If Syria and Yemen weren’t enough to illustrate the depressing state that global humanitarianism finds itself in today, look no further than Myanmar.
A year after a comprehensive report was published by the London-based International State Crime Initiative, suggesting the nation’s long-oppressed Rohingya “face the final stages of genocide,” and 6 months into human rights icon Aung San Suu Kyi’s de-facto leadership, the minority ethnic group finds itself, yet again, under siege.
Yet beyond harsh words, calls for an independent investigation, and crossed fingers for a convicted Suu Kyi intervention, the international community has been frustratingly helpless—and useless. Human rights observers, humanitarian aid, and journalists have all been barred by the government from entering Rakhine state—where the violence has been taking place—while in May, Suu Kyi asked for “enough space” to address the Rohingya’s plight.
But the clock is ticking ever faster. Last month, the Burmese army launched a large counter operation in Rakhine after officials accused a militant Rohingya group for the deaths of nine border guards. And since, satellite images released by Human Rights Watch show that over 1,200 of their homes had been razed, over 100 have been killed, according to activist groups, women have been systematically raped, and thousands more have been displaced. The government denies the severity of the allegations.
The fresh reports of conflict compounds the historic atrocities the Muslim ethnic group have faced. Facing religious persecution, economic exclusion, and unrecognized by successive government’s—including Suu Kyi’s—various attempts to flee have seen hundreds drown at sea, and thousands rendered homeless.
How much more space can be given? It’s clear Suu Kyi’s hands are tied. Acting, or even speaking out, against the injustices pits Myanmar’s state counselor against the military, who she must win-over in their fragile power-share. Meanwhile the electorate, and the nation’s influential Buddhist monk-hood, hold strong nationalist—and anti-Muslim—beliefs. And upsetting Myanmar’s fragile state of politics, risks destabilizing her National League for Democracy (NLD) party’s priority of economic development. Moreover, Suu Kyi has little control over what the military does.
But the Nobel Prize winner’s silent expedience (Suu Kyi considers herself primarily a politician, not an activist) is outrageously Machiavellian, and inexcusable, given the nature of warnings emanating from her country. Surely this wasn’t the vision of democracy she sacrificed decades of her life for?
And what more can be said of a international humanitarian system that vowed ‘never again’ after Rwanda, Bosnia, Syria, and Yemen, particularly in the week a UN refugee agency representative in neighboring Bangladesh—where the Rohingya have been fleeing to—said the Burmese government’s ultimate goal is “the ethnic cleansing of the Muslim minority in Myanmar.”
Diplomatic and political channels are now seemingly blunt, not to mention disproportionate, policy tools for the Rohingya’s increasingly desperate situation. And as the optimistic shine of the NLD’s election victory last year dims in the eye of the human rights community, the UN and national governments must see that the global ‘Responsibility to Protect’ threshold, has been breached, and shows little sign of being addressed, quickly enough, by the Burmese state apparatus.
The humanitarian system is evidently stretched this year—but that just means it must expand its capacity, improve its early warning systems, and sharpen its approaches. And concerning Myanmar, earlier this month, the UN Security Council discussed the violence, and called for a resumption of aid access to Rakhine and an international investigation. Though, crucially, it remains unclear whether the UN or national governments have a red-line, or a coherent strategy, for sending-in peacekeepers without sovereign consent—as has been the case for countless instances of state violence.
What is clear is that the Rohingya are not interested in being part of an arbitrary statistic, nor are they able to wait for business-like evidence cases to be drawn to justify their defense. Enough is already apparent. They’ve suffered for decades under oppressive governments, and it may just be too late to see if Suu Kyi’s will offer them any respite. Words have been too little for them. They need urgent action.
I’m surprised at Suu Kyi’s silence in this matter. Surely, she understands that the military is exercising power over her. If this was part of her acceptance of her position in the government that she was advised about — the strategy to eliminate all Muslims from the country — she should not have accepted as she represents democracy, so she has always said. She would have better called the generals out on that and stood fast. Better that than acquiescing to the worst happening.
Is there any creditable sources of information you took for your article? Did you talk about the illegal migrants from Bangladesh to Myanmar through border? Did you talk about the terrorist attacks by those muslim extremists to local people? Did you know those muslim people burned down their own homes and fled, in order to protect the extremists who killed the 9 policemen and hid in their relatives’ house? And claimed for what! Clear? Myanmar government is trying to find the terrorists in the region for the safety of the people not just for the one locals. Myanmar new government has just set the policy to give citizenship for those who are fit in the current law and regulation and formed the commission headed by Cofi Annan. All the misleading news and information are spreading on the world, especially in Muslim ones. It is not wrong that you love your kind of people but it is totally mistake if you support the terrorism. I have so many Muslim friends and some of my relatives are Muslim from that place. We love who wants peace and faithful to its nation. I wrote this because I sense the smell of extremism in your article.
Hi, You looks like getting stupid information who are posting wrong information with brutal Army. I am the one born and living in the region of those attacked area. The local peoples who attacked the Local HQ PLC wre unwillingly attacked on them because of intolerable atrocities of those arm forces on local innocent civilians, Rohingya. No muslims entered into Arakan since independent era because Arakan was ever hell never better than other neighboring countries for Muslims.
Read here to know the reality: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1LwhR33BAp8M-lLPMdU8EsS35ZZwB9DH8-TOSOQ99KEU/mobilebasic#heading=h.nqpkkaj1p5o0
Don’t try to be a partner of state lead terrorists with cruel peoples. The world have been understood about the situation of the ground.
Read the news below think youself, if one of them is your mother or your sister "how would you feel?"
"On 25/11/2016 Friday, about 100 Rohingya women included teens and olds were taken to the school field where they were ordered to take off their clothes then made to lie on the ground by Myanmar troops (included Army and BGP) then assaulted and sexually molested them by whipping on their naked private parts.
The naked women were then made to parade around the roads of the Sin Thae Pyin (Hatipara) village of Long Doon village tract in northern Maungdaw, Rakhine State. Meanwhile Myanmar troops were shouting that until the rebels surrendered, there would be more punishment for Muslim women than today."
Are they human, who are conducting such inhumane torrtures on innocent women?
Reply me>
Really surprizeable for so call peace preacher to the world. In UN assebly, she "the MOM of Burmese #SuuKyi" preached for "Rule of Law" and "Peace and Harmony" then her Army raping women in hundreds in daily base. They are also women like #SuuKyi, how she said "these are according to the law".
The usual orange revolution against Suu Kyi now that she has refused to be a pawn of USA and its vassal EU.
Do you need a loan? Christmas loan? We give out all kind of loan such as debt loan, business loan, medical loan, home loan, student loan
Contact us today via E-mail for financial help:richardalicia2@gmail.com
Best Regards
Are you in any kind of financial difficulties? Your help comes now. Are you losing sleep at nights worrying how to get a Loan?Don’t allow your dreams to die, Contact (florishhouseofloans@hotmail.com) for easy and reliable loan.following details:
BORROWERS INFORMATION
Your names
……….
Amount Needed………
Duration:………….
Your country………
Phone Number……….
Monthly Income……..
Sex……………….
Your Age…………..
Contact us now Via this Email:florishhouseofloans@hotmail.com
Mrs Jane Thomas