Myanmar must react to humanitarian crisis
We note with alarm the grave human rights crisis unfolding in Rakhine State, Myanmar. Your article (Report, 25 November ) provides a timely spotlight on an increasingly desperate situation. The head of the local UN refugee agency describes a programme of ethnic cleansing. Other international experts point to indicators of genocide. At the very least, the alleged violations – the killings of hundreds, the rapes of many women, and the displacement of tens of thousands – amount to crimes against humanity. Aung San Suu Kyi’s government must respond, if a humanitarian catastrophe is to be prevented. Access for humanitarian aid, international media and human rights monitors is essential.
It is time for a unified diplomatic effort to call for humanitarian access. We urge UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon to use his final weeks in office to lead an effort to secure this. We urge the UK to demand an international inquiry and unrestricted aid access. The international community cannot stand idly by while peaceful civilians are mown down by helicopter guns, women are raped and tens of thousands left without homes. If we fail to act, thousands may starve to death if they are not killed by bullets, and we may be passive observers of ethnic cleansing.
One of the victimised Rohingya women said during an interview: “If the international community can’t help us, please drop a bomb on us and kill all of us.” This clearly indicates the escalation of violence against Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar. They have been shot, raped, and looted, and their houses have been torched to the ground by the Myanmar military. Many of the wounded attempt to flee to Bangladesh to escape the hell that Mayanmar has become. According to the UN, up to 30,000 people have been displaced by violence, half of which occurred in the last week when dozens of people died in clashes with the military. What is more dubious is how Myanmar continues to deny this state of affairs, despite evidence to the contrary. It ought to be considered a humanitarian issue, not a Buddhist or Muslim, majority or minority issue. I urge the Myanmar government, as well as the international community, to play a significant role in making lasting peace with the Rogingyas and other ethnic communities.
Selim Reza Mridha
Chittagong, Bangladesh
