Address root causes of Rohingya crisis

ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR), the collective of regional lawmakers, reiterated its call for leaders of the bloc to urgently address the root causes of the crisis, which have already driven hundreds of thousands of Rohingyas to flee Myanmar, also a member of the bloc. The root cause of the present problem is denying citizenship of Rohingyas by the citizenship law of 1982 by then military government of Myanmar, but Rohingyas lived in this country for centuries.

According to a report of this newspaper yesterday, the observations and call from the ASEAN lawmakers dealing with human rights came against the background of arrivals of boats carrying Rohingyas from Myanmar to ASEAN countries. The arrival in Malaysia and Indonesia of boats carrying Rohingya refugees from Myanmar is a worrying potential signal of further regional repercussions of ongoing persecution in Rakhine State.

Thousands of Rohingyas have been passing their days and nights as stateless citizens in Bangladesh. Becoming victims of brutal persecution in Myanmar, these hapless Rohingyas came to Bangladesh. They are living in Cox’s Bazar in appalling conditions. Most of these refugees are victims of utter violation of human rights in their native land. The refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar are crowded with Rohingyas.

Absence of sufficient food, shelter and medical care has made their lives miserable. What good can they expect in a foreign land when they are unwanted in their native land? For survival, many Rohingyas have become involved in criminal activities, creating additional problems for the government of Bangladesh.

It is an obligation for the Myanmar government to accept the Rohingyas as its citizens and ensure their rights in their native soil. But the Myanmar government’s role on this vital issue has surprised the world community. Due to its controversial stand, Myanmar government has become isolated in the international community.

Being an overpopulated country Bangladesh cannot take the responsibility of the Rohingyas for a long time as it has many more own problems to address. Under the circumstances, it is the responsibility of the Myanmar government to take back all the Rohingyas immediately and create a congenial environment so that in future no Rohingya needs to enter Bangladesh.

It is imperative for the regional governments to take additional measures to protect refugees and help resolve the conditions contributing to their decisions to flee.

 

Address root causes of Rohingya crisis

ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR), the collective of regional lawmakers, reiterated its call for leaders of the bloc to urgently address the root causes of the crisis, which have already driven hundreds of thousands of Rohingyas to flee Myanmar, also a member of the bloc. The root cause of the present problem is denying citizenship of Rohingyas by the citizenship law of 1982 by then military government of Myanmar, but Rohingyas lived in this country for centuries. According to a report of this newspaper yesterday, the observations and call from the ASEAN lawmakers dealing with human rights came against the background of arrivals of boats carrying Rohingyas from Myanmar to ASEAN countries. The arrival in Malaysia and Indonesia of boats carrying Rohingya refugees from Myanmar is a worrying potential signal of further regional repercussions of ongoing persecution in Rakhine State. Thousands of Rohingyas have been passing their days and nights as stateless citizens in Bangladesh. Becoming victims of brutal persecution in Myanmar, these hapless Rohingyas came to Bangladesh. They are living in Coxs Bazar in appalling conditions. Most of these refugees are victims of utter violation of human rights in their native land. The refugee camps in Coxs Bazar are crowded with Rohingyas. Absence of sufficient food, shelter and medical care has made their lives miserable. What good can they expect in a foreign land when they are unwanted in their native land? For survival, many Rohingyas have become involved in criminal activities, creating additional problems for the government of Bangladesh. It is an obligation for the Myanmar government to accept the Rohingyas as its citizens and ensure their rights in their native soil. But the Myanmar governments role on this vital issue has surprised the world community. Due to its controversial stand, Myanmar government has become isolated in the international community. Being an overpopulated country Bangladesh cannot take the responsibility of the Rohingyas for a long time as it has many more own problems to address. Under the circumstances, it is the responsibility of the Myanmar government to take back all the Rohingyas immediately and create a congenial environment so that in future no Rohingya needs to enter Bangladesh. It is imperative for the regional governments to take additional measures to protect refugees and help resolve the conditions contributing to their decisions to flee.