By Dhaka Tribune
London-based renowned Rohingya rights activist Nay San
Lwin, also a regular contributor to Rohingya community blog
Rohingyablogger.com, speaks with the Dhaka Tribune’s Tarek Mahmud to discuss
the issues of racial discrimination against Rohingyas in detail
Q-How have Rohingyas faced discrimination in
the Rakhine state of Myanmar?
Rohingyas have been subjected to racial discrimination
since the military coup in 1962.
In 1965, a radio program broadcasted in Rohingya language
was shut down.
Then in 1974, the Burmese junta launched ‘Operation
Jasmine’, locally known as “Operation Sabae”, through which they confiscated
many identity cards from the Rohingyas while they were traveling from one state
to another.
1978 saw another large scale operation, ‘Dragon King’, to
wipe out Rohingyas, which resulted in more than 250,000 Rohingyas fleeing to
Bangladesh. But soon after, although they had been expelled as illegal
Bangladeshis, they were repatriated as Rohingyas.
Since then, Rohingyas have lost many basic rights. In
1982, Rohingyas became stateless within their own country after the enactment
of the new citizenship law. 10 years later in 1992, the military junta imposed
severe restrictions against us, forcing us to live in open-air prisons.
Q-Do the Myanmar authorities impose such
restrictions only against the Rohingyas? Why has the Myanmar government acted
this way?
Myanmar authorities are targeting the Rohingya population
specifically because the Rohingyas are confined within one particular area. But
they are not only targeting Rohingyas, they are antagonistic against other
Muslim minorities across the country as well.
However, there is a difference between the policies
concerning Rohingyas and other Muslim minorities. Myanmar’s policy towards the Rohingya
is to simply wipe them off Myanmar’s map through genocide. They do not want the
Rohingya population in the country.
They are very well aware of Rohingyas’ lineage and
history, but they still continue to propagate the claim that Rohingyas are illegal
immigrants from Bangladesh. With the help of this propaganda campaign, the
Myanmar government has garnered the support of the Buddhist majority, which
made it easier for them to kill thousands of Rohingyas and drive them out to
Bangladesh since August 25, 2017.
Q-How do you think the Rohingyas can be
repatriated properly?
Firstly, the repatriation agreement should be held up,
and the homeland of Rohingyas in the Northern Rakhine state must be protected.
Secondly, the United Nations and the international community should oversee the
safe repatriation of the Rohingyas back to Rakhine.
Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh will only go back if a
safe repatriation process is ensured.
Q-How can the Rohingya diaspora play a role
in the repatriation process and in rooting out this racial discrimination?
Rohingya Diasporas are trying to help as much as they
can, but it is very important that the UN and the international community
intervene in the repatriation process.
Most of the countries have agreed with it, with the
exception of China and Russia. Aung San Suu Kyi and Senior Gen Min Aung Hlaing
need to be produced before the International Criminal Court. Only then will the
genocide against Rohingyas stop.
China and Russia are obstacles in the process, but we
will not give up. There must be justice for all the atrocities the Myanmar
government has been committing for almost four decades.
Q-How is the Rohingya crisis affecting the
Asian countries in different arenas such as security, health, migration, and
others?
The refugee camps in Bangladesh act as a black market for
traffickers. I think, after the monsoon season, many traffickers will try to
smuggle genocide survivors residing in Bangladesh. But if the Bangladeshi
government is vigilant, this might not occur.
Q-Do you think the Bangladeshi government is
tackling the Rohingya crisis in a diplomatic manner? If not, then what do you
think Bangladesh should do?
We appreciate the fact that Bangladesh is hosting more
than a million Rohingya refugees. I think they are doing their best, but it is
also true that we will not like all of their activities since they have to be
diplomatic at the same time.
As a result, I think countries like the US, the UK, and
organizations like the EU and OIC need to stand beside Bangladesh and
pressurize the Myanmar government to accept the demands of the Rohingya
survivors.
Bangladesh has to be firm with Myanmar about the
repatriation process. It must urge the Myanmar military to stop calling
Rohingyas ‘extremist Bangladeshi terrorists’ and start recognizing them as
their own citizens.
As Bangladesh is a state party of the Rome Statute of the
International Criminal Court, it has the capacity to refer Burmese criminals to
the court.
Bangladesh has been suffering the Rohingya crisis for 40
years. The exodus continues to repeat, again and again. The time has come to
take strong action against Myanmar so it stops the ongoing genocide.
Q-How has the international community
addressed the Rohingya crisis? What more do you think it should do?
The UN has termed Rohingyas as the most persecuted
minority since 1992. But no solutions have been provided yet.
Many rights organizations and countries are calling the
persecution against the Rohingyas ‘ethnic cleansing’. But this is not the right
term. Scholars and experts have called it a genocide. I believe if the
international community starts using the correct term, it will help in stopping
the genocide, and actions against the Burmese criminals will be taken faster.
Q-The Rohingyas have been displaced by their
government several times already. What is the future of the Rohingyas?
In short, if the repatriation of Rohingyas is not
protected, if the homeland of Rohingyas in the Northern Rakhine state is not
protected, the exodus and genocide will continue. That is why we are demanding
the safe return of the Rohingyas back to Myanmar.
Q-Myanmar State Chancellor Aung San Suu Kyi
has been criticized for her role in the crisis. How far do you think she is
responsible? What she can do, now?
As a Nobel peace laureate, she at least has a moral
authority and obligation to speak out against any injustice. But unfortunately,
she has put her support behind the genocidal campaign against Rohingyas. She
has sided with military criminals.
As the de facto leader of Myanmar, she is fully
responsible for stopping all atrocities against Rohingyas. The military has
claimed that they inform the government about everything, and have to get
permission before acting. Since she is not willing to do anything for the
Rohingyas, except lying to the international community about the Myanmar
military’s actions, she should be brought to the International Criminal Court.
Bringing criminals like her to the International Criminal
Court is a huge challenge for us, but we will not stop trying. Aung San Suu Kyi
needs to be punished.