Listening to the Voice of the Vulnerable Rohingya People

Written By Min Ko Ko Naing | Edited by M.S. Anwar

RvisionTV.com | September 20, 2013

Aung Mingalar Quarter Fenced and Blocked [Photo: Tom Farrell]

Aung Mingalar Quarter in Sittwe (Akyab) Township is one of the regions hit by worst form of violence during June 2012. Many Rohingyas became displaced and many other displaced Rohingyas from the neighboring places also sought refuge in the quarter. Myanmar Government does not provide sufficient relief aids to the Rohingyas in the quarter. Besides, the government has systematically created a circumstance under which the local Rohingyas have to leave the only remaining Rohingya quarter (in the downtown of Sittwe) on their own. On the other hand, Rakhine National Development Party (RNDP), Rakhine State Government and Monks have put up several barriers against Rohingyas’ access to the food rations and medical stuffs up until today.

A Rohingya Man Holds Up a Sign in Sittwe’s Aung Mingalar Quarter [Lux Capio Photography]

In late August 2013, Rakhine State Government assisted by its reliable collaborators in Aung Mingalar Quarter announced “if any of you in Aung Mingalar Quarter wants to shift to IDP camps, we will assist you to move there. We will also help you to recieve humanitarian aids from World Food Programme (WFP), which is what you need.” Then, the government made RFA, BBC, VOA, RSV (Rakhine State View), many other media and journals spread the news. Subsequently, the government made more than 2500 Rohingyas move to the IDP Camps located at the outskirts of Sittwe between 24th August 2013 and 25th August 2013.

Nevertheless, no newly shifted Rohingyas have recieved any humanitarian aids critically required for their survival. Rakhine State Government seems to have backed out to provide aids to the Rohingyas through WFP. These people are now starving to death. Moreover, they are having Diarrhea and many other spreadable diseases because of lack of clean drinking water and inadeqaute habitats. When these vulnerable victims requested WFP to provide humitarian assistances, WFP declined and replied “we are unable to provide you anything as long as Rakhine State Government doesn’t give us permission for it.”

Rohingya Concentration Camps at the Outskirts of Sittwe (Photo: bbc.co.uk)

The vulnerable situation of Rohingyas today is a situation created by Rakhine State government and other destructive forces in Myanmar. Hence,it is clear that Rakhine will not issue (or will be reluctant to issue) permission to provide aids to the internally displaced Rohingya victims. Consequently, the weak and voiceless Rohingyas are facing a slow Genocide.

Oh Humanity, listen to the voice of these vulnerable victims!!

By Min Ko Ko Naing, Refugee Affairs, Sallam Oic Team