Mohammad Siddiqur Rahman :
Malicious, barbarous, brutal, ferocious, and terrible acts of Myanmar army and its allied mob, have already reached its highest peak. Since 25 August, 2017, it is believed to be the worst humanitarian crisis, created by the country’s government in the majority Muslim populated area in Rakhine State (formerly known as Arakan) in Burma, the world has ever witnessed in the recent past. Myanmar government seemingly returning to the medieval age with a challenge to the civility, modern civilization and international humanitarian law and justice.
The Myanmar army, along with vigilante started killing people like birds and animals. They launched larger offensive following an attack by the local militant groups on the security posts on 25 August 2017, burned down thousands of houses, schools and madrasas and raped and tortured to death many women and children . Atrocities and tortures were reported so terrible, deadly and inhuman that caused an exodus of over 480,000 Rohingya Muslims to flee into Bangladesh within a very short span of time. Many other victims of the offensive got internally displaced and trapped in the country. The scenario of the Rakhine state and plight of all displaced people could hardly be exaggerated. Young boys were picked up on trucks and got them disappeared, hundreds of dead bodies of men, women and children were seen floating ashore in the river Naf . Many people met with watery grave as their boats to get into Bangladesh, filled with hundreds of them, if not thousands, got capsized in the river- Naf, some people, while fleeing violence , died of mine explosion that have been planted on their escape routes by the Myanmar’s security forces. Amid chaos, some were separated from the families and loved ones, link to restore them remains uncertain. To flee the violence , they hurriedly left the places just with a few clothes on the back. Many arrived in Bangladesh border with bullet and mine’s injuries as well as most vulnerable health. Tragic episodes are too many to be accommodated in one write up.
Nevertheless, these distressed people reached Cox’s Bazar district of Bangladesh encountering multiple sufferings of mountainous impassable routes, could not be accommodated in the tents right away, had to start living in temporary makeshifts or open space of hilly sides with mud and heavy downpour of the monsoon period . Here the plight of the fresh refugees, overwhelmed the existing camps, could hardly be described in words.
It is significant that over 480,000 Rohingya Muslims have entered into Bangladesh within three weeks since August 2017, which has already been hosting 400,000 Rohingya for last three decades. Bangladesh, being a country of a large population with higher unemployment rate and small land area, has been struggling hard to accommodate this large number of Rohingya refugees in the country. According to UN reports, The Rohingya influx towards Bangladesh may reach more than 10 lakh this year if the refugees fleeing violence in Myanmar Rakhine State continues, said on 14 September, 2017.The Rohingya problem has, of late, become a matter of great concern to the government and the people of Bangladesh including concerned agencies and different organization of the world.
The massive offensive made on Rohingya by the Burmese army not only once, but thrice : 1978-79, 1991-92 and 2016-17 and it still continues and in consequence the Rohingya Muslims, to flee violence, had taken shelter, 4 lakh in Saudi Arabia , 2 lakh in Pakistan, 1 lakh in Thailand, 40 thousands in Malaysia, 40 thousand in India and some more scattered over other countries of the world. The government of Bangladesh , being the nearest neighbor, had sheltered nearly 9 lakh by this time, the highest number and has been bearing the brunt of this heavy burden on humanitarian ground.
It is appalling that after endless violence in Myanmar, Aung San Suu kyi, the Nobel Peace Prize owner, and the de-facto leader of the country, was impervious to the destructions unleashed by the decades of Myanmar army policy around ethnic cleansing. Whereas she had the obligation to look into this humanitarian crises to resolve without any delay. We believe, finding early solution to the ongoing crises would ensure more peace and stability in the region.
History reveals that The Rohingyas are the descendents of those who have been settling there in Arakan from a thousand years before, they have got a language, a culture and a heritage of their own. Above all, 18 lakh of them belongs to homogenous group. They enjoyed independence from 1430 to 1630. The Burmese government suddenly attacked them in 1630 and made them as their part considering them to be prospective and resourceful for the territory. Burma was a part of British India but became a separate colony in 1937 but it was lost to the Japanese during the World War11. Eventually British recaptured Burma after hard struggles having support of indigenous people as well as Arakan’s Muslims. On January 4 , 1948 Burma ended 60 years of colonial rule, when it officially declared independence from Britain. And in the successive government , Burma recognized people of all ethnicities within the territory including Rohingyas as full citizens, having representations in the parliament.
