Failure to protect Rohingya opens the door to terrorists
Last year, when the brutality against the Rohingya people was on the front page, scenes of their suffering reminded me powerfully of the book “Exodus”, by Leon Uris.
“Exodus”, later made into a film starring Paul Newman, tells the story of the founding of the state of Israel. After World War II the number of refugees was higher than it had ever been, only rivalled by current statistics. Having suffered attempted annihilation in the Holocaust, Jewish people armed themselves, took to boats, stood tall, and battled to get to Israel and make a home there.
Now, the Rohingya people need to do the same. They cannot let a far more powerful force simply annihilate them. They need to protect themselves, to organise, and, yes, arm themselves. And I will wait for the inspirational book about their noble defence to come later.
Others may well rise to the occasion and come to their defence. But unless the Rohingya are treated fairly, it will be the Islamic State or other jihadist terrorists who will volunteer to help.
John Kane
Bangkok
