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No Safe Place for Rohingya in Burma
Dr Nancy Hudson-Rodd — Refugee and Migratory Movements Research Unit, Dhaka University.
When over 650,000 traumatised Rohingya fled into Bangladesh in just eight weeks to join another 200,000 Rohingya already living in camps in Bangladesh, the Government of Myanmar (GOM) denied all allegations of abuse and refused repeated requests by independent observers an entry to Rakhine State. Finally, the GOM in a carefully orchestrated show escorted 21 foreign diplomats, and representatives from UNRC, UNHCR, WFP, World Bank (Myanmar) and UNDOC to Northern Rakhine. The group urged the GOM to: “enable the voluntary, dignified and safe return to the hundreds of thousands of refugees to their places of origin; unimpeded humanitarian access to northern Rakhine; and resumption of life-saving services without discrimination throughout the state. As friends of Myanmar the group pledged to work with the Myanmar Government to help Rakhine reach its potential” (Diplomatic Group Statement, 3 October 2017). The United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) claimed that its long-term presence in Northern Rakhine State offered “unique and veritable assets and advantages leveraging long-term solutions including particularly, voluntary repatriation” (UNHCR, 20 September, 2017).
But what can Rohingya return to? They have been subjected to prolonged, institutionalised and systematic denial of identity and their rights for decades. Rohingya have been returned since 1978 under UNHCR guidance and faced starvation, increased persecution including rape, starvation, forced labour, forced relocation, loss of land, homes, restricted freedoms on their political, social, and civil rights (AI, 1997, Asia Watch, 7 May 1992; HRW, 2000; HRW 1 May 2000; UNHCR, 2013).
After four years of deliberation from 1988 to 1991, the mandate of Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations was established in March 1992. The creation of this first UN special procedure was motivated by the need to respond to the seriousness of the situation of human rights in Myanmar, the imposition of oppressive measures directed at minority groups, especially to find out what was contributing to the exodus of Rohingya to Bangladesh (UNHR, 1992).
Each year reports by the UN Special Rapporteurs detailing serious human rights violations by the Government of Myanmar (GOM) are denied by the GOM. Each year the GOM is urged to protect and respect the human rights of civilians. Each year the GOM denies all allegations and denies Rohingya their rights. How despite years of documentations of the continued persecution of Rohingya, now to the point of extermination has there been no international response to protect? At the 2005 UN World Summit, all member states endorsed the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) “aimed at preventing and halting genocide, War Crimes, Ethnic Cleansing, and Crimes Against Humanity”. The Global Centre for R2P repeatedly warns that “mass atrocity crimes are occurring and urgent action is needed. On 6 September 2017, the Myanmar representative to the UN responded to a question concerning allegations of atrocity crimes that the GOM perpetrated on the Rohingya, during a UN Global R2P discussion (6 September 2017).
Australia must dismantle its offshore asylum seeker policy, recognise the rights of Rohingya and all people seeking asylum, and ensure safety and protection in Australia. Australia must increase pressure on the GOM to dismantle state-led persecution of Rohingya and refer the situation to the International Criminal Court. It is imperative that Australia with other nations take concrete steps to end genocide, promote justice and accountability for those committing these crimes.
