Dhaka Tribune’s Syed Samiul Basher Anik speaks to US-born
Rohingya Professor Dr Wakar Uddin, head of Arakan Rohingya Union, on the
sidelines of the OIC-CFM, on the current situation in Myanmar
What is your take on the ongoing violence in
Rakhine state?
Although the crisis appears to be serious now, it is a
small manifestation of what has been really happening to Rohingya people for
years. The Myanmar military started the process 50 years back with persecution,
which took the form of ethnic cleansing, and now it is reaching to the level of
genocide with an aim to drive out the Rohingya population completely.
What is your take on the Rohingya
repatriation? How will it take place?
Repatriation has to be done immediately but the Myanmar
military and government are buying time by delaying the process. Bangladesh has
to be very watchful of such strategic games.
The repatriation has to happen by ensuring safety and
security of the Rohingya population. One should also keep in mind – when they
are repatriated, where will they go or return to? 90% of their houses have been
burnt down. So, there is an urgency to build homes in their villages. If some
of the houses are still there, we need to make sure that they are habitable.
There has to be international involvement like that from
the United Nations and other agencies that can visit the place, build homes,
and ensure the quick repatriation process. But they have to primarily ensure
the safety, security, and citizenship of the Rohingya people.
If they are not provided protection, the Rohingya will be
back to Bangladesh in no time. The international community must be involved not
only in the repatriation process, but also during resettlement and
rehabilitation processes.
The repatriation should be done through a roadmap with
detailed emphasis on humanitarian and human rights, and political issues with
long term, midterm, short term and immediate objectives which can be set up
based on the recommendations of Kofi Annan’s Commission.
What is your take on the condition set by the
Myanmar government that only the ‘verified’ Rohingyas can go back to their
homeland?
Sustained international pressure is a must. The Myanmar
government wants “verification” – but how one could expect that from people who
fled home for saving their lives, who were shot and raped, and whose homes were
burnt. How could the Myanmar government want documents from these people? This
is just a game in the name of verification.
What is your take on Myanmar’s plan of
setting up a ‘safe zone’ for the Rohingya in Rakhine?
A safe zone would be ideal but it has to be done through
the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). If the Myanmar government is
willing to sincerely protect its people from being attacked by its army and
police, then it should work with the international community in good faith to
make it possible.
A safe zone would guarantee security and safety for the
Rohingya but the Myanmar government will have to agree to that first. There are
challenges on whether they will agree with UNSC to bring peacekeeping force or
not. But if that happens, it will be an ideal solution.
It has been alleged that Islamic extremist
groups are active in the camps in Cox’s Bazar to recruit Rohingya people. Do
you think the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) will benefit from that?
I read about ARSA on media and YouTube. They are a local
group that was formed out of desperation. They have been abused and persecuted,
so these people are not significant. But, there is a potential danger that they
might grow and radicalize people in the refugee camps.
The longer the refugees stay in camps, the more they are
exposed to radicalization. So before extremist groups gain such control, it is
very important to immediately start the safe and secure Rohingya repatriation.
Do you think the role of Bangladesh
government in tackling the influx was sufficient?
Bangladeshi government and people have tremendously
helped the Rohingya people by opening up the country’s borders and sheltering
them. It is more than enough. Within a short time-frame, the Bangladesh
government was able to cope with the heavy influx.
Bangladesh deserves appreciation for such a historic and
noble gesture of sheltering and feeding the Rohingya.