Rohingya repatriation and the reality
Any progress
will only be possible when leading regional superpowers unite
to compel Myanmar to act
On 25 August, Rohingya refugees residing at the camps in Coxs Bazaar staged a mass demonstration demanding to go back to their homeland, which they hurriedly left in the wake of a savage crackdown by the Myanmar army last August. On the one year mark, the reality may seem unpalatable to many and, not without reason. Its been one year, and the Rohingya issue is caught in an impasse. Despite the signing of a treaty with Myanmar last November, the picture on the ground is dismal. Scores of people are still in Bangladesh, living in the camps with no certainty as to when they can go back to their homes and livelihoods.
In such a state, its natural for the refugees to lose patience and protest, though before sending back anyone hastily, the real picture has to be taken into account with its countless complexities. Firstly, repatriation cannot happen unless there is unequivocal promise from Myanmar that the people going back will be permitted to lead a free life without fear of mistreatment, either by the army or the Buddhist zealots. While Myanmar signed the treaty for a return, they have not specified the conditions which await the Rohingyas who want to go back. Secondly, the Rohingyas want their ethnic identity recognized an issue on which Myanmar has persistently remained silent. If the returnees are not acknowledged as valid citizens of the country, chances are high they will fall into the vortex of prejudice and denigration.
The protesting people have alleged that Bangladesh and Myanmar is locked in a blame game though it seems that while Myanmar agrees to repatriation when there is a dialogue, on the field, they stubbornly adopt a different strategy, thus impeding any tangible progress. Also, the UN are still not satisfied if the conditions in Rakhaine State, razed to the ground by Myanamr army, are favourable for the people to return. Time and again, Burmese authorities have vacillated in allowing a full transparent visit to the area by UN to gather information about socio-political conditions plus the current ethos.
The current zeitgeist of the region, where Buddhist radicals also unleashed brutality on the Rohingyas, is important because Rohingyas cannot go back to a place where simmering hatred may erupt any time in the future. Safe to say, unless embargoes are imposed on Myanmar, the issue will be locked in recriminations and superfluous rhetoric. Any progress will only be possible when leading regional superpowers unite to compel Myanmar to act on their rhetoric.
