Rohingya Muslims Flee Persecution In Myanmar To Neighbouring Bangladesh

Rohingya Muslims are escaping persecution in Rakhine State Myanmar, with reports of disappearances as refugees flee across the border to neighbouring Bangladesh. According to the United Nations, nearly 70 people died last week during violent police raids, which were conducted by the state military with 30,000 others were left displaced in refugee camps across the border region. Those surviving the journey to Bangladesh sought refuge in overpopulated border camps and Bangladeshi homes. However, many are feared missing or dead.

Some refugees have been missing for days after a boat, which was packed with fleeing refugees sunk in the river Naaf along the Myanmar and Bangladesh border. Humayun Kabir, father of three missing children from the boat incident said many who crossed the river could swim to the banks, seven others, including his children, never reached the other side.

“There was a group of people from our village who crossed the river by boat to come here. But suddenly the boat sank,” said Kabir.

Fellow refugee Siraul Islam, lost his wife and children whilst making his way to an unregistered camp in Bangladesh’s south. His family had to flee their, eight member, family home in Rakhine when government soldiers set fire to it during the targeted attacks on insurgent groups.

While UN agencies have failed to quantify exact numbers, aid workers have estimated that hundreds of Rohingya Muslims crossed the Bangladesh border over the weekend alone. Faced with daily human rights abuses and persecution, Rohingyas have had little choice, but to pack up their livelihoods and leave en masse.

The recent military crackdown is a response to attacks on police posts along the border region by insurgent groups, which claimed the lives of 17, including nine police officers on October 9. Myanmar’s military and government claimed intervention was needed to thwart insurgent attacks linked to radicalized militants within the ethnic Rohingya minority who, they allege, have ties to overseas terrorist groups.

However, members of the international community accuse the government and military of egregious human rights abuses, including the police shooting of unarmed civilians, the gang rape of women and children, mass torture, and suppression of Rohingyas in the border region. Moreover, the military lockdown over the region has vastly limited the reach of humanitarian aid to provide food and medicine to vulnerable refugees. The situation is worsening day-by-day as aid workers estimate more than 70,000 refugees are facing starvation, whilst 30 to 50 percent of the 3,000 acutely malnourished children are at immediate risk of death.

The Rohingya Muslim people comprise almost two per cent of Myanmar’s predominantly Buddhist population, with 1.1 million of those identifying as ethnic Rohingyas residing in the western border regions of Rakhine State. However, the government fails to recognize them amongst the official list of ethnic minorities, the status of Rohingyas has been a burning issue amongst nationalist Buddhists in Myanmar, many of whom perceive Rohingyas to be “illegal” Bengali refugees.

Due to their uncertain status, most Rohingyas are denied the rights of citizenship, including ownership of property, freedom of movement, voting rights, and access to education. Since 2012, approximately 125,000 Rohingya people have been left displaced after surges of violence between the majority nationalist Buddhist populations and the minority group.

This recent bout of violence poses a grave challenge for Aung San Suu Kyi’s fledgling administration, despite her democratic party’s landslide victory in November 2015. Despite Suu Kyi leading the National League for Democracy party’s win over the former military dictatorship, her weak response to military actions has been heavily criticized. According to Human Rights Watch activist, David Scott Mathieson, Suu Kyi “risks shredding what residual credibility she still has on promoting human rights if she fails to speak out.”

Additionally, whilst speaking to ABC reporters, Anwar Shaw, President of the Burmese Rohingya Community in Australia said that she was shocked at Suu Kyi’s failure to recognize the Rohingya people in light of the UN labeling them as one of the world’s most persecuted peoples. She admitted that whilst Suu Kyi is highly regarded “in respect to human rights and justice” she would appreciate more action from her leader to encourage real change for Rohingya minorities.

Others have suggested that Suu Kyi’s failure to make a concrete stance on the issue merely demonstrates her limited powers over the military, which still hold the balance of power over key ministries such as Home Affairs, Border Affairs, and Defence. Former Australian Ambassador to Myanmar, Trevor Wilson argues that it would be difficult for Suu Kyi to make a dramatic change in the near future. Wilson believes that whilst Suu Kyi “is not unsympathetic” to the problems facing Rohingyas, “it is unrealistic” to expect such a new government to depart from long-standing policies when a majority of her supporters are currently conflicted over the status of the minority group. However, Wilson affirmed the importance of the international community to “maintain pressure on the new government to ensure policy change.”

Former UN Chief, Kofi Annan joins members of the international community in expressing “deep concern” over violence in Myanmar’s Rakhine state. Annan is calling for communities on all sides to “renounce violence” and for “security forces to act in full compliance with the rule of law.” Regardless of the challenges that Suu Kyi faces in speaking out against human rights violations by the military and government forces, she will have to act cautiously as soon to be initiated UN investigations begin.

Rebecca Piesse

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