Cleansing Rohingya in Myanmar fashion

Now the most challenging task before Bangladesh is to make Myanmar come back to the negotiating table

Whatever may be the grounds, either real or fabricated, no ethnic minority group can be targeted for a total extermination in the true definition of civilization and humanity. Extremely brazen brutalities committed against Rohingya entity in Myanmar are simply a gross violation of universal human rights and civilized norms and, therefore, can be defined as the most outrageous developments in recent history. Although the Rohingya issue is basically a case of racial hostilities between the ethnic Theraveda Buddhists and Rohingya Muslims, things took the turn for the worst when the ruthless bestialities were targeted against the Rohingyas right under the state sponsorship. Compelling proofs from the satellite pictures of June, 2012 ethnic violence collected by International State Crime Initiative (ISCI) of Queen Mary University of London clearly speak for the facts. In the latest wave of violence beginning from Aug. 25, Myanmar army, currently the most trigger-happy army of the world, went on a rampage following the doctrine of ‘scorched earth’. Myanmar army’s far too crazy use of force in its latest crackdown on the civilian population only reminds us Hitler’s Jewish cleansing in the Austchwitch gas chamber. The UN itself has already termed the Myanmar Army’s latest operations in Rakhaine as a ‘textbook example of ethnic cleansing’.  

The country’s overwhelming Buddhists people treat Rohingya Muslims as Bengali-speaking interlopers from Bangladesh. Is it really the case? No, the fact is different from the version given by the Myanmar authority if we follow history. Driven by enemies, the then Arakan king (now Rakhine) Saw Mon took refuge in the court of the then Bengal sultan Jalaluddin Muhammad Shah in the first part of the 15th century probably in 1402-1403 A.D and entered into his services. Later, the sultan helped Saw Mon regain the control over his kingdom. Arakan, then, became a vassal state under Bengal Sultanate. Then, the sultan of Bengal persuaded the king of Arakan to allow some Bengali Muslims to settle in Arakan. Thus began the first phase of migration of Bengalis mostly Muslims to Arakan.

Relevantly, migration is one of the inevitably legitimate processes of civilization and a strong catalyst in the evolution of new cultures. In fact, the records of history undisputedly suggest that the civilizations of the world right from the Neolithic Age up to the modern technology-based ones have been nourished and flourished through the random processes of migrations and interactions among myriad races. After the first phase, the second phase of migration took place during the British rule (1824-1948) in Myanmar. The then East India Company extended the Bengal Presidency up to the Arakan (Rakhine) and started bringing there thousands of Bengali Muslims to work in the farmlands. Being assimilated into the first generation of migrants, these Bengali-speaking illiterate and poor people started forging a unity among them centering round the common denominators of language and religion.

The ethnic Buddhists right from the beginning did not welcome the phenomenon of legitimate migrations from Bangladesh. When British rulers working as protective shield for migrators or Rohingya Muslims left the scene, Rohingyas’ conditions turned vulnerable soon. They were at once left in a state of hard struggle and direct confrontation with the ethnic Buddhists. Their struggle for survival went from hard to harder as historical chronicles and records supply evidences and proofs of several earlier cleansing attempts. After long decades of discriminations and abuses, Rohingyas were simply reduced to an underprivileged ethnic group downgraded in education, economy and enlightenment. Out of desperation and disillusionment, the already marginalized Rohingyas took the path of reprisals and resistance against the ethnic Buddhists.

The situation in Arakan turned explosive overnight with the declaration of New Citizenship Law in 1982 that deprived the Rohinga Muslims of citizenship and straightaway classified them as stateless Bengali Muslims from Bangladesh. What a crazy decision! Deprivation causes desperation. In the words of Suu Kyi prior to receiving Nobel Prize “When the long sufferings of a people are ignored, they are aggrieved and disaffected. To be kind is to respond with sensitivity and human warmth to the hopes and needs of others.” Has Suu Kyi in her incumbent capacity as state councilor or the De Facto Prime Minister responded to the minimum rights and needs of the Rohingyas? Yes, obviously Suu Kyi has responded to the Rohingyas’ cause but in a reverse fashion. What a shocking paradox and glaring self-contradiction in the Nobel laureate’s utterances! Instead of addressing Rohingyas’ rights, the voice of humanity while meeting Indian PM Modi categorically blamed the media for creating the ‘huge iceberg of misinformation’ and she added that army operations were directed against the terrorist groups. In fact, the whole Burmese nation, including the army, the majority Buddhists and even the members of Suu Kyi’s NLD, has virtually united against the Rohingyas. At this extreme point, the Myanmar army chief senior general Aung Min in a statement on Monday openly called for the nation to unite against the Rohingyas. After that, is there an iota of doubt left about the real intention of the ongoing military operations against the Rohingyas? According to some rights groups, more than 40% Rohingya villages has been torched and emptied. Thousands of Rohingyas have been killed and some 400,000 have fled their homes into Bangladesh. Only almighty knows what bigger figure of death and destruction will convince the human rights icon that Rohingyas are being annihilated as an ethnic people from history. In the latest spasm of violence, 350,000 displaced Rohingyas have crossed into Bangladesh to add to another 400,000 already living in Bangladesh since 2012.  

