Region 
 

Region

From Pot to Fire

Bangladesh is relocating thousands of Rohingya refugees at a remote
island despite concerns about their safety and consent.

By Syed Zain Abbas Rizvi | January 2021

from-pot-to-fire

The world is facing many conflicts today amidst the array of disputes between countries. One such conflict is well-nurtured and has matured in Myanmar, bordering India and China in South Asia.

Despite not being a crisis involving multiple nations and high scale stakes, the Rohingya genocide stretching over centuries has claimed more lives in the name of ‘Ethnic Cleansing’. Bangladesh proved to be a beacon of hope, taking in the hapless Muslim refugees fleeing the atrocities inflicted by the Buddhist extremists yet, over the course of 3 decades, even Bangladesh has shown signs of frustration. There are over a million refugees. The basic resources have been continuously slimming in Kulupalang and Mayapara, forcing the BD government to take difficult measures.

Muslims have been deprived of basic human rights despite their constant plea for equality that has gone unheeded for the past 70 years even since the independence of Myanmar (formerly known as Burma). The government of Myanmar has denied any representation to the Muslim minority that stands currently at a million; they are not regarded as the legal and rightful citizens of the country despite their long lineage.

The prejudicial policies of the Myanmar government became more biased in the 1970s which involved the brutal murder of innocent Muslims, bestial raping sprees over helpless girls in the community and incineration of houses, with entire families burnt alive. Ultimately, fleeing was their inevitable doom.

Two major migrations have pinned the historical graph; one in 1978 and another 12 years later in 1990; the exodus collectively relocating close to 200,000 Rohingya inside the borders of Bangladesh, Thailand, India and Indonesia. The savage outlook of the Burmese Buddhists, however, has only picked up pace, refusing to recognise the minority as such and treating them as rebels. Rohingya were not spared in the census of 2014 nor in the general elections where a candidate from their community was rare; they were not even allowed to cast their votes.

This is evident from the re-election of Aung San Suu Kyi, leader of the notorious democratic party, for the second term as the prime minister of Myanmar despite her tainted reputation as a ruthless champion of ‘ethnic cleansing’.

from-pot-to-fire
The military of Myanmar which earned the title ‘Tatmadaw’ has carried out numerous ethnical cleaning excursions to date; the most highlighted event that shook the world into awareness was the religious violence of 2012 when close to 200 Rohingya were viciously dismembered to their deaths and close to 150,000 were displaced and rendered homeless.

The second term of Aung San Suu Kyi began with a whopping majority of 346 seats in the assembly, painting a bleak picture for the minorities as close to 1.5 million. They were outrightly denied the right to vote, including the Rohingya. Deeming herself as the advocate for minorities, her absolute denial of a genocide at the International Court of Justice, projected a petrifying future of Myanmar following her clear support to the inhuman military. Even China, a close ally of the state, especially the remote minorities, has been flustered at the sheer ignorance and brutality; its constant efforts for a mediation between Bangladesh and Myanmar have garnered no success and have been stalled. China has built up a reputation as a peacemaker in the region but there have been no political efforts for the betterment of the community.

Bangladesh still proves to be the foster home to many of the Rohingya community, the region of Cox Bazar still housing close to a million people: natives and refugees combined. However, their accommodation has been a long-lasting problem.

Recently, a group of about 1,500 Rohingya were sent aboard several navy ships to Bhasan Char, an island located about 120 miles south of Dhaka. The idea was first moved in the Bangladeshi parliament. However, it was quickly shot down due to the potential risk involved because of the inherent flood-prone nature of the island. Officials, however, deem the island as safe, saying: ‘This is a consensual relocation of about a fraction of the 1 million Rohingya (approximately 100,000) with investments close to $100 million on infrastructure development to safeguard their standard of living’.

Despite the projections, however, the the islanders have already claimed that they are denied of freedom of movement or speech and are rendered secluded and immobile by the government. Even reports of forcible evacuation of Cox Bazaar have been reported and verified by the on-ground workers. Although the UN has stressed many times that the relocation should be made only if the island is deemed safe and feasible, they have been ignored officially. What is a question for the country which stood as a saviour for such an extended time is that how is this move any different from the very genocide the innocent Rohingya escaped years ago.

Read More