Unfortunately era of real human crisis began since 1962 when Military Junta grasped power from civil administration who in 1980’s decided that Rohingyas are not Burmese and accordingly stripped them of their citizenship . Further, the Rohingya Muslims have been denied of their rights: right to own property, right to free movement and right to franchise. Here is not the end, administration not allowed them to live with identity, dignity and honor. On the whole, all inhuman tortures as much as it could be, have been made in place in order to force them to leave the country leaving properties behind. This is obviously an ethnic cleansing program being conducted by the army with cooperation of local hardliners- Buddhist Monks and allied mob. The United Nations’ top human rights official has referred to the violence against the minority Muslim Rohingya ” as text book example of ethnic cleansing.” Myanmar army said that Rohingyas themselves had set fire to their houses to draw sympathy of others, they tried to shift the blame to the Rohingyas, but later, it was proved to be blatant bull-shit as eye witness reporters and satellite cameras released photos and videos of exact happenings ,captured by them from time to time .Besides, that army had destroyed hundreds of villages, schools and madrasas and afflicted various tortures to the ethnic Muslims have been detected by the Human Right’s Watch, UN , BBC and other reporters although they were not allowed access to visit all the places of Rakhine state. So attempts to conceal the truth failed . Another bull-shit was that Rhingya Muslims are outsiders, history revealed that they belonged to the indigenous group. Many countries have already condemned them for telling lies and the policies being pursued to eliminate the ethnic Muslim from Rakhine state.
Unfortunately, despite most truth is unfolded, our regional major leaders like India and China are not overly disturbed by the reports of killings and tortures , photos of burning houses, blockade to movement of relief goods to Rakhine and destitute Rohingya refugees . I think they should have focused on the endless violence and destruction unleashed by the Myanmar’s government and persuaded them to stop violence for the sake of humanity and basic principles of international humanitarian law.
It is pleasing to note that UNCHR , WFP and other agencies are trying to get as much aid into Bangladesh as possible to save the refugees. The United Nations appealed to the International community to keep aside politics and support the ongoing humanitarian efforts to help the Muslim refugees from Myanmar . Diplomats in Bangladesh visited Cox’s Bazar , talked to refugees to know the exact scenario of Rakhine state as arranged by the government of Bangladesh . We appreciate all those countries, international agencies and local different organizations for having provided emergency humanitarian assistance among the Rohingya refugees who have fled violence in Rakhine state of Myanmar.
Figured out that Rohingya refugees are an impoverished , stateless and most persecuted Muslim minority in the world and this has been created by the present and past Myanmar government likely to fulfill their delightful intention. Genocide and violent destruction on and on in Rakhine Muslim populated area have astounded the whole communities of the world. Having weighed the situation to be most crucial , former Secretary-General Kofi Annan kindly stepped up and had the Myanmar government establish Rakhine Advisory Commission in 2016 which is mostly comprised of Myanmar citizens, Chaired by Kofi Annan, recommended providing citizenship to the Rohingyas , to allow them freedom of movement, rights and equality before the law, to ensure communal representation, lack of which affects Muslims disproportionately, to facilitate UN assistance in ensuring safety and security of returning people .
We urge United Nations to keep pressure on Myanmar government to implement the recommendations of Kofi Annan’s Commission immediately to end the cycle of violence against Rohingyas. Also we call on the International Leaders to be louder on the existing crises and persuade Myanmar government to be respectful to the international humanitarian law.
The whole world is anxiously waiting to see that United Nations is playing its role to bring an end to this humanitarian catastrophe and build peace in the region.
(Mohammad Siddiqur Rahman, Ex Country Manager of Biman, Bangladesh Airlines, in Frankfurt, Germany, now lives in New York .)
