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Rohingya Genocide: International Complicity in Burma’s Brutal Domestic Violence
By Dr. Nancy Hudson-Rodd – Australian Institute of International Affairs
The systematic oppression and denial of the rights of the Rohingya people is not limited to Burma. By ignoring the issue and even engaging financially in the region, Australia is essentially promoting this genocide.
On 19 April of this year, a packed boat carrying more than 60 Rohingya Muslim men, women and children capsized off Sittwe in Burma. At least 21 people, including nine children, died, with many still unaccounted for. These Rohingya are among the 1500 residents of Sin Tet Maw camp for the internally displaced. Denied land travel, they are forced to seek special authorisation to travel by dangerous sea route to Sittwe in order to purchase essential food and medicines.
More than 140,000 Rohingya are being held in apartheid-like camps since being forced from their homes in waves of violence in 2012. Janet Jackson, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Myanmar (20 April 2016) reported: This accident serves as a tragic reminder of the vulnerability that many communities and families face in this area of Rakhine where their only option is to use this mode of travel in order to access markets, livelihoods, and other basic services that are essential for a dignified life. There was no international condemnation of the government’s continued denial of Rohingya human right .
Myanmar is the longest running country mandate within the United Nations system of special procedures. The role of Special Rapporteur for the situation of human rights in Myanmar was created in 1992, due to egregious human rights abuses, especially the continued persecution of the Rohingya. Each year since, the UN Special Rapporteur has reported serious violations of human rights of Rohingya, denounced the regime’s failure to cooperate and take serious steps to end ongoing violations of international law. Each year the government denies these allegations, denies Rohingya citizenship, and continues to act with impunity.
Today, the genocide unfolds in Burma with complicit silence of Western donor nations. There is a long history of such bystander nations’ selective refusal to act. Global awareness of the prevalence of genocide and ethnic cleansing was heightened by the 1993–94 massacre in Rwanda where UN Force Commander-Lieutenant Romeo D’Allaire and a small band of UN peacekeepers were abandoned by the world’s major powers. D’Allaire’s calls to the UN for help were ignored, a failure of humanity to act.
Genocide was planned in Rwanda without secrecy, after months of careful preparation, still the international community held back assistance. The International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, foreign companies and countries continued to invest money into the economy, engaged in trade negotiations with the Rwanda authorities, contributing directly to the conditions that made the genocide possible.
In Burma a similar pattern of official denial and international silence concerning genocide committed by the Burmese government against Rohingya Muslims is currently unfolding. The World Bank, foreign direct investors, technical experts, and foreign governments are complicit in this denial and profit at the expense and survival of the Rohingya. The World Bank, Asia Development Bank, European Union, the UK and Japan increased aid and development support to Burma in 2014. Australia increased development assistance of $90 million in 2014–15. This aid does not reach the Rohingya, and humanitarian groups are denied full access.
