Bangladesh: The Rohingya influx and the aftermath
The recent atrocities can be described as a decisive step of Myanmar government to vacate the area so far inhabited by the Rohingyas once forever
Professor Dr. Khurshida Begum
Southeastern region of Bangladesh adjacent to Myanmar and India seems to be the most complex geo-political landscape so far as the cross-border movement of the people of different ethnicities of south and South-East Asia are concerned. Any such movements, in recent history, when ended in final migration and complete settlement of a particular ethnic people in the modern sovereign state, rigidly demarcated today by international borderlines, have evolved a new ethno-political composition of the population of the host countries. This composition is often found to have borne critical blights on the socio- cultural-economic and political developments of the countries concerned.
Present Rohingya problem is rooted in such a development in Myanmar affecting the national interest of neighboring Bangladesh in all the worst possible ways.
Myanmar government has taken a policy to push the huge number of its Rohingya people beyond Myanmar border towards Bangladesh to solve its internal problems relating to ethnic conflict and space for economic development.
Forced Rohingya migration: A brief historical account The Rohingya Muslims migrated to Arakan and have been living there for centuries in the past. When the Buddhist Burmese came from the southern part of the country and conquered Arakan by the end of the 18th Century there was an outbreak of serious ethnic violence. Thousands of the Rohingyas fled in Bengal. By 1826 when Arakan came under British control, the Rohingyas returned Arakan. At that time the Bengalis, reputed farmers of the region, were encouraged by the British to move there for agricultural purposes. But during world war II when Japan advanced in this south-eastern part, the British left Arakan which opened a scope for Buddhist-Muslim riots and lynching. At that time there was another Rohingya influx in Bengal due to Japanese persecution of the Rohingyas for their attachment with the Allied Powers by 1945.
This ethno-religious conflict took a new turn by the end of the Second World War in 1945 when the Two-Nation theory of Mr. Jinnah became popular among the Muslims of the Indian subcontinent to create Pakistan, a state, exclusively for the Muslims of India. Being encouraged by this absurd theory the Rohingya Muslims moved for the inclusion of the Muslim majority parts of the northern Rakhaine state with East Bengal of Pakistan. It can be assumed that this separatist attempt was followed by repercussions in the governmental decisions of Burma to deny Burmese citizenship for the Rohingya Muslims. When General Ne win captured power through a coup dtat in 1962, the military government dealt harshly with the Rohingyas. Rohingyas were officially described as Stateless Bengalis., Hatred, merciless killings, rape, burning, conflict with the Buddhist Monks drove the Rohingyas again into Bangladesh. The recent waves of such major influxes are, approximately, 250,000 in 1978, again 2,50,000 in 1991-92, recently by October, 2017 there was not less than 8,00,000 Rohingyas.
As it is observed, this is a decisive step of Myanmar government to vacate the area so far inhabited by the Rohingyas once forever.
In the midst of this ethno-religio-political clouds Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) was formed in 2013 which is also known as Harakh al-Yagin (Faith Movement in English). Since its inception there are sporadic attacks and counter attacks by the ARSA and Tatmadaw (Myanmar Armed Forces). Myanmar government argues that the military actions have been taken to combat these terrorists attack on their armed forces.
This internal problem of Myanmar have posed a serious threat to the national interest of Bangladesh.
Nature of Rohingya Problem
In the light of the above discussion,-
(a) This is a long standing ethno-religious conflict between the Burmese Buddhists and Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar.
(b) This is a conflict related to migration of the Rohingyas and their settlement in Myanmar which was disliked by the local Burmese for their socio-economic political interests.
(c) Myanmar has wilfully connected Rohingya migration and their settlement there long before since 8th century with some Bengali migration of 19th century to Burma now propagating the Rohingyas as stateless Bengalis.
(d) This is the legacy of the British colonists Divide and Rule policy in India which was resulted in the idea of a separate state for the Muslims which also inspired the Rohingya Muslims for Arakan-separatism.
(e) The problem is an outcome of the Myanmar Military Rulers policy to deny citizenship to their general Rohingya people instead of taking actions against those few Rohingyas who moved for separatism
(f) This case proves the failure of the Myanmar politicians including Aung San Su Kyi, the Noble Laureate for peace to realise peace in Myanmar.
