Junta pursuing flawed policy on Rohingya

It may have been just a choice of word for the junta in Bangkok. But the decision to give in to Myanmar’s request to refer to the Rohingya as “Bengali” paints Thailand in a very negative light in the eyes of the world community.
For a society and a nation that cares so much about face, Bangkok must have been sleeping not to notice that pretty much the entire world has been coming down hard on Myanmar because of the atrocities committed against the Rohingya, whose citizenship has been revoked by the Myanmar generals. 
Besides making them stateless, the Myanmar leaders have also turned a blind eye  – even providing tactical assistance – as Buddhist vigilantes take matters into their own hands to burn down the homes of the Rohingya, forcing them to run for their lives. Many institutions around the world, including the United Nations, consider the Rohingya the world’s most oppressed people. 
By refusing to acknowledge them for who they are, Thailand has placed itself on the wrong side of history. Our standing has been tarnished because of this act, even though the generals may have thought that the move was insignificant. Sadly, they fail to see the significance of this action and how this has helped legitimise Myanmar’s lies and horrendous actions.
The announcement was made during the recent visit by Myanmar’s army chief General Min Aung Hlaing, who also secured a commitment from Thailand that Bangkok will not criticise the ongoing human rights abuses against the Rohingya.
It is not a surprise that when it comes to such an important matter, Min Aung Hlaing takes the matter into his hands. After all, he controls the country – not State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, who has become an embarrassment for the world community that had supported her during her days under house arrest. The world has been hoping that she would speak up or take action to help the Rohingya. 
But instead, the “Lady” has sided with the generals whose army has a long history of abuses and atrocities against civilians, especially the ethnic minorities. 
Rape has been used as a war weapon against groups such as the Shan, Karen, and Mon. Have we forgotten the “Licence to Rape” report by the Shan Women Action Network? Their claims have been substantiated by members of the international community.
The latest move could also create friction between Thailand and Malaysia and Indonesia, perhaps the only two Asean members who have been actively engaging with the crisis. 
As expected, Myanmar has been playing up the attacks by the Rohingya militant group. But Myanmar should take responsibility for the current scenario. 
Considering the fact that Burma has more than a dozen armed ethnic groups fighting for independence or autonomy, one wondered why the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army took so long to surface to take up arms against Myanmar.
Myanmar and the world can’t say that they did not see this day coming. They only have to look at how the Rohingya have been treated by the state and the general Buddhist public in the country where hardly anybody, not even monks, sympathises with their plight. 
If we are not careful, this atrocity against the Rohingya could split Asean. Asean’s cherished longstanding policy of non-interference is meaningless because Myanmar’s atrocities against the Rohingya affect everybody. Not only have they been forced the minority group to travel the high seas and risk their lives, it also has turned the spotlight on the Asean region, and the values the people here espouse. As it stands, there isn’t much to be proud of.