June 10, 2013
UNITED NATIONS - As
the situation in Myanmar deteriorates, thousands of Rohingyas have fled the
country in search of a safe haven.
Reports continue to
emerge depicting inhuman and squalid conditions in the temporary camps where
these displaced people live.
Local officials in
the Rakhine state of Myanmar recently called for the strict implementation of a
“two-child policy” on Rohingya Muslims. Even though this announcement has been
condemned by human rights groups around the world, the crackdown on Rohingya
Muslims in Myanmar is far from over.
In an interview with
IPS correspondent Sudeshna Chowdhury, Dr. Wakar Uddin, director general of of
the Arakan Rohingya Union, a non-governmental organisation incorporated in the
United States, urged the international community to stand up for the Rohingyas
of Myanmar, also known as Burma.
While the
international community has taken note of the sectarian violence against the
community, “it is not enough,” Uddin said.
Critics of the United
Nations often cite examples from history when the world body failed to prevent
such tragedies, such as the Rwanda genocide and more recently, the death of
civilians in Sri Lanka.
“How many Rohingyas
have to die for the international community to respond to the ongoing crisis?”
asks Uddin.
Excerpts from the
interview follow:
Q: What are the
larger implications of a two-child policy on the Rohingya Muslim
population?
A: This two-child
policy is a tool employed to reduce as well as control the population of
Rohingya Muslims. It is an ethnic cleansing policy filled with hate. The policy
is specifically for Rohingya Muslims who are unwanted and hated by the
government as well as some extremist Buddhist elements. Some experts would say
that it is also a genocide policy.
The population of
Rohingyas in Myanmar has grown like the population of any other ethnic group in
any part of the world. It is about three million now.
In fact, this
two-child policy was there in Myanmar since 1994. However, it lacked serious
enforcement. But surgical and forced operations were prevalent in remote
pockets of the country. This is why it wasn’t reported widely. But now local
authorities are actually stepping up the implementation of the directive.
The authorities are
trying to eliminate the population by driving them out of the country as well
as putting a cap on the birth of Rohingyas. So they are controlling the
population growth in both ways. Eventually, there will be no Rohingyas left in
the region and then one can easily grab all their land.
Q: So, this is not
just about sectarian violence?
A: A significant
amount of land in the Rakhine state, also known as Arakan state of Myanmar, is
owned by Rohingyas. Areas within this region are rich in hydrocarbons, natural
gas and other resources. So, the goal is to grab these lands that belong to the
Rohingyas.
The extremist
elements are trying to drive Rohingya people out of the country by making false
claims. They are saying that the Rohingyas had illegally infiltrated the Arakan
State of Myanmar, and that they actually belong to Bangladesh and to the state
of West Bengal in India.
But what is important
to understand is the fact that the Rohingya history in the country of Myanmar
dates back many centuries.
Q: Is the violence
spreading to other parts of the country as well?
A: The Burmans are
the majority ethnic group in Burma. Therefore, what we are seeing is the
“Burmanisation” of the country.
The aim is to
eliminate other minority groups in Myanmar. In places like the Kachin state,
people are now asking for autonomy. To begin with, violence was mainly directed
against the Rohingya Muslims. But now you see Muslims, who are not even
Rohingyas, being targeted by the ruling class. Slowly Hindus and Christians,
too, won’t be spared as the violence escalates in the rest of the
country.
Q: What is the
current situation of those who are displaced?
A: The most
vulnerable are the women and children. From lack of medicines to malnutrition
to squalid conditions - you name it. Monsoons are coming so the situation is
going to deteriorate further. The internally displaced persons (IDPs) are
therefore at a huge risk.
What is most
disturbing is the emergence of sex slave camps where Rohingya women are raped
and used as “sex slaves” by Burmese forces. These women have nowhere to go. The
authorities provide them with food and shelter. In return they exploit
them.
While incidences of
rape do get reported in the media once in a while, there is no systematic data
collection or records that can give us an estimate of how many women have been
raped.
Q: How are the
neighbouring countries and the international community dealing with this
situation?
A: Some of these
Rohingya Muslims took shelter in neighbouring countries, such as India,
Thailand and Bangladesh. But we are talking about three million people here.
Absorbing them will not solve the Rohingya issue. The root cause of the problem
needs to be addressed here. One has to give them their rights. Proper education
and jobs will help solve this crisis.
As far as the role of
international community is concerned, it is only now that people outside Burma
are paying some attention to the plight of the Rohingyas.
As members of the
Rohingya diaspora, we have to continuously work towards keeping the discussion
alive, and keep reminding people that the Rohingyas are suffering and a
permanent solution is important to solve the crisis.
But the international
community, like the United Nations, is very slow in responding to such
emergencies. Moreover, it is too bureaucratic in nature. Historically, the
international community has been very slow in its response when it comes to
intervention during such situations.
So, those capable of
intervening wait until a certain number of people die. Before that they do not
take action.
Also one must
understand that until very recently Burma was a closed country. International
media did not have much access to the region. It was only after the mass
killings last year that the international community, including the media, took
notice of the Rohingya crisis.
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