Editorial
Time and again, human rights activists have been expressing concerns that Dhaka will force Rohingyas to go back to Arakan under Myanmar’s supervision. At this moment, this seems very unlikely. Myanmar has made it extraordinarily clear that Rohingya Muslims going back will not settle in their old homes destroyed by the Tatmadaw. The receiving centres set by the authorities bear an eerie resemblance to concentration camps, where those Rohingyas going back will have to spent the rest of their lives.
An uproar was caused a week back when Naypyidaw declared Dhaka will replace the words ‘forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals’ with ‘displaced persons from Rakhine state’. The statement is interesting from many angles. For one, few noticed that the declaration was made only from Naypyidaw. It is being assumed that whatever Naypyidaw says, Dhaka will follow. A few Rohingya activists have the tendency to think along the same line. The Daily Star, Bangladesh’s highest circulated newspaper led the way with an article published on August 17.
So it was a pleasant surprise (!) when the delegation told the Bangladesh media that the words on the id cards will remain the same.
The delegation has also confirmed that Rohingyas will not be returned as stateless people. According to a top Bangladesh official back from the Arakan, “We cannot just push back the Rohingyas as stateless people or in any uncertain environment like in the past. This time, Bangladesh with support from the UN and other international agencies want to repatriate the Rohingyas only after a conducive atmosphere is created so that the similar exodus from Rakhine never takes place.”
The wording as proposed by Myanmar makes clear that the persons have not been forcibly displaced. Despite overwhelming evidence, Myanmar is trying to force their way into arguing that human rights violations including the cold blooded killing of innocent civilians including women and children did not take place. Naypyidaw wants Dhaka to accept this line. Fortunately that has not happened.
Also the wording clearly indicates the Rohingyas are not Myanmar nationals. The word Rohingya has never been used by Myanmar, instead the government and the people of Myanmar, refers to Rohingyas as ‘Bengalis’. One can hope that Dhaka has noted that by saying the Rohingyas are not displaced Myanmar nationals, Myanmar is insisting the Rohingyas are immigrants who can one day again be pushed out from Myanmar. That psuh back is likely to be in the same pattern i.e. unchecked violence by a fully armed military machine against a defenseless civilian population.
As such, Dhaka has made it very clear that they want a permanent solution in working with the UN and other international agencies in wanting to “repatriate the Rohingyas only after a conducive atmosphere is created so that the similar exodus from Rakhine never takes place.” Rohingya activists from all corners of the world should be encouraged by the very clear message given by Dhaka and lay aside the fears of forced repatriation. They should also unite against some unscrupulous organisations trying to discredit Dhaka and drive a wedge between the Bengali and the Rohingya, while offering a face saving solution to the Generals of Myanmar and Aung San Suu Kyi, the very people who presided over one of the most heinous acts of genocide in the 21st century.
