Rohingya Crisis Remains Unchanged Amid International Stalemate

Myanmar has remained uncooperative in aiding and rehousing the Rohingya people. Following the government’s horrific genocidal attack on several thousands of the Rohingya population, Myanmar has officially recognized the names of only 600 and has approved the return of less than 400 of them, according to The Diplomat. In addition, Myanmar still refuses to allow outside investigators into the country and continues to reject the authority of the International Criminal Court. While numerous nations have sanctioned those believed to play a major role in the ethnic cleansing that occurred last year, international efforts remain too limited in scope to alleviate the continued threat that the national armed forces, the Tatmadaw, pose to the Rohingya citizens of Myanmar.

Amidst international quibbling, it appears that the nations of the world are prepared to do quite little to aid the plight of the Rohingya people. As the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was so difficult to put together, they fear that too much pressure could result in Myanmar leaving the union altogether, reported The Diplomat. As a result, ASEAN has been willing to go to great lengths to reassure Myanmar that it will not interfere with its internal affairs regarding the Rohingya people. ASEAN’s commitment to the sanctity of the alliance has gone as far as refusing to recognize the Rohingya people by their self-identified title, since Myanmar “rejects” it, according to The Diplomat. 

Australia has recently sanctioned six individuals, including two who were relieved from the military following the United Nations’ investigation and condemnation of the Tatmadaw’s actions in Myanmar. However, according to Amnesty International’s Diana Sayed, that isn’t enough. She is quoted in demanding for Australian leadership to pull all funding for Myanmar’s military, along with the sanctions, according to Asian Correspondent.

The Tatmadaw’s pursuit of the destruction of the Rohingya began in August 2017, when a group of Rohingya militants attacked over 30 police posts. The government reacted with overwhelming violence, burning down villages, and murdering families and small children, forcing nearly the entire Rohingya population to flee. Over 700,000 people have been displaced since the Tatmadaw’s ethnic cleansing began. Since the Rohingya have been gone, the government has initiated reconstruction projects, destroying whatever was left and creating new villages for non-Rohingya populations.

The future of the Rohingya people remains far from certain, and the world has yet to come up with a concrete solution to the challenge that they face. President of Bangladesh, Abdul Hamid, voiced his concern regarding the international community’s inaction: “The case of the Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar may be considered an acid test for the global community on collectively dealing with an international problem…..I urge all members of the international community to arrive at a durable solution and stop the process of impunity by identifying the persons responsible for the acts of violence,” according to the Dhaka Tribune.

While ASEAN refrains from acting decisively and the global community insists upon light and symbolic measures of punishment, the remaining Rohingya in Myanmar will continue to suffer at the hands of their government as they have for decades.

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