Skip to main content

Five years of the Myanmar-Bangladesh Rohingya crisis: where is the solution?

By Samina Akhter* 

Myanmar's violent ethnic cleansing program, which forcibly forced roughly a million Rohingya Muslims into Bangladeshi refugee camps, is going to mark its fifth anniversary upcoming August month. Myanmar's persecution of Rohingya Muslims is not new, with major waves of emigration recorded in 1978, 1992, and most recently in 2017.
Some 30,000 Rohingya children are being born every year in Bangladesh on average. As such, the number of Rohingya population has increased to more than 1.2 million. In this context, Bangladesh has requested the United Nations (UN) to put emphasis on family planning in the Rohingya camps.
Foreign secretary disclosed this information after the 39th meeting of the National Task Force on Rohingya affairs at his office on Sunday afternoon.
The start of a horrific military attack against the Rohingya people in Myanmar, which prompted three quarters of a million Rohingyas to flee over the country's borders, was nearly five years ago on August 5, 2017. The Myanmar military's deliberate, systematic, and extreme violence in killing, sexually assaulting, and displacing Rohingyas from their homelands and out of the country has been correctly labeled genocidal – that is, violence "committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial, or religious group." Though the persecution of Rohingyas in Myanmar did not begin on this date (it has been going on for decades), it was undoubtedly one of the largest and most methodical attacks against the minority in recent years. The unprecedented refugee flood of Rohingya people and other communities from Myanmar's Rakhine State into Bangladesh began almost five years ago.
Following a briefing by the UN Secretary General's Special Envoy to Myanmar, Bangladesh's permanent representative addressed the UN General Assembly on Monday (June12, 2022), urging the UN to expand its programs in Rakhine State, Myanmar, to return the forcibly displaced Rohingyas. The envoy further requested that the Special Envoy endeavor to ensure that the bilateral return arrangements for Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh are implemented as soon as possible.
Bangladesh's representative to the UN, we believe, was quite explicit in her speech. It's been nearly 5 years. In one of the worst man-made humanitarian tragedies in modern history, almost a million Rohingyas were forced to flee their homes. And the assurance of their safe return has yet to be fulfilled.
In November 2019, Gambia, on behalf of the fifty-seven-nation Organization of Islamic Cooperation, filed the first international lawsuit against Myanmar at the International Court of Justice, accusing the country of violating the UN Genocide Convention. The court unanimously ruled in January 2020 that Myanmar must take emergency measure to protect Rohingya from violence and preserve evidence of possible genocide. A final ruling in the case could take years. Separately, the ICC authorized an investigation into alleged atrocities in November 2019. The International Court of Justice ruled on July 22, 2022, that The Gambia’s case for genocide against Myanmar would proceed despite Myanmar’s preliminary objections. According to academics and rights campaigners, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling has opened up fresh opportunities for the international community to put pressure on the Myanmar military to provide justice for the Rohingyas.
We're also concerned because the Russian invasion of Ukraine has shifted the world's attention away from Rohingya migrants and toward millions of fleeing Ukrainians seeking asylum in a variety of European nations. The Rohingya agenda should, at the very least, take a backseat in the face of an ongoing war and a rapidly changing World Order.
The point is that Myanmar is at the heart of the Rohingya catastrophe. The ruling military junta in that country must step up its efforts to secure the refugees' voluntary and dignified return.
Bangladesh has done more than enough to accommodate over a million Rohingya refugees at enormous economic, environmental, and security costs; now it is time for the UN to assess the situation. Bangladesh's efforts alone will not be sufficient to bring about a long-term solution to the situation.
At the same time, accountability for all transgressions and atrocities in Myanmar is critical. As a result, we would like to remind the UN Security Council to keep an eye on the International Court of Justice's (ICJ) Provisional Measures in the case brought by the Gambia on behalf of the OIC.
The international community, particularly UN member nations, has a tremendous humanitarian responsibility and commitment to Rohingya refugees.
The world community must awaken from its slumber and see that the man-made crisis was not caused by Bangladesh, but rather by Myanmar's internal turmoil, which was unfairly imposed on Bangladesh.
Despite a series of UN resolutions, Myanmar has showed little interest in repatriating the refugees in dignity and with full citizenship rights.
Apart from UN member states, regional countries and Myanmar's commercial partners, such as China, India, Japan, Indonesia, and Germany, ASEAN and OIC countries must also step up to put pressure on Myanmar to solve the humanitarian situation seriously.
Last but not least, if the international community fails to find a long-term solution to the humanitarian catastrophe, it must commit to taking in a million or more forcibly displaced refugees currently sheltering in Bangladesh, as it has done with many other refugees in the past.
We urge immediate action to assist in making significant progress in building the conditions for the safe, voluntary, dignified, and long-term return of refugees to Myanmar. It is vital to address the core causes of Myanmar's systematic discrimination, disenfranchisement, and communal violence.
We also urge the world community to remain in solidarity with Rohingya refugees, as well as the Bangladeshi government and people who are kindly hosting them. The United Nations is committed to providing active help in the future. The Rohingya's misery must not become a political football.
At a time when the funds for the Rohingyas are dwindling, and when the international community has grown evidently disinterested in safeguarding the community, the sustainable course of action that the international community should undertake is the safe and dignified repatriation of the Rohingyas through international mechanisms.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet paid an official visit to Bangladesh on 14-17 August 2022. The visit came ahead of the fifth anniversary this month of the Rohingya exodus from Myanmar to Bangladesh. However, acknowledging Bangladesh’s great difficulty in dealing with the Rohingya crisis, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet assured the UN’s continued efforts to realise the safe and voluntary return of the Rohingyas to Myanmar. She made the assurance when Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen said that the protracted stay of the displaced Rohingyas in Bangladesh bears the risk of the spread of radicalism and transnational crimes and thus may hamper regional stability.
During her trip to Cox’s Bazar, the high commissioner visited camps housing Rohingya refugees from Myanmar and met with the forcibly displaced Rohingya people, officials and non-governmental organizations. High Commissioner Bachelet appreciated Bangladesh’s humanitarian gesture towards the Rohingyas and recalled that the government took good care of the displaced Rohingyas during the pandemic by providing vaccines.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has rightly pointed out to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, that Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh must eventually return to Myanmar. It's been almost five years since the Myanmar military carried out its most recent genocidal campaign against the Rohingyas, forcing around a million of them to flee to Bangladesh in search of safety. For a resource-constrained country like ours, hosting so many of refugees for five years has been a great challenge indeed.
Thus, on the fifth anniversary of the Rohingya crisis, we urge the world to do something for the Rohingya refugees. They are not naturally refugees. They have birth right to live in their birthplace, Myanmar, with proper dignity. Otherwise, as a conscious human being, we can't ignore our responsibility.
 ---
*Dhaka-based columnist and woman and human rights activist

