Rohingya Muslims at the receiving end in Myanmar
There are mobilisation and mobilisation of troops in Myanmar's Rakhine State and what they have been stating is half-baked truth. If UN estimates are to go by over 2,50,000 Rohingya Muslims have left Rakhine State lock stock and barrel and landed in makeshift camps in Bangladesh. They have pitched their tents in a country which is already overflowing with Rohingyas and to add even a little fraction to this number it would be insurmountable challenge for Bangladesh to cope with. It is over two weeks and Rohingyas continue to flee from Myanmar in the face of military operations which launched never-to-cease offensive when police outpost was attacked by Rohingya Salvation Army.
Army not stating the truth
No day goes when the offensive began when the Army does not ferret out facts which are nowhere near reality. The burning of homes and shops and during govt arranged trips for journalists the Army attributes the smouldering smoke and fire to Rohingyas setting their own dwellings on fire and nothing linked to their offensive. Offensive which all can see and Army putting it as nothing more than an action against terrorists. This offensive is nothing but Army operation to flush out Rohingyas from their homes and leave them with no option but to flee to Bangladesh. This offensive needs to be rolled back in the face of continued rush of Rohingyas to the bordering country. This is easier said than done. What is more alarming is the laying of booby traps along Myanmar-Bangladesh border to prevent the return of Rohingyas to Rakhine State. In the near future Rohingyas won't be able to place Rakhine State as their home given the next to nil chances of returning to Myanmar's State.
People all over the world would like to see a Rakhine State brimming with Rohingyas and Army taking a break from hitting the State with a power never seen before. The military operation has left a trail of destruction and a State which could could never boast of education, power and privilege has been left to fend for itself in the wake of Army's operation to dislodge Rohingya Muslims.
Suu Kyi is doing the least
The Army offensive is deplorable by any stretch and Aung San Suu Kyi silence followed by a narrative that this problem dates back to pre colonial times and 18 months at the helm is not enough to address the issue is doing no good. The writing on the wall is military is calling the shots with head of state Suu Kyi nowhere near taking a decision this way or that way to bring a resolution to this humanitarian crisis. Most of her critics believe she could have brought pressure on the Army to cease hostility in the Rakhine State and look for measures that could have brought peace to the region. How far would have that pressure worked given Army's track record in the country would be a secondary issue as in the first place no pressure was brought on the Army in the face of international rage against this institution's ethnic cleansing drive.
Human rights watch group too attribute Army's offensive to ethnic cleansing to say the least. Those Rohingyas who have stayed back in Rakhine state are living in fear and all shops and homes wear a deserted look given military's repeated action to set them on fire. In no time the Rohingyas who have stayed put in Rakhine State would also leave as they are too traumatised by the turn of events. Nations like India Pakistan who house a significant number of Rohingyas need to show a big heart and not set in motion any move to deport them.In India specifically they are not in significant numbers vis-a-vis Bangladesh and they can be absorbed here as refugees.
Need to treat Rohingyas as their own
As a wave of anti-Rohingyas sweeps across Rakhine, increasing in intensity every passing hour, the nation's majority population is of the view that Rohingyas are not part of nation's milieu and that is unfortunate given the considerable time they have spent in Rakhine State. Unless Myanmar and its majority population treats Rohingyas as their own there is no future for them in Myanmar. Though Rohingyas are relieved to be in the Bangladesh side of border, the problems are bound to increase with tens of thousands pouring in each passing day. Help needs to come in the form of food, water and medicine and UN camps are already stretched and so is Bangladesh side of border. These camps bursting at the seams are in direct threat of disease breaking out in multiples and what would be insurmountable challenge would be to contain the spread of disease if and when it breaks out. In all Myanmar Army's action is deplorable and they need to bring their offensive to a zero point to let dialogue and resolution take course.
There are mobilisation and mobilisation of troops in Myanmar's Rakhine State and what they have been stating is half-baked truth. If UN estimates are to go by over 2,50,000 Rohingya Muslims have left Rakhine State lock stock and barrel and landed in makeshift camps in Bangladesh. They have pitched their tents in a country which is already overflowing with Rohingyas and to add even a little fraction to this number it would be insurmountable challenge for Bangladesh to cope with. It is over two weeks and Rohingyas continue to flee from Myanmar in the face of military operations which launched never-to-cease offensive when police outpost was attacked by Rohingya Salvation Army.
Army not stating the truth
No day goes when the offensive began when the Army does not ferret out facts which are nowhere near reality. The burning of homes and shops and during govt arranged trips for journalists the Army attributes the smouldering smoke and fire to Rohingyas setting their own dwellings on fire and nothing linked to their offensive. Offensive which all can see and Army putting it as nothing more than an action against terrorists. This offensive is nothing but Army operation to flush out Rohingyas from their homes and leave them with no option but to flee to Bangladesh. This offensive needs to be rolled back in the face of continued rush of Rohingyas to the bordering country. This is easier said than done. What is more alarming is the laying of booby traps along Myanmar-Bangladesh border to prevent the return of Rohingyas to Rakhine State. In the near future Rohingyas won't be able to place Rakhine State as their home given the next to nil chances of returning to Myanmar's State.
People all over the world would like to see a Rakhine State brimming with Rohingyas and Army taking a break from hitting the State with a power never seen before. The military operation has left a trail of destruction and a State which could could never boast of education, power and privilege has been left to fend for itself in the wake of Army's operation to dislodge Rohingya Muslims.
Suu Kyi is doing the least
The Army offensive is deplorable by any stretch and Aung San Suu Kyi silence followed by a narrative that this problem dates back to pre colonial times and 18 months at the helm is not enough to address the issue is doing no good. The writing on the wall is military is calling the shots with head of state Suu Kyi nowhere near taking a decision this way or that way to bring a resolution to this humanitarian crisis. Most of her critics believe she could have brought pressure on the Army to cease hostility in the Rakhine State and look for measures that could have brought peace to the region. How far would have that pressure worked given Army's track record in the country would be a secondary issue as in the first place no pressure was brought on the Army in the face of international rage against this institution's ethnic cleansing drive.
Human rights watch group too attribute Army's offensive to ethnic cleansing to say the least. Those Rohingyas who have stayed back in Rakhine state are living in fear and all shops and homes wear a deserted look given military's repeated action to set them on fire. In no time the Rohingyas who have stayed put in Rakhine State would also leave as they are too traumatised by the turn of events. Nations like India Pakistan who house a significant number of Rohingyas need to show a big heart and not set in motion any move to deport them.In India specifically they are not in significant numbers vis-a-vis Bangladesh and they can be absorbed here as refugees.
Need to treat Rohingyas as their own
As a wave of anti-Rohingyas sweeps across Rakhine, increasing in intensity every passing hour, the nation's majority population is of the view that Rohingyas are not part of nation's milieu and that is unfortunate given the considerable time they have spent in Rakhine State. Unless Myanmar and its majority population treats Rohingyas as their own there is no future for them in Myanmar. Though Rohingyas are relieved to be in the Bangladesh side of border, the problems are bound to increase with tens of thousands pouring in each passing day. Help needs to come in the form of food, water and medicine and UN camps are already stretched and so is Bangladesh side of border. These camps bursting at the seams are in direct threat of disease breaking out in multiples and what would be insurmountable challenge would be to contain the spread of disease if and when it breaks out. In all Myanmar Army's action is deplorable and they need to bring their offensive to a zero point to let dialogue and resolution take course.
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