Internal displacement/forced migration of Rohingyas

See also Main Library > States and Regions of Burma/Myanmar > Arakan (Rakhine) State
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Description: Tools for humanitarian assistance..."For up-to-date relevant information including maps, contact list, initial assessment form and 3W data...3W maps/reports for 2012 can be found HERE. 268 organizations were contacted to provide inputs for this round of the 3W (Who is doing what, where) exercise. Amongst them, 87 agencies provided updates – (1) Embassy/Donor (3) Red Cross societies, (12) UN Agencies, (25) LNGOs and (46) INGOs. The 3W products reflect implementing agencies? projects in 329 townships, 4,089 village tract and 11,479 villages throughout the country...".....If this site does not have the latest situation reports, go to the Alternate URL - the OCHA myanmar page at http://reliefweb.int/country/mmr
Source/publisher: Myanmar Information Management Unit (MIMU)
Date of entry/update: 2012-07-04
Grouping: Websites/Multiple Documents
Language: English
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Description: "Since Hillary Clinton?s historic visit to Myanmar, the nation?s reforms have drawn the world?s attention. The end of a half century of military rule leaves Myanmar with countless challenges. Recently, the violence in western Myanmar?s Rakhine State has become a controversial topic. Global bodies, human rights organizations, world leaders and US lawmakers have rushed to condemn what they see as the treatment of these stateless people. The reality of the history of the Rohingya is not as clear as many believe. A campaign of disinformation has led to denunciation of a policy in Myanmar that at best, is grossly exaggerated, and at worst, does not exist. Headlines have screamed the words ?ethnic cleansing and ?pogrom.? Myanmar history of secrecy and disregard of human rights under the previous military government has lent credibility to this campaign..."
Creator/author: Chan Myae Khine
Source/publisher: News and Periodicals Enterprise, Ministry of Information, Union of Myanmar
2012-08-14
Date of entry/update: 2014-07-17
Grouping: Websites/Multiple Documents
Language: English
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Description: "More than three years since a military coup in Myanmar led to a surge in conflict across the country, the United Nations estimates that almost two million people have been internally displaced by the ongoing violence, while thousands more have fled to neighbouring countries. In Rakhine State – an area in the west of Myanmar that has seen a particular increase in fighting since November 2023 – the humanitarian crisis created by this conflict comes on top of several other pre-existing emergencies, the most significant of which is the continuing fallout from large-scale and violent attacks against the area’s Rohingya ethnic minority in 2017, which drove hundreds of thousands to flee for their lives across the border into Bangladesh. More than six years later, close to one million Rohingya remain trapped in miserable conditions in the overcrowded camps of Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, while many of the estimated 600,000 Rohingya who remain in Myanmar are confined to dismal fenced camps or rural villages, are prohibited from moving without approval from the authorities, and face ongoing persecution in their daily lives. Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has been responding to the needs of the region’s Rohingya communities for more than three decades. In Myanmar, we operate two humanitarian medical projects in Rakhine State, where we are one of the only providers of essential health services for many Rohingya, who have been stripped of their citizenship by the ruling authorities. As a direct result of this imposed statelessness, the Rohingya endure discrimination and exclusion across all aspects of their lives, including restrictions on their freedom of movement, education and livelihoods opportunities, as well as access to healthcare. (Elsewhere in Myanmar, we also operate in the conflict-affected areas of Shan and Kachin.) MSF is also the largest provider of health services in the Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh, where we run hospitals and provide critically needed primary and secondary care, including sexual and reproductive healthcare and mental health services for a population with few other options. In Malaysia, MSF runs clinics for Rohingya patients, many of whom endure appalling conditions and indefinite confinement in immigration detention centres. As a result, MSF has seen first-hand the deterioration of the humanitarian situation in Myanmar, and the continued suffering of the Rohingya, whose statelessness leaves them with nowhere to go —facing indefinite encampment in squalid conditions in Bangladesh, unable to return safely to Myanmar, and unwelcome in other parts of the region. We have also borne witness to the failure of the international community to find a solution to this crisis, and to the increasing global indifference to the plight of the Rohingya, as the world’s attention has been drawn to other emergencies. Stateless and in need of assistance That indifference is particularly alarming given the dependence of many Rohingya on humanitarian assistance for survival. In Bangladesh, Rohingya refugees do not have the right to leave their camps and are not legally allowed to work. That leaves them trapped and dependent on international support — support that has been reducing year on year, leaving them stuck in increasingly deplorable living conditions. Meanwhile, the Rohingya still in Rakhine State also depend on international