Comments

TRENDING

Towards 2024: Time for ‘We the People of India’ to wake up before it is too late

By Fr Cedric Prakash SJ*  It is Constitution Day once again! We, the people of India, gratefully remember 26 November 1949 when the Constitution of India was passed and adopted by the Constituent Assembly. The Constituent Assembly comprised women and men of distinction, who were able to represent the heart and soul of the people of India without fear or favour. They gave of their best, so that we may a visionary Constitution, which would be the mainstay for and of democracy in India!

Regretful: Kapil Dev retired not leaving Indian cricket with integrity he upheld

By Harsh Thakor  Kapil Dev scaled heights as an entertainer and a player upholding the spirit of the game almost unparalleled in his era. In his time he was cricket’s ultimate mascot of sportsmanship On his day Kapil could dazzle in all departments to turn the tempo of game in the manner of a Tsunami breaking in. He radiated r energy, at a level rarely scaled in his era on a cricket field. Few ever blended aggression with artistry so comprehenisively. Although fast medium, he could be as daunting with the ball as the very best, with his crafty outswinger, offcutter, slower ball and ball that kicked from a good length. Inspite of bowling on docile tracks on the subcontinent, Kapil had 434 scalps, with virtually no assistance. I can never forget how he obtained pace and movement on flat pancakes, trapping the great Vivian Richards in Front or getting Geoff Boycott or Zaheer Abbas caught behind. No paceman carried the workload of his team’s bowling attack on his shoulders in his eras muc

