- Stars (0)
Rohingya Genocide Chronology
Prepared by : ZAW MIN HTUT — Published on 3 January 2020
Arakan has been inhabited by two major communities – the Rohingya who are predominantly Muslims and the Rakhine who are largely Buddhist. In the ancient time, Arakan was known by different names. Particularly the Rohingya called it Rohang while Rakhine named it Rakkahpura. The name Rohingya derives from the word Rohang, one of the old names of Arakan.
Arakan found itself at the crossroad of two worlds: South Asia and Southeast Asia, between Muslim Hindu-Asia and Buddhist Asia, and amidst Indo-Aryan and Mongoloid races. It had a diverse population of Buddhists, Muslims, Hindus and Christians living together peacefully. During its days as an independent kingdom until 1784, Arakan encompassed at times the Chittagong region in the southern part of today’s Bangladesh. Arakan kingdom had significant Muslim influence from early 14th century and played the phenomenal role of kingmakers.
Since Burma’s independence the Rohingya have been discriminated against. Particularly from 1962 military takeover, they have been persistently subjected to institutionalized persecution, crimes against humanity culminating in genocide. The UN has declared them as one of the most persecuted ethnic groups in the world.
The Rohingyas have become stateless within Burma and refugees or migrants beyond its border. Thus it becomes a regional problem with international dimension. It is important that the Rohingya problem must be resolved first and foremost within Burma. While still powerful military is an obstacle for solution, Aung San Suu Kyi’s NLD government must change its policy on Rohingyas, and it must respect and promote the human rights of Rohingya and treat them justly. For longer term solution, the Burmese government must repeal or amend the 1982 Citizenship Law to conform it to international standards. The political and democratic process in Burma must be all-inclusive and Rohingya should be a part of it. Last not the least, their rights and freedom must be ensured on par with other ethnic nationalities of the country without delay.
Due to the militarism in Myanmar for almost seven decades, tens of thousands of other ethnic minority people such as Kachin, Chin, Mon, Karen, Shan, etc, became refugees in the neighbouring countries and internally displaced in Myanmar. The country become one of the poorest in Asia.
