Sharing the responsibility
Before the World War II, Hitler incited majority of Germans against the Jews although the latter was only one percent of the population. The post-war Polish communist regime did even worse: it fostered anti-Semitism without the presence of any Jews, as most Polish Jews who had survived the war emigrated.
Similarly, the Myanmar military and Buddhist extremists have incited the Myanmar population against the Rohingya minority because they are Muslims. The Myanmar military considers Rohingya Muslims as interlopers. So, sending them back to Myanmar would be like sending back the Jews to Nazi Germany or communist Poland. They will face renewed slaughter if obliged to return to Myanmar.
Instead, the international community should re-settle them in third countries. Bangladesh is too overpopulated and small to absorb nearly a million refugees. There are many countries with smaller populations and larger territories where they can be resettled.
Mahmood Elahi
By e-mail