Bangladesh is doing quite a big humanitarian job by providing shelters to hundreds of thousands of displaced and shattered Rohingyas with her strictly limited resources. Hearteningly, the people of Bangladesh and the international community as well have quickly responded favourably to one of the biggest ever humanitarian disaster. Huge consignments of foreign aid packages have already started rushing in Bangladesh. Still, aids and alms are not the lasting solution to the decades-old Rohingya crisis.

Now, the most challenging task before Bangladesh is to make Myanmar come back to the negotiating table. For that, Bangladesh will have to go all out on a concerted diplomatic mission. The big plus for Bangladesh is that almost the entire globe supports Bangladesh stand on Myanmar issue. Even then, there are still three heavyweight countries like India, China and Russia who have already trumpeted their support in favour of Myanmar. So what? The indicator of barometer indicating global pressure invariably shows the rapidly increasing volume of pressure being mounted up on Myanmar. Today’s world is more cohesively connected one in favour of humanity. Here some stray countries will no longer be able to stand long against the mainstream of global consensus. Moreover, there is no last word in diplomacy. Even more, there is no permanent ally or enemy in diplomatic terminology. What are actually there includes nothing but permanent interests. Of course, India, China and Russia do have economic and geo-political interests with Myanmar. They do have far greater interests with countries supporting humanitarian cause of the Rohigyas. China did go against its confirmed ally Pakistan by signing the BRICS declaration declaring Jaise-E-Mohammad of Pakistan as a terrorist outfit. So, anything is possible through diplomacy.

Now, it is totally Bangladesh’s turn as to how delicately and brilliantly it will handle one of its most complicated bilateral issues pulling through its highest diplomatic genius while remaining unprovoked. Let us always hope for the best with patience.

The writer is Assistant Professor of English, Bogra Cantonment Public School &College. Email:[email protected]

 

Cleansing Rohingya in Myanmar fashion

Now the most challenging task before Bangladesh is to make Myanmar come back to the negotiating table

