways to illegally transport themselves out of the camps, risking entering a cycle of exploitation. With all of the problems that have started to arise in Bangladeshi camps, the government of Bangladesh stated in March 2019 that they would no longer accept Rohingya Migrants, though this is hard to enforce. 2) Malaysia: As of October 2019, nearly one hundred thousand Rohingya were in Malaysia, according to the UN. Like in Myanmar, the Rohingya here have no legal status. They are also unable to sustain a normal lifestyle involving the ability to attain work or an education, and they are unable to access health care, which is especially dangerous given the current COVID-19 pandemic. 3) India: It is estimated that there are anywhere between 18,000 and over 40,000 Rohingya in the country, and many officials are working diligently to alleviate the suffering by both the Rohingya and those affected by their influxes, notably in Bangladesh. For example, a recent report cites that Indian assistance to Rohingya Communities in the form of 2,25,000 blankets, 2,00,000 woolen sweaters and 500 solar street lights. In the face of an earlier stance that some Indian officials had where they would deport refugees back to Myanmar, India has stepped up to provide millions of dollars in infrastructure development and aid to Myanmar to safely facilitate the return of Rohingya to Myanmar’s Rakhine state. 4) Thailand: Thailand is generally considered a transit country where Rohingya enter prior to continuing farther down into other nations, like Indonesia and malaysia. However, the country is a hub for regional human smuggling by crime rings. It is extremely fortunate that the Thai government has started to crack down on these smuggling rings, especially after the discovery of various camps where Rohingya refugees were held hostage. 5) Indonesia: Although still treated as illegal immigrants, Rohingya are still treated relatively well by Indonesia as it has rescued migrant boats off its shores and dispatched humanitarian aid and supplies to Bangladesh’s camps. What has been Done So FAr?
Policy RecommendationsGiven that the issue has been condemned internationally and that the government has been accused of having “genocidal intent” by the UN, pressure on the country and its leaders to end the crisis has skyrocketed. There are a couple of policies proposed by the final UN commission in August 2017 and PII in July 2020 that must be enacted to ensure the end of the suffering: 1) Cease all Fighting The first goal for Myanmar is to develop conclusive ceasefires that address all sides of the issue as to end fighting. Through ending the fighting, the government can come to terms that satisfy all groups, especially through developing some of the following: 2) Reform Citizenship Requirements It has been made clear by Rohingya Leaders and much of the population that they will not return to Myanmar unless there are changes to the rules of citizenship. As such, it is necessary for the government to not only proclaim that the Rohingya are certified citizens, but to also ensure that those who are verified as citizens enjoy all benefits, rights and freedoms associated with citizenship. The country must also identify a timeline for the Rohingya to attain citizenship so that they actually attain their rights rather than just being stuck in a cycle of non-citizenship under the disguise of citizenship. Additionally, it is necessary for the country to recognize the Rohingya as one of the country’s ethnic groups, comprising at least 136, no longer just 135. Lastly, they must reform their law on citizenship from 1982 to ensure that these changes occur. 3) Fund new infrastructure projects and procure aid at a higher rate and quantity Given evidence that the military has systematically targeted Rohingya villages and burned them down, the Myanmar government has a responsibility to continue funding infrastructure projects. In fact, they have a responsibility to invest in infrastructure, including roads, waterways, docks, electricity, drinking water and internet provision. They also have a responsibility to invest in the under-developed farmland in the nation, which has been cited to be inadequately funded in the face of climate change, unsustainable practices, and recent violence which has not only destroyed farmland but has also increased salinity concentration in non-destroyed farms, decreasing crop yield. 4) Develop a Thorough Education Plan The Myanmar Education System is severely underfunded, especially in the Rakhine state. In Rakhine, the adult illiteracy rate is 50% higher than the national average, and primary school enrolment and completion rates are among the lowest in the country. As such, the government in Myanmar and Rakhine should ensure that all individuals have equal access to education, irrespective of religion, ethnicity, race, gender, or citizenship status. 5) Develop a Thorough Health Plan Access to humanitarian services is low in Myanmar and even lower in Rakhine. According to the UN report, “the World Health Organization standard to maintain a functional health system requires 22 health workers per 10,000 inhabitants. Currently, there are only 5 health workers per 10,000 people in Rakhine, compared to the national average of 16 per 10,000 people.” Additionally, the poor nutrition seen in individuals in Rakhine and Rohingya Camps in neighboring countries is a concern, which is why the following action is needed: The Myanmar Government should ensure that all communities have equal access to health treatment, irrespective of religion, ethnicity, race, gender, or citizenship status. Furthermore, considering that the current COVID-19 health crisis has affected many of these camps, and considering that many of these nations are under-equipped to deal with the epidemic (as seen in Bangladesh where the world's largest refugee camp in Cox's Bazaar, filled with hundreds of thousands of Rohingyas, has only 1 testing facility, one isolation space, and one local hospital with just 10 Intensive care beds), both Myanmar and the international community have an obligation to prevent this refugee crisis from becoming an even greater disaster. 6) Increase information sharing and transparency with other organizations The lack of transparency has severely affected the ability for the Rohingya to attain sustainable, comfortable living in their homelands in Myanmar. The lack of transparency between the Myanmar government and organizations like the UN and Amnesty International has contributed to the crisis. This transparency must be compounded with further actions by the Myanmar government to alleviate humanitarian suffering; specifically: “The Government of Myanmar should ensure full and unimpeded humanitarian access – for both national and international staff – at all times and to all communities in Rakhine State.” References
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