Mohammad Amjad Hossain :
Distorted picture is emerging from the mouth of Nobel laureate and de facto leader of Myanmar Aung San Suu Kyi, who herself was a prisoner during military rule for 15 years. According to Aung San Suu Kyi, story of genocide and destruction of Rohingya villages in Rakhine State has been spreading by Rohingya “terrorists” and calling their expulsion “fake news”. Rohingya minority in Rakhine state has been subjected to tortured, raped, killings by military junta of Myanmar ruthlessly for more than two decades. The present act of violence and burning down villages of Rohingya minority is nothing new episode indeed. She also has made another startling lie by saying Bengalese from Bangladesh took shelter in Rakhine state in 80’s but the fact is that by signing bilateral agreement between military ruling Junta headed by Gen. Ne Win and Bangladesh Nationalist Party(BNP) headed by Gen. Ziaur Rahman as many as 200,000 Rohingya took back by Myanmar government by 1980. As a result of diplomatic maneuver exercised by BNP government in Bangladesh in collaboration with some friendly countries, including Datuk Hussein Onn government of Malaysia Rohingya minority were taken back. In fact, they were expelled from Rakhine State by government of Gen. Ne Win in 1979. Malaysia has had an excellent relation with the government of Gen. Ne Win during those periods. As a diplomat while serving in Kuala Lumpur from 1976 to 1981 this writer exercised influence on the news media, apart from President (ABIM), a powerful Islamic youth movement in Malaysia headed by Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim at that time, who became Deputy Prime Minister in 1993 while High Commissioner Maj-Gen. K. M. Shafiullah took up with Malaysia government.
According to Chief of UN Human Rights, nearly 300,000 Rohingya, mainly women and children, have fled to Bangladesh in recent weeks as a result of indiscriminate violence against civilian population carried out by military. The UN and Human Rights groups have warned that the mass exodus following killings, rapes and burned down villages indicates of ethnic cleansing while pleading for international communities to pressure Aung San Suu kyi and her government to end violence. Chief of UN Human Rights described the situation seems a” text book example of ethnic cleansing”.
Being a least developed country Bangladesh, boarding Myanmar, has been compelled to accept Rohingya minority from Myanmar on humanitarian ground indeed. The UN High Commission on Refugees gave a graphic picture of fleeing Rohingya since 1970. Nearly one million have fled to Bangladesh, India, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia while 120,000 Rohingya remained under internally displaced persons in camp (IDPS) in Myanmar.
It is an irony that both members of the Republican and Democrats of the United States in the Senate in a resolution have condemned the government of Myanmar and in particular Aung San Suu Kyi who was decorated with Presidential medal for freedom and Congressional Gold medal in September of 2012 in “recognition for her tireless struggle for democracy and human rights” and urged her to live up to her inspiring words upon receiving the 2012 Nobel Peace Prize with respect to ethnic reconciliation in Burma and to address the historic and brutal repression of Rohingya in Rakhine. Majority leader in Senate Senator Mitch Mc Connell is not in favor of passing the bipartisan resolution against Nobel Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi while Chairman of the armed Services committee in the Senate John McCain said on 12 September that he would not support expanding military to military cooperation given the worsening humanitarian crisis and human rights crackdown against the Rohingya people and will seek to remove the clause when the Senate begins debating National Defense spending bill. Majority Leader in Senate is on the wrong side of history as there is no democracy in Myanmar since practically Myanmar is controlled by Myanmar armed forces ruthlessly. In the Parliament two third seats are occupied by members of armed forces while three important ministries plus one Vice-President are from armed forces. Practically cosmetic change took place in free and fair election in Parliament in December of 2015. Aung San Suu Kyi could not command over armed forces under the revised constitution. Key player for the crisis is Senior General Min Aung Hlang who is conducting campaign against ethnic minority in Rakhine and recently in Kachin and Shan state as well. Incidentally, this writer received Aung San Suu Kyi some time in November of 1982 at Dacca Internatinal airport at the request of Bangladesh Ambassador Syed Najmuddin Hashim to Burma while she was passing through to avail of British Airways to fly to London to join her husband. This writer found her quiet and unassuming personality.
It is understood de facto leader and counselor of Myanmar Aung San Suu Kyi is avoiding participation in General Assembly session of the United Nation this year who is apprehending severe criticism of her role in resolving man-made crisis in Myanmar denying legitimate rights of ethnic minority Rohingya in particular. Youngest Nobel Peace laureate and Pro-education preacher for females Malala Yousafzai joined with Nobel laureate of South Africa Demond Tutu to criticized Nobel Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi for remaining silent against atrocities of Rohingya minority in Myanmar.
Security Council has had second meeting on deteriorating situation in Rakhine state of Myanmar on 13 September at the request of Ambassadors of United Kingdom and Sweden. The security Council expressed concern about reports of excessive violence during security operation and called for immediate steps to end the violence in Rakhine, de-escalate the situation, re-establish law and order, ensure protection of civilian, restore normal socio-economic condition and resolve the refugee problem while Secretary-General Antonio Guterres at a press conference in New York called for Muslims from Myanmar’s Rakhine state to be granted nationality or at least a legal status that would allow them to lead a normal life while urging international communities to half provide assistance for the nearly 380,000 people who fled into Bangladesh.
It is not understood that majority Buddhist dominated Myanmar is expelling their brothers and sisters ruthlessly who are resident for generations in Rakhine state. The expulsion goes against the philosophy Gautam Buddha who preaches to overcome suffering in one’s lives and reach full potential for compassion and tranquility. In Bangladesh, Buddhist community– third largest minority community— is having peaceful life along with majority Muslim community for generation. Renowned preacher of Buddhism was from Bangladesh who was Atish Dipankar during Pala dynasty. Pagoda in Chittagong Hill Tracts, particularly Golden Pagoda in Bandar ban and dying Pagoda at this writer home town Kumarkhali reflects existence of Buddhist community for generations while several Buddhist monasteries are in place including Dhaka. Buddhist community in Bangladesh has raised their voice of condemnation against Myanmar government recently.
It is hoped that Bangladesh government should take up the issue seriously with international communities, including China, Russia and India to resolve man-made crisis. Both China and India in fact took stand in favour of Myanmar. As of now there is no serious effort by Bangladesh government to take up Rohingya crisis which has further been deteriorated since August of 2015 and influx of Rohingya flooded Bangladesh by now making serious economic and ecological problem for Bangladesh. Condemnation by world leaders in the United Nations would not solve this crisis.The United Nations should consider sending peace keeping forces to Rakhine State and urged Myanmar government to take back Rohingya to resettle them in their home land as early as possible.
(Mohammad Amjad Hossain, a retired diplomat who writes from Virginia )
