The international response to the Rohingya crisis has been high on emotion, but depressingly low on action. As the Myanmar military began its latest “clearance operations” against the long-oppressed Muslim minority in Myanmar’s Rakhine state in August – pillaging villages, burning crops, and shooting civilians on sight – global media responded in admirable fashion. Within days, witness accounts and heart-wrenching photographs were relayed around the world.
But any hope that elevating the Rohingya’s plight into the public consciousness would lead to decisive action soon faded. By early September, as the death toll and the number of displaced persons rose, it became clear that the only reaction the international community could muster was condemnation – yet again, a damning indictment of our global institutional architecture.
Politicians quite rightly criticized the Myanmar military, known as the Tatmadaw. But that only precipitated a rush to express concern, and register anger. The media were far more interested in the Hollywood-esque story that human-rights icon Aung San Suu Kyi – who failed to act – had fallen from grace. And while attention was focused on waiting for Myanmar’s de facto leader to do something, policy prescriptions and in-depth insights on ending, or managing, the crisis were relegated to non-governmental organizations’ blogs, as politicians and diplomats bumbled on.
Indeed, public discourse is often a barometer for what’s happening at the policy level. And the necessary early push toward solutions was hijacked by the world’s collective outrage. Much energy was directed toward whether Suu Kyi should have her Nobel Peace Prize revoked, asking why she wasn’t acting, or pussyfooting over whether the Tatmadaw’s actions constituted genocide or ethnic cleansing.
Platitudes, anger, and pontification wasted valuable time. It took until September 19 – four weeks after the atrocities began – for the UK Ministry of Defense simply to announce it would stop training and supporting the Tatmadaw. And it was not until 500,000 Rohingya had fled for Bangladesh that the United Nations Security Council held its first public meeting on the situation. It was only at the end of September when the world began to realize that Suu Kyi, willingly or unwillingly, had her hands tied.
While humanitarian support for the displaced Rohingya in Bangladesh grew, Rakhine remained on lockdown. And any action that did take place was bilateral.
A weak understanding of the nation’s politics meant considerable time was wasted on waiting for Suu Kyi to act. Sanctions may now only bring the largely anti-Muslim population of Myanmar and the military closely together
In mid-October, the European Union Council of Foreign Ministers annulled ties and incorporated travel bans for the Myanmar military, as did the United States. Both also began reviewing the possibility of further formal sanctions. Meanwhile the Pope’s late-November visit to Myanmar to denounce the violence must have hit home to the Rohingya just how helpless the West had become.
Of course, solutions to the conflict are not simple, or easy to coordinate. But a weak understanding of the nation’s politics meant considerable time was wasted on waiting for Suu Kyi to act. Sanctions may now only bring the largely anti-Muslim population of Myanmar and the military closely together. And with their veto power on the UN Security Council, China, Myanmar’s ally, and Russia have limited the most powerful multilateral institution to words of condemnation. Another world power, India, has meanwhile tacitly supported the Myanmar military’s actions.
As such, it has now become “one of the fastest refugee exoduses in modern times and has created the largest refugee camp in the world,” according to the International Crisis Group. In reality, boots on the ground to defend the Rohingya are the only things that would have assuaged the military onslaught. And subsequently, support for empowering the government to enact the recommendations of the Kofi Annan-led Advisory Commission on Rakhine State would be a constructive course. That won’t be easy – but it is better than defeatism and helplessness.
Indeed, the crisis underscores how the international community, after decades of experience, still does not have the resources, coordination, and intelligence to act – partly because the UN lacks rapidly decisive, independent, and well-equipped institutional teeth. And as such, emotion and national politics – and crucially, not concerted reason –tend to define policy in times of conflict.
We may say “never again.” But without reform and rethinking how we react, we’re only doomed to keep repeating the same cycle: condemnation, anger, calls for action, insufficient action, and, then, shame.
Its sad that the Buddhists who claim nonviolence indulge in this despicable behaviour.
The Nobel committee should consider withdrawing the Nobel Peace Prize from the leader of Myanmar.
sad.
I hope these soldiers die in hell!
Islamisation is the greatest threat to the civilized world but none of the Governments over the world has any concrete plans to counter its rise.
This process of Islamisation is very methodical, organized, well funded, persistent, deliberate, determined and widely distributed.
Whether muslimised or Islamised the Muslim majority decimates the minorities by any and every means.Through physical,social,judicial, financial, legal, extra legal, religious, personal, familial or brute force duress, they either convert or drive out or kill the minorities.