How the slogan Jai Bhim gained momentum as movement of popularity and revolution

By Dr Kapilendra Das*  India is an incomprehensible plural country loaded with diversities of religions, castes, cultures, languages, dialects, tribes, societies, costumes, etc. The Indians have good manners/etiquette (decent social conduct, gesture, courtesy, politeness) that build healthy relationships and take them ahead to life. In many parts of India, in many situations, and on formal occasions, it is common for people of India to express and exchange respect, greetings, and salutation for which we people usually use words and phrases like- Namaskar, Namaste, Pranam, Ram Ram, Jai Ram ji, Jai Sriram, Good morning, shubha sakal, Radhe Radhe, Jai Bajarangabali, Jai Gopal, Jai Jai, Supravat, Good night, Shuvaratri, Jai Bhole, Salaam walekam, Walekam salaam, Radhaswami, Namo Buddhaya, Jai Bhim, Hello, and so on.

Critical factors that determine, contribute to the success and effectiveness of NGOs

By Rohit Rakshit  Over the last few years, I have been fortunate to work with numerous non-governmental organizations (NGOs) across various states in the country. This experience has allowed me to gain insights into their diverse areas of work while also enabling me to analyze the key attributes that contribute to the success of a good NGO. According to my observations, the following are the critical factors that determine the effectiveness of an NGO.

Polytechnic Uprising 50 years ago even today inspires radical Greek youth movement

By Harsh Thakor*  On November 17, progressive sections in Greece marked the 50th anniversary of the Athens Polytechnic Uprising of 1973. A massive rally from the Athens Polytechnic passed through various parts of the city, including the US Embassy. Thousands of activists from the Communist Party of Greece (KKE), Communist Youth of Greece (KNE), Students Struggle Front (MAS), Federation of Greek Women (OGE), Hellenic Committee for International Detente and Peace (EEDYE), and All Workers Militant Front (PAME), among other groups, participated in the march denouncing imperialism, fascism and military dictatorship.

Delhi labour chowk workers get work for 15 days a month, 10% get grain on ration cards

By Bharat Dogra*  It is around 10 in the morning and the number of workers at the Sigalpur labor chowk in Shalimar Bagh area of Delhi is increasing. As a worker Munna says: “The hope of getting any work is much lesser now due to pollution related ban on construction but still workers assemble here in the hope of getting at least some minor repair or other work.”

How adamant Bellsonika management is continuously robbing workers' livelihood

By Harsh Thakor*  On September 27th, earlier this year, the Bellsonika Workers’ Union was stripped of legal status or registration. The Haryana government's labour department cancelled the registration of the Bellsonica workers' union over granting the membership to one of the 'contractual workers'. It was major breach on Constitutional Rights of workers, to enable the contract labour system to flourish, and tighten the noose on any form of workers resistance.

Day to remember hardship, sincere efforts of Dr Ambedkar for framing Constitution

By Dr Kapilendra Das  The 26th of November, the day of an important landmark in India's journey as an Independent, Sovereign, socialist, secular, and Democratic, Republic is celebrated as National Constitution Day in India, also known as Samvidhan Divas. On this day the constituent Assembly adopted the constitution of India in 1949 to secure the Indian Citizen's justice, liberty, equality, and union which came into effect two months later, on January 26, 1950, and India became a Republic.

TERI researchers outline ways for robust, equitable and flexible outcome at COP28

By Sanya Hans  Researchers at The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) launched two crucial policy briefs ahead of the much anticipated 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28) scheduled from November 30 to December 12, 2023 at Dubai, UAE.  Former climate negotiator, Ambassador Manjeev Singh Puri, a Distinguished Fellow at TERI emphasized, “Adaptation is an imperative and absolute must in present times for the Global South. COP28 needs to make the Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA) integral to climate commitments and action”.  “Climate change demands that energy use must be sustainable; the development imperative of the Global South demands it to be inclusive, just and fair," Mr Puri added.   Outcome on GGA will be a key determinant for the success of COP28   The policy brief titled ‘Road to Dubai and The Global Goal on Adaption’ reviewed the discussions around the GGA framework to provide perspectives on what could be a robust, equitable, and flexible outcome of the GGA process at CO

Raising temperature of frozen foods by 3 degrees from -18°C to -15°C can slash carbon emissions: Study

By Payel Sannigrahi  Frozen food temperatures could be changed by just three degrees to save the carbon dioxide emissions of 3.8 million cars per year, research suggests.