Rohingya issue needs UN intervention
Clashes between the Myanmar army and Rohingya militants in Rakhine State in northern Myanmar has led to a huge number of deaths. Several Malaysian non-governmental organisations and Rohingya refugees gathered at three locations in Kuala Lumpur to stage protests, accusing the Myanmar army of ignoring human lives.
The thousands of protesters not only caused a massive traffic jam in Kuala Lumpur but also brought to the public attention the plight of the Rohingya.
The Myanmar government and the Rohingya blame each other for the clashes. Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy accused the Rohingya militants of torching residential homes and using child soldiers to initiate bloody attacks. However, the Rohingya denied by counter-claiming that the Myanmar government had teamed up with extremists from Rakhine state to attack and burn down homes of the Rohingya.
The clash between the Rohingya and the Myanmar government has taken a turn for the worse. Last October, Myanmar authorities sent military troops to suppress the minority group, forcing many of them to flee in what was termed as “genocide” by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
With the situation turning for the worse, the Rohingya are in dire straits. The problem should no longer prolong indefinitely and the international community needs to extend a helping hand on humanitarian grounds.
More than 1 million Rohinya have settled down in Rakhine state for years but the Myanmar government does not recognise their status as citizens. It imposes all sorts of constraints and suppresses them. Nobel Peace Prize recipient Suu Kyi was expected to play an important role in resolving the conflict after she came to power. But that so far has not been the case.
Issues related to the Rohingya revolve around ethnicity, religion as well as political factors. Since the Myanmar authorities have a firm stand on these issues and remain hostile to them, it would be tough for both sides to initiate a rational discussion to resolve the conflict amicably. Attacks by Rohingya militants have only started a vicious cycle of violence.
As of now, it is impossible for Myanmar authorities to handle the Rohingya issue in a fair and peaceful manner. If the authorities continue to resort to suppression, this will only bring about more retaliation from the Rohingya, leading to a spiral of violence.
The United Nations or Asean should play a proactive role in resolving the clash between the Rohingya and Myanmar, including dealing with the legal status of Rohingya as citizens of Myanmar. Without international intervention, the Rohingya are unlikely to see any ray of light at the end of the tunnel. Letting the Rohingya issue continue to worsen will not fulfil the national interests of Myanmar. It will ultimately affect Myanmar’s internal stability and hinder national development.
Judging from another point of view, the Rohingya crisis is a challenge to preserving human rights and civilisation. The international community should step forward and assist Myanmar in resolving this conflict that is getting out of hand.