These illegal immigrants, Chittagong Bengali Muslims are originally from Bangladesh and are squattering in Myanmar.
The whole ethos of islam is to dominate by out multiplying to bring shariah. Chittagong Bengali Muslims aim is to defeat Rakhaing state through illegal immigration and by outbreeding non-Muslims.
According to the Islamic law, Bengali Muslim men have four wives producing children like rats to outbreed Buddhists.
These Chittagong Bengali Muslims are hijacking the Rakhaing people alternate identity "Rohingya" and Rakhaing people history.
Rohingya Bengali people forcefully grabbing the Rakhaing lands by terrorizing,islamizing such as torching fires on Arakan villages,destroying Buddhist monasteries, massacring Buddhists and raping Arakan women.
The mainstream media cover up these true stories.
This is 100% lies. What a troll. Read the history.
Dear Atimes, your coverage on the issue has reached its natural tipping point. The majority would now react by commenting that rohingya deserve this and that enough is enough. The remaining commentators, the pious ones, the iqbals of this world, would vent their position no matter the content and spin of the article. Why, then, bother writing a piece every other day?
Good article. The author recognises there is an important underlying problem – the political issue – which need to be addressed; but I am not sure he himself understood clearly what the political issues are. However he recognised the international community, instead, wasted much time and energy on condemnations; and yet, it was only after some time, realised they have been focussing their obloquy and odium on the wrong person! The author recognises and highlighted the fact that the international politicians and diplomats have poor understanding of the country’s history and politics; and, again, yet had been bumbling along in great pretence. Unfortunately the author was also naïve, simplistic and under the illusion, when he wrote, “In reality, boots on the ground to defend the Rohingya are the only things that would have assuaged the military onslaught”. He failed to understand this would precisely be an action which would made the situation in Myanmar much worse. This would indeed amount to the international community and the UN aiding and abetting terrorism as the ARSA is a terrorist organization. If that were the case, he would not be able to continue to his second assumption: “And subsequently, support for empowering the government to enact the recommendations of the Kofi Annan-led Advisory Commission on Rakhine State would be a constructive course.” The only solution, which is political, is to tackle the issue of the territorial ambitions by the militant Bengali/Rohingya. It was the provocations by the militant Bengali/Rohingyas in the form of “Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army – ARSA” in October and November 2016 and on 25 August 2017 which had led to this Bengali/Rohingya humanitarian crisis. Such provocations had been going on, be it sporadically, since 1951 to achieve this dream of territorial ambition. The militant Bengalis/Rohingyas now have both financial, political and military training support from other Islamic countries like Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Bangladesh. The supporters of the ARSA in countries like the Saudi Arabia, Pakistan etc. need to be leant on heavily. The fact is, such territorial ambitions by a group of people with a dubious claim of both ethnicity and settlement would not be tolerated by any country and its people. Such territorial ambitions must be quashed first before any hope of reconciliation could be envisaged. Trust on both sides cannot be build without prior renouncing of any territorial ambitions. There are indeed “interested parties” involved here as in every other “crisis”. The UN has consistently shown to be ineffective with realistic and constructive approach to any but good on high emotionally charged rhetoric and finger-pointing. As the author puts it “the UN lacks rapidly decisive, independent, and well-equipped institutional teeth. And as such, emotion and national politics – and crucially, not concerted reason –tend to define policy in times of conflict.” The UN needs a better leadership which would be able to make independent, realistic and constructive decisions after the background to any crisis has been thoroughly explored and understood; instead of jumping to conclusions with highly dramatized, blind and emotionally charged knee-jerk reactions.
Roland Watson How stupid are you! The Truth About The Rohingya Lie – The Most Important Video of 2017
John Boyd,,,,You are feeling theat from your Myanmar Rohyangas. You are calling them Bengali.
There are Bengalies in India, India say they are not threatned by Bengalies.
Your ARSA story is a fake creation by your Mun Aung Hlaing.
You have taken guns to kill and rape these poor helpless people.
Is killing and rape your answer to glorify you. Is there any human right organisation in Myanmar ?. What they say.
I pray to god to give you the same miseries these Myanmar Rohyangas are going though.
This ARSA story is a fabrication by your Min Aung Hlaing to fool the world. Why you are not allowing UN, ICC, HRW to investigate the killing field of Rakhyne before your army erases all burnt out homes. You are deliberately doing crime against humanity and hiding the truth. Is there any one in Myanmar thinks for peace. Is there any human right organisation in Myanmar that has spoken on Rohyanga issue.
