Photo: The Associated Press
Over a month ago, when the helpless, poor, starving and sick Rohingya migrants were being pushed out off the coast of Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia, the story of Rohingya migrants came into limelight, yet again. But by then, all most did was to give a deaf ear and a blind eye to the suffering people, until situation took a worst turn and the fear of a massive humanitarian crisis began haunting the authorities, leading the UN to intervene.
Tedious and heckled by the violence in Myanmar and poverty in Bangladesh, scores of Rohingya people have fled the two nations via sea to seek refugees in Malaysia, a country that already hosts a considerable Rohingya population, Thailand and Indonesia. But as these boats turned up on their shores, all they had to accost was their boats getting pushed back into the sea.
However, though the plight of Rohingya migrants has caught up media attention and regular updates are following, in reality, many are not even aware about the issue and often wonder who Rohingya’s are and why on this planet are they in such pitiable conditions.
Rohingyas are a Muslim minority, living in Rakhine state of Burma, Myanmar. Though it isn’t sure from when exactly they have settled there, it is quite a fact that Burma has the largest Rohingya population – as huge as 1.3 million. However, to much startle, the community has long remained away from recognition in Myanmar, though the facts about their numbers are pretty evident.
Away from facts and figures, what really changed the scenario for the Rohingyas in Burma was the deadly riot that erupted in 2012, between the Buddhists and Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine, following some dispute between the two groups, taking away over 70 lives and injuring several others. And since then, things have only got complicated, as several reports, documentaries and articles indicate.
In 2015, as the migrants began fleeing from Myanmar and Bangladesh, following persecution and poverty respectively, the tale and grotesque reality of Rohingyas got back into the public domain. After initial refusals and much pressure from the UN, Indonesia agreed to accommodate some migrants and so did Malaysia and Thailand. Also, the US and Philippines graciously offered help for the migrants.
However, that isn’t enough. Both, Myanmar and Bangladesh need to step into this now, and work with other nations towards a solution for the migrants, altruistically. Simply shirking off or not letting the migrants flee the countries won’t help and will only escalate the issue further. The more it is ignored the more it will worsen.
Tags: Rohingya migrants
