By Camila Ensink, Year 11
The Rohingya, also known as “the world’s most persecuted minority”, are a Muslim ethnic group which date back all the way to the 12th century. The ancestors of today’s Rohingya have lived for centuries in Myanmar (Burma), where the majority of inhabitants are Buddhist. But even after living in Myanmar for centuries, the Rohingya cannot truly consider it as their home.
Although the Rohingya make up more than 5% of Myanmar’s 52 million population, the government does not consider them or take them into account as one of its 135 ethnic groups. They are refused citizenship by the government, this explains why the majority of Rohingya have no legal documentation, rendering them completely stateless.
The Rakhine State is a western coastal state in Myanmar which is (or was) where most of the Rohingya population used to live. They are not allowed to leave this state without government permission. Poverty is extremely high in Rakhine, most of its inhabitants have nothing, only a roof to live under. Now, the closest thing they have to a home, has become a target for Myanmar security forces.
Historically, the Rohingya have been harshly persecuted. From being stripped of citizenship in 1948, to being limited in job opportunities, being prohibited to travel, study, work, marry, practice their religion or even to vote, for years the Rohingya population has endured these injustices.
But the reason for which the Myanmar Rohingya crisis has become a “new” topic that attracts attention daily, is because of the fleeing and killing of the Rohingya.
When you look at the facts, It is clear that the government of Burma discriminates against this ethnic group by restricting them to things that in other countries, governments should not. Since the 70s, clampdowns on the Rohingya have caused thousands to migrate to Bangladesh, Malaysia as well as other Southeast Asian countries. Refugees that survive these clampdowns, report rape, torture, arson and murder by the Myanmar military.
When nine border police were killed over a year ago, without knowing who was responsible for these murders, government troops started to flood the villages in Rakhine state. The government made allegations blaming an armed Rohingya group called the “Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army” (ARSA) for the killing of these 9 police officers. These killings not only led to the invasion of military troops, but the extrajudicial killing, rape and arson by these troops as well. The government denied all these allegations, but all things reported during the invasion of troops by the Rohingya, really did happen.
The United Nations has already officially accused the Burman government of ethnic cleansing, which is what they appear to be doing. The government once again, denied all these accusations.There have been many reports of troops firing at civilians, fires being deliberately set up and burning down entire villages. The government responded to all these allegations by accusing the ARSA for launching raids on police and military bases in the region. More than 500’000 people have attempted to flee from the violence, running to the nearest country that they can get to. Bangladesh has been a solution for many but hundreds have already been denied entry due to the lack of resources and job opportunities to care for more refugees. Those fleeing from Myanmar are pushed back by patrols, detained and forced to return to Burma. Thousands are now trapped between two countries, with no one wanting to take them in and everybody trying to get rid of them.
