Myanmar: A land of refugees does not meet definition of democracy

The military has ideological support from racist Buddhist monks and Aung San Suu Kyi. There are now over 1 million Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, many having fled earlier purges in Rakhine state, most recently last autumn and in 2012. The stories of the refugees are so terrible that there is no question that this is also a genocide, although major parties such as the US and the EU refuse to describe it as such, since this would convey upon them a responsibility to act.
Nonetheless, the international community does recognise that one million refugees is untenable and that they must be allowed to go home. There is great pressure being imposed on Myanmar’s leaders to permit this, and which will continue when US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson visits the country tomorrow.
All elements of the anti-Rohingya racist alliance – the military, Suu Kyi and the monks – want to prevent repatriation. At the same time, they are systematically seizing and re-zoning Rohingya land, as they have already stolen their crops and livestock. The Rohingya may someday be able to return, but if the regime has its way this will only be to new concentration camps.
But recognising the inevitability of repatriation, the Myanmar regime is organising a plan with many different hurdles, to the number of returnees. Refugees must present what for many, if not most, will be non-existent documentation. (Children are the largest group – they have no papers.) Anyone let in will be issued the despised NVC identification, which explicitly states that they are not citizens. (Repatriation therefore must be accompanied by the granting of citizenship.) And finally, the regime will resist the demand to provide a safe environment, meaning protection of Rohingya from additional attacks by regime soldiers, police, and Rakhine racists – which necessitates the presence of international peacekeepers.
In summary, repatriation will happen, but we are a long way from Myanmar agreeing to take everyone back, with citizenship, and to an environment free of repression.
It is not enough to allow only the most recent Rohingya refugees the right to return. This should be extended to the entire Rohingya exodus – as well as other ethnic refugee populations, such as the Karen, Shan and Kachin. If the world is going to address the problem of refugees from Myanmar (how can a country that is a “democracy” even have them?) it should broaden the discussion, and action, to everyone.
 Roland Watson
(Dictatorwatch.org)