Roland Watson, Thanks for telling the truth.They are hiding the truth under the bullet. Killing and rape are their answer for an inhumane society for the helpless Myanmar Rohyangas.
Nurun Nabi Time will speak for itself.Truth never dies.Islam permits Muslims to lie, to spread fake news.
There are several forms of lying to non-believers that are permitted under certain circumstances, the best known being taqiyya.
ARSA terrorist secret EXPOSED
The Global Prism is a "write for pay" with Parikh being the only so called journalist.
THE ROOT CAUSE OF RAKHINE CRISIS –
Over population in Bangladesh (nearly 200 million – most densely populated nation in the world), confluence of Islamic terrorism and vested western interests leading to demographic invasion of Rakhine state (population of 4 million), Myanmar
OTHER FACTS TO CONSIDER (that main stream media avoids to mention) –
1) History of jihadi terror in Rakhine state since 1942. In 1942, 30,000 Rakhine Buddhists were murdered and over 100,000 were uprooted from ancestral homeland. Thus creating a muslim majority (ratio of 8 to 1) areas in Maungdaw and Buthidaung.
2) Bengali muslims killing other moderate muslims that are advocating peaceful co-existence with Buddhists
3) The August 25, 2017 attack by Bengali muslims (spearheaded by worldwide jihadists including Pakistan, Chechnya, Malaysia) that was timed to torpedo the Kofi Annan report thus making it clear that Bengali muslims will not compromise. Bengali muslims claiming that Rakhine state is theirs for the taking.
4) The August 25, 2017 attack that not only killed hundreds of Buddhists but also hundreds of Bengali Hindus (who speak the same language and dialect as Bengali Muslims) and buried in mass shallow graves
5) Ethnic cleansing of indigenous jumma (Buddhist, Hindus, Christians and animists) in Bangladesh, particularly in Chittagong Hill Tracts
6) Discovery of massive energy reserves since 2004 in off shore Rakhine state – setting up a geopolitical rivalry between China and western countries
7) ASEAN, China, India, Russia and many in the US administration are right to be concerned about islamic terrorism and not fooled by the fake news and muslims playing the victim hood card.
8) After the attack, Bengali muslims and worldwide jihadists now sheltered in Bangladesh threatening cross border raids as reported by International Crisis Group (ICG). These jihadists continue to be trained under the supervision of Bangladesh and Pakistan intelligence agencies outside / acquiescence of their elected government control.
SOLUTION:
1) Population swap between Bangladesh and Myanmar – Relocate all Bengali muslims in Rakhine state to Bangladesh or other (muslim or western) countries and Buddhists in Bangladesh to Myanmar
2) Built a massive wall between Bangladesh and Myanmar – to stop illegal infiltration and deter islamic terrorism
Roland Watson As usual, Roland Watson is providing cover for islamic terrorism in Myanmar by using the typical islamic "play book" tactics – "don’t like the truth, therefore smear the messenger". Typical of Stage 2 jihad – When there are enough Muslims and resources to defend the Islamic community, Muslims are called to engage in defensive Jihad and the tactic used are portraying Muslims as victims, forging alliances (with future enemies as necessary) and terrorism. In defensive Jihad, any critical expression that portrays Islam in negative light must be suppressed by all means necessary. “Maim and crucify the infidels if they criticize Islam” Koran 5:33.
According to Bertil Lintner "Bangladesh is the breeding ground for muslim terror"
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/DI21Df06.html
Bengali muslim terrorists continue to strike at neighboring Myanmar and now reaching NY, USA.
1) New York jihadi Akayed Ullah who bombed the Port Authority on Monday (December 11, 2017) was a devout Muslim migrant from Bangladesh.
2) In 2015, 24-year-old Bangladeshi national Rahatul Ashikim Khan was convicted and sentenced to ten years in federal prison for providing material support to terrorists with the al-Shabaab terrorist organization.
3) In 2013, 21-year-old Bangladeshi national Quazi Mohammad Rezwanul Ahsan Nafis was convicted and sentenced for planning what he thought was a 1,000-pound bomb at the New York Federal Reserve Bank in Lower Manhattan’s financial district. Such an attack would have killed hundreds and possibly thousands of Americans.
4) In 2006, Bangladeshi-born 49-year-old Mohammed M. Hossain was convicted and sentenced to 15 years in prison after helping an FBI informant with a plot to sell weapons to terrorists.
Now name any non muslim (including Buddhists) migrant in USA with such a record?