(g) Reaction to this problem in the international sphere is found multi-dimensional (i) world public opinion and human rights organizations and the like others are against the brutalities, (ii) all the states are found very much calculative so far as their National Interests are concerned;
(h) U.N position is and its strength for remedy is not beyond question as the super powers (particularly the permanent members of the UN) decision is not straight forward as expected for a humanitarian cause.
In this circumstances the shattered national interests of Bangladesh can be noted at a glance:
(1) Bangladesh is an over populated underdeveloped country with meagre resources. It is beyond its capacity to accommodate millions of foreign nationals for an uncertain period .
(2) Those children who have taken birth and going to take birth in Bangladesh what would be their nationality and citizenship.
(3) Uncontrolled population boom is there among the Rohingyas. In that case what would be the number of the Rohingya population in Bangladesh after 5-10-20 years?
(4) Most of these people, as observed, are illiterate, unskilled and backward. Why Bangladesh would spend money for their upgradation instead of its own citizens? It is the responsibility of Myanmar.
(5) Health hazard is rampant, many Rohingyas are HYV or Hepatitis B patients. How Bangladesh would check contamination and spread of those dangerous diseases in the mainstream populations in near future.
(6) The number of the Rohingyas as reported, has already exceeded the number of the locals of Coxs Bazar.
(7) There is possibility of ethnic violence. Reports of Bengali-Rohingya violence is already there, causing death of Bengali citizens.
(8) As for public opinion in Bangladesh the people are against Rohingya rehabilitation here permanently. People of Bangladesh, as observed, want Myanmar government to stop genocide and torture and their safe return to Rakhain.
(9) The Daily Jugantar reports that the Rohingyas are already rehabilitated in an area of 4,500 acre. More than 10 lac Rohingyas are now living in Ukhia and Tekhnaf of Coxs Bazar.
(10) These people are consuming the forest woods, every day 500 met. tons, to meet their demands for fuel. Within 45 days (August 25- October 20, 2017) the loss in this sector of forest resources is Tk. 150,000,00 (One-fifty crore) as reported by the Daily Jugantar (24.10.2017)
(11) Prices for general commodities and transport cost etc. have already become double causing further sufferings of the people of Bangladesh in their daily lives.
(12) The Rohingya influx in Coxs Bazar will definitely disrupt the present and future of tourism, a promising sector at national income.
(13) In arranging shelter and sanitation and managing food, water and medicine the painful external dependence of Bangladesh would be more than ever.
(14) Many of these the people are engaged in drug smuggling.
(15) No attempt would help stop Rohingyas to spread over different areas in Bangladesh bearing negative impacts on its society, culture, economy and politics.
(16) It is suspected that the fundamentalists are already active among the Rohingyas to catch fish in the troubled water.
(17) In sphere of Bangladesh politics the issue has already been taken by the opposition to discredit the seating alliance in power. Myanmar would reap the benefit of such political blame-game. This would definitely influence the forthcoming parliamentary election of Bangladesh.
(18) Rohingya influx is a further addition to the already existing problem of Chittagong Hill Tracts where near about 10-14 small ethnic peoples like Chakma, Tanchangya, Marma, Triphura were driven out and migrated to Bangladesh mostly from Arakan, Burma more or less, about two-there hundred years before and unrest, chaos, blood shed are regular features here These small ethnic migrant citizens of Bangladesh, unfortunately, have been claiming the land of CHT,termed by them as Jammu Land with their full authority which threats the territorial integrity of Bangladesh.
Like wise some day the Rohingyas may raise claim for a land here with their full authority if the Rohingyas are not repatriated to Myanmar or elsewhere immediately. Bangladesh must not forget Arakan separatism of 1940s and consequent Myanmar governments reaction upto these days.
It is the irony that National Interests do not abide by any ethics and the wonderful principles as declared in the constitution of all the states. This is the harsh reality the humanity has been experiencing all through.
Bangladesh under the leadership of Sheikh Hasina has proved the sagacity to stand by the oppressed Rohingyas of Myanmar. The people of Bangladesh, who are poor themselves, have provided food, shelter etc. to these suffering people. But this generosity can never be taken as a sacrifice of their national interests. Right at the moment Public Eye in Bangladesh must be sharp and Public Opinion, decisive to protect the interests of their motherland achieved in blood and cry flowing from all the corners of the land in 1971.
The writer is an Information Commissioner of Information Commission Bangladesh
