Int’l community should take steps

Now more than 10 lakh Rohingyas, including more than seven lakh refugees who came after the August 25 attacks last year, are staying in Cox's Bazar. The Myanmar Army launched renewed ”Clearance operations” ostensibly aimed at Rohingya militants but targeting all members of the community, including women and children on August 25, 2017.

Myanmar army burned down villages, raped women and girls, and killed thousands of men indiscriminately during the operation. Widespread attacks against the Muslim minority group forced more than 706,000 people to flee to neighboring Bangladesh.  Bangladesh government has given shelter to the persecuted Rohingyas on humanitarian ground. Earlier, several lakhs of Rohingyas came to Bangladesh due to attacks on them. In spite of economic constraints, Bangladesh has stood beside the Rohingyas, it is almost unprecedented. World leaders praised Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for sheltering Rohingyas and promised to stay beside Bangladesh until the crisis is resolved.

But in the one year there has not been much progress in ensuring justice for the Rohingyas who want to return to their country with safety and dignity. Rohingyas are passing helpless and uncertain lives in different shelters. Countries should take a more effective role in returning them to their homeland.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina emphasized the human rights, repatriation and rehabilitation of Rohingya in international forums in last one year. In addition to sheltering the refugees at the beginning of the crisis, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina emphasized safe rehabilitation of refugees and creating 'safe zone' in Rakhine state. In a speech given in the UN session last year, Sheikh Hasina placed a five-point proposal to resolve the Rohingya problem. In his speech, she sought full implementation of the recommendations of the Kafi Annan Commission. And in June this year, she placed four specific proposals to resolve the Rohingya crisis in the outreach session of the G-Seven conference.

The Myanmar government signed a MoU on the repatriation of Rohingyas with the government of Bangladesh nine months ago. But the repatriation has not started yet. Myanmar is not giving importance to the wishes of Bangladesh or the concern of the international community. It seems that Myanmar is still in the old tactics. In the past few days, news published in various media shows that Rohingyas are still being tortured in Rakhine. Human Rights Watch said that the small number of Rohingyas who returned to their areas are being tortured. As a result, they are fleeing to Bangladesh.

Socio-economic and law and order situation are being deteriorated due to Rohingyas. This situation is putting negative impact on the environment. Natural environment in Cox's Bazar and Bandarban is being affected. Smuggling of drugs and weapons is increasing. Rohingyas leave the camps and spread to different places of Bangladesh. They are collecting passports illegally and going abroad with Bangladeshi identity. So, it is necessary to resolve the issue immediately.

Bangladesh is conducting diplomatic activities to resolve the crisis but the international community, including Russia, China, India, the United States and the EU will not come ahead  to resolve the problem effectively. Sending Rohingyas back to Myanmar is not enough, steps are needed to make sure that they can go back safely and live there with respect. Otherwise, this crisis will not be resolved permanently. Myanmar has also recently signed a deal with the United Nations. But it is not enough.  The world community and the United Nations will have to take effective initiatives so that Myanmar repatriates its citizens as early as possible.



risingbd / Dhaka / Aug 27, 2018 / Ali Nowsher / Mukul