The only hope now lies with the international
community rising as a collective force to ensure justice
The despicable horrors being committed in north-western
Myanmar on the Rohingya community have dragged on for far too long without any
major intervention or outcry from the international community. A new report
released by the United Nations rights body has added to the documented evidence
on the systematic persecution and torture being unleashed on the Muslim
minority community by the state apparatus of Myanmar — revealing accounts of
torture, murder and gang-rape at the hands of security forces that were so
severe that they could amount to ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity.
Among the brutal testimonies published were accounts of children butchered with
knives while their mothers were raped by security forces.
While there is an urgent need to investigate such
horrific atrocities by multilateral agencies with a clear mandate to punish the
guilty, ironically, a Myanmar state commission probing those allegations has given
the military a clean chit — saying such charges were not found to be credible
and that it was focused on the “truth” and not pleasing the UN. This makes an
utter travesty of the fundamental human right to dignity and justice.
The UN rights office has exposed how Myanmar’s military
had likely killed hundreds of Rohingya during a continuing crackdown in a
“calculated policy of terror” against the community. It is also becoming
increasingly clear that Myanmar’s Nobel laureate leader Aung San Suu Kyi will
not take any decisive action to mitigate the plight of the Rohingya, nor will
she unequivocally condemn the atrocities being inflicted upon them, for the
sake of her political survival. The only hope, therefore, now lies with the
international community rising as a collective force to impose the rule of law
and ensure that justice is done to the Rohingya. The UAE has shown the way
through its sustained humanitarian assistance for the community and vocal
condemnation in international platforms. The time for the international
community to act is now — before many hundreds more are slaughtered, women are
raped and children are butchered.