A year ago the Burmese government/army led a pogrom against the Rohingyas. Who are the Rohingyas? For those who are still willingly or unwillingly in the dark: The Rohingya is an ethnic group who has been living for centuries in the state of Myanmar formerly known as Burma. There are about 1.1 million Rohingya living on the south East Asian country. The gross majority of the Rohingyas are Muslims.
The Rohingyas speak Ruaingya a language which is distinct from the other languages of dialects spoken in the Myanmar. In Myanmar the majority of the population is Buddhist. The Buddhists have been repressive towards the other minorities including Christians. All basic rights and amenities have been denied by the Myanmar’s government.
The Rohingya are stateless because since 1982 they have been denied citizenship. The Rohingya live mainly in the western coastal state of Rakhine. They are not allowed to move meters from their camps without the leave of the ruthless Burmese army.
Last Monday, 27th of August 2018, the United Nations Human Rights Council released a new report calling the utmost violence against the Rohingyas as genocide.
The genocide led to around 671,500 Rohingya Muslims to flee Myanmar and sought refuge in Bangladesh where they are living in squalid and dire conditions.
The report found conclusive evidence that:
- The Myanmar’s armed forces committed war crimes;
- The Myanmar’s army committed crimes against humanity;
- The Myanmar’s Commander in Chief, Ming Aung Hlaing should be prosecuted;
- The army and the security forces had indeed engaged in mass killings;
- The army and the security forces had committed gang rapes;
- The army and the security forces had “genocidal intent”;
- The UN Security Council should refer the Commander in Chief and five other well known Generals to the International Court in the Hague or to ad hoc International Criminal Tribunal;
- The Nobel Peace prize Laureate Mrs Aung Saan Suu Kyi contributed to the atrocities through “acts and omissions”.
The key question now is whether the Security Council will act with a sense of urgency or shirk from its responsibility? Or will a superpower use its vital veto?
Other enlightening questions:
Will Myanmar accept the criticism?
Will Myanmar stop its belligerent attitude towards the international community?
Will Myanmar continue with its policies of isolation?
Will Myanmar remove from office the perpetrators of mass crimes?
What will the United Nations do to protect the 1.1 million Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh?
And what “protections” will be afforded to the 600,000 Rohingya presently living in fear in Myanmar?
Or will the boomerang effect of the inactions of the world community kill more Rohingyas?
We are duty bound not to remain passive.
Please petition in your own words the General Secretary of United Nations. Please a few words for Rohingyas can save lives.
Rama Valayden
