Tens of thousands flee a military crackdown in Myanmar.
In the latest spate of violence
in Rakhine, Myanmar, an estimated 65,000 Muslim Rohingya have fled across the
border into neighbouring Bangladesh over the last few months. A chilling
narrative has emerged from refugees of government killings, rapes, and razing
of Rohingya villages. The exodus is in
response to a military crackdown in the northern Rakhine region that was
launched after a military outpost was attacked on October 9, 2016.
The government says the attack
was carried out by a previously unknown armed group. Aung San Suu Kyi, the Nobel Peace laureate
and de facto leader of Myanmar since her party won the country’s first free
elections in 2015, has not taken a firm position on the issue. Many in the
international community bemoan her ambiguous stance on the Rohingya. Critics had hoped she would be an advocate
for the ethnic minority and help end their decades-long persecution. Supporters
of the government say she is negotiating behind closed doors to help resolve
the issue. Others say she doesn’t have control of the military, and if she
openly takes a stance, it will unleash further violence and undermine the
nascent democracy taking shape in Myanmar.
For the first time, officials
from Bangladesh and Myanmar have agreed to meet to address the refugee crisis.
There are currently between 300,000 to 500,000 undocumented Rohingya living in
camps in Bangladesh, according to Amnesty International.
On Friday, Yanghee Lee, the
United Nations special rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar was expected to
meet with the ruling party in Sittwe to assess the situation, but the Arakan
National Party refused to meet with her. She has called for an international
investigation. Last November, a UN official accused Myanmar’s government of
carrying out ethnic cleansing. International human rights groups and NGOs have
made similar claims. The government repeatedly denied those allegations.
On January 19, the Organisation
of Islamic Cooperation will meet in Malaysia to discuss a response to the
Rohingya crisis. The meeting will be led by the Malaysian prime minister who
has called on Myanmar to stop the “genocide” of Rohingya.
Myanmar’s government withdrew
citizenship for the Rohingya in 1982, leaving them disenfranchised and
stateless, despite the fact that they have lived there for generations.
Approximately one million Muslim Rohingya are referred to as Bengalis in mainly
Buddhist Myanmar, and are seen as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. They are
denied basic rights like freedom of movement and the right to marry.
In this episode of The Stream,
we speak with:
Priscilla Clapp
Senior Adviser, US Institute of
Peace
Wakar Uddin @wquddin
Director General, Arakan
Rohingya Union
Shwe Maung @shwemaung_mp
Former Member of Parliament,
Pyithu Hluttaw
Kyaw Tha Hla
Community organizer and media
producer
What do you think? Leave your
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