Whatever may be the grounds, either real or fabricated, no ethnic minority group can be targeted for a total extermination in the true definition of civilization and humanity. Extremely brazen brutalities committed against Rohingya entity in Myanmar are simply a gross violation of universal human rights and civilized norms and, therefore, can be defined as the most outrageous developments in recent history. Although the Rohingya issue is basically a case of racial hostilities between the ethnic Theraveda Buddhists and Rohingya Muslims, things took the turn for the worst when the ruthless bestialities were targeted against the Rohingyas right under the state sponsorship. Compelling proofs from the satellite pictures of June, 2012 ethnic violence collected by International State Crime Initiative (ISCI) of Queen Mary University of London clearly speak for the facts. In the latest wave of violence beginning from Aug. 25, Myanmar army, currently the most trigger-happy army of the world, went on a rampage following the doctrine of scorched earth. Myanmar armys far too crazy use of force in its latest crackdown on the civilian population only reminds us Hitlers Jewish cleansing in the Austchwitch gas chamber. The UN itself has already termed the Myanmar Armys latest operations in Rakhaine as a textbook example of ethnic cleansing. The countrys overwhelming Buddhists people treat Rohingya Muslims as Bengali-speaking interlopers from Bangladesh. Is it really the case? No, the fact is different from the version given by the Myanmar authority if we follow history. Driven by enemies, the then Arakan king (now Rakhine) Saw Mon took refuge in the court of the then Bengal sultan Jalaluddin Muhammad Shah in the first part of the 15th century probably in 1402-1403 A.D and entered into his services. Later, the sultan helped Saw Mon regain the control over his kingdom. Arakan, then, became a vassal state under Bengal Sultanate. Then, the sultan of Bengal persuaded the king of Arakan to allow some Bengali Muslims to settle in Arakan. Thus began the first phase of migration of Bengalis mostly Muslims to Arakan. Relevantly, migration is one of the inevitably legitimate processes of civilization and a strong catalyst in the evolution of new cultures. In fact, the records of history undisputedly suggest that the civilizations of the world right from the Neolithic Age up to the modern technology-based ones have been nourished and flourished through the random processes of migrations and interactions among myriad races. After the first phase, the second phase of migration took place during the British rule (1824-1948) in Myanmar. The then East India Company extended the Bengal Presidency up to the Arakan (Rakhine) and started bringing there thousands of Bengali Muslims to work in the farmlands. Being assimilated into the first generation of migrants, these Bengali-speaking illiterate and poor people started forging a unity among them centering round the common denominators of language and religion. The ethnic Buddhists right from the beginning did not welcome the phenomenon of legitimate migrations from Bangladesh. When British rulers working as protective shield for migrators or Rohingya Muslims left the scene, Rohingyas conditions turned vulnerable soon. They were at once left in a state of hard struggle and direct confrontation with the ethnic Buddhists. Their struggle for survival went from hard to harder as historical chronicles and records supply evidences and proofs of several earlier cleansing attempts. After long decades of discriminations and abuses, Rohingyas were simply reduced to an underprivileged ethnic group downgraded in education, economy and enlightenment. Out of desperation and disillusionment, the already marginalized Rohingyas took the path of reprisals and resistance against the ethnic Buddhists. The situation in Arakan turned explosive overnight with the declaration of New Citizenship Law in 1982 that deprived the Rohinga Muslims of citizenship and straightaway classified them as stateless Bengali Muslims from Bangladesh. What a crazy decision! Deprivation causes desperation. In the words of Suu Kyi prior to receiving Nobel Prize When the long sufferings of a people are ignored, they are aggrieved and disaffected. To be kind is to respond with sensitivity and human warmth to the hopes and needs of others. Has Suu Kyi in her incumbent capacity as state councilor or the De Facto Prime Minister responded to the minimum rights and needs of the Rohingyas? Yes, obviously Suu Kyi has responded to the Rohingyas cause but in a reverse fashion. What a shocking paradox and glaring self-contradiction in the Nobel laureates utterances! Instead of addressing Rohingyas rights, the voice of humanity while meeting Indian PM Modi categorically blamed the media for creating the huge iceberg of misinformation and she added that army operations were directed against the terrorist groups. In fact, the whole Burmese nation, including the army, the majority Buddhists and even the members of Suu Kyis NLD, has virtually united against the Rohingyas. At this extreme point, the Myanmar army chief senior general Aung Min in a statement on Monday openly called for the nation to unite against the Rohingyas. After that, is there an iota of doubt left about the real intention of the ongoing military operations against the Rohingyas? According to some rights groups, more than 40% Rohingya villages has been torched and emptied. Thousands of Rohingyas have been killed and some 400,000 have fled their homes into Bangladesh. Only almighty knows what bigger figure of death and destruction will convince the human rights icon that Rohingyas are being annihilated as an ethnic people from history. In the latest spasm of violence, 350,000 displaced Rohingyas have crossed into Bangladesh to add to another 400,000 already living in Bangladesh since 2012. Bangladesh is doing quite a big humanitarian job by providing shelters to hundreds of thousands of displaced and shattered Rohingyas with her strictly limited resources. Hearteningly, the people of Bangladesh and the international community as well have quickly responded favourably to one of the biggest ever humanitarian disaster. Huge consignments of foreign aid packages have already started rushing in Bangladesh. Still, aids and alms are not the lasting solution to the decades-old Rohingya crisis. Now, the most challenging task before Bangladesh is to make Myanmar come back to the negotiating table. For that, Bangladesh will have to go all out on a concerted diplomatic mission. The big plus for Bangladesh is that almost the entire globe supports Bangladesh stand on Myanmar issue. Even then, there are still three heavyweight countries like India, China and Russia who have already trumpeted their support in favour of Myanmar. So what? The indicator of barometer indicating global pressure invariably shows the rapidly increasing volume of pressure being mounted up on Myanmar. Todays world is more cohesively connected one in favour of humanity. Here some stray countries will no longer be able to stand long against the mainstream of global consensus. Moreover, there is no last word in diplomacy. Even more, there is no permanent ally or enemy in diplomatic terminology. What are actually there includes nothing but permanent interests. Of course, India, China and Russia do have economic and geo-political interests with Myanmar. They do have far greater interests with countries supporting humanitarian cause of the Rohigyas. China did go against its confirmed ally Pakistan by signing the BRICS declaration declaring Jaise-E-Mohammad of Pakistan as a terrorist outfit. So, anything is possible through diplomacy. Now, it is totally Bangladeshs turn as to how delicately and brilliantly it will handle one of its most complicated bilateral issues pulling through its highest diplomatic genius while remaining unprovoked. Let us always hope for the best with patience. The writer is Assistant Professor of English, Bogra Cantonment Public School College. Email:[email protected]