humanitarian agencies for some of their most fundamental needs. And yet, not only have the authorities in Myanmar often deliberately blocked humanitarian activities in Rakhine State (where renewed violence is also currently making it extremely difficult for our teams to operate), but what response exists remains critically under-funded by humanitarian donors. A crisis where Canada makes a difference Canada is an important actor in this context. Since the start of the current Rohingya displacement crisis in 2017, when violence drove so many Rohingya from Myanmar into Bangladesh, Canada has played a leading role in the international response, both as a donor and through its humanitarian diplomacy. Canada’s willingness to take action, starting with the appointment of a Special Envoy to Myanmar in the first months following the August 2017 attacks, through to the launch in 2018 of Canada’s strategy to respond to the Rohingya crisis in Myanmar and Bangladesh, was based on recommendations made in Special Envoy Bob Rae’s report that same year. This highlighted the urgency of the crisis to other member states in the international community at a critical time, as did Canada’s efforts to fund and help facilitate the global humanitarian response in Cox’s Bazar. Through its official strategy, Canada committed to “alleviating the humanitarian crisis; encouraging positive political developments in Myanmar; ensuring accountability for the crimes committed; [and] enhancing international cooperation.” Canada must renew its Rohingya and Myanmar strategy In March 2024, however, Canada’s strategy (which was renewed for a second phase in 2021) is set to expire, and these objectives remain mostly unmet. In part that is because the context has changed: since the coup of 2021, for example, the situation for people in Myanmar has deteriorated significantly. At the time of writing, communities in many of the areas where MSF is present remain in grave danger while their villages are used as battlegrounds. Meanwhile, the emergence of a number of other international crises have directed the world’s attention away from Myanmar, Bangladesh and the Rohingya. But that loss of global attention is precisely why Canada’s continued engagement on this emergency is so crucial. It is also why MSF is calling on Canada to renew its strategy for a third phase – because we are already seeing the impact that reduced donor engagement is having on our Rohingya patients and their communities. In Cox’s Bazar alone, some of our facilities are becoming increasingly overburdened as other humanitarian actors depart for lack of funding. Our teams are also seeing the consequences of reduced water and sanitation services, increased violence in the camps (including sexual violence), and outbreaks of disease amid deteriorating conditions. In Myanmar, Rohingya and other communities in Rakhine are facing increasingly desperate circumstances as assistance continues to dwindle and conflict further reduces humanitarian activities. A global humanitarian priority As an independent humanitarian medical organization, MSF will continue to deliver critically needed care ourselves to displaced Rohingya in Bangladesh, Myanmar and beyond, whatever the commitment by international humanitarian donors may be. But we can’t do it alone. So it is crucial that Canada and other governments continue to make the Rohingya a priority for humanitarian assistance funding. And since financial support alone will not solve this crisis (nor alleviate the conflict in Myanmar), sustained diplomatic engagement is also essential. Such efforts should focus on ensuring a safe and sustainable future for the Rohingya, and an end to their statelessness. Through the launch of its strategy in 2018, Canada made an important commitment to these objectives, and to the Rohingya people. As the global response to their suffering continues to wane, and amid the deterioration of the humanitarian situation in Myanmar – and in the face of a growing number of other international crises consuming global resources and attention – that commitment is needed now more than ever..."
Source/publisher: Doctors Without Borders
2024-02-23
Date of entry/update: 2024-02-23
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Sub-title: Dozens of Civilians Killed in Village Battlegrounds, Over 100,000 Displaced
Description: "(Bangkok) – Fighting in Myanmar’s Rakhine State has surged in recent weeks, causing civilian casualties and large-scale displacement, Human Rights Watch said today. Myanmar’s junta and the Arakan Army ethnic armed group should take immediate measures to minimize harm to ethnic Rohingya and other civilians caught up in the hostilities. On November 13, 2023, renewed fighting between the Myanmar military and Arakan Army ended a year-long unofficial ceasefire in Rakhine State. Since January, 2024, Myanmar military forces have attacked Arakan Army fighters deployed in Rohingya villages particularly in south Buthidaung township, which has resulted in civilian casualties and destruction of property, according to local residents, Rohingya groups, and the media. Over 100,000 people in Rakhine State, many displaced by previous violence, have again had to relocate. “Myanmar military and opposition forces need to do all they can to minimize civilian casualties and destruction of homes and property,” said Shayna Bauchner, Asia researcher at Human Rights Watch. “Rohingya villages that were devastated by military atrocities in 2017 are again at grave risk of attack.” Nine witnesses from Hpon Nyo Leik, a predominantly Rohingya village tract in Buthidaung township with over a dozen hamlets, said that Arakan Army fighters entered the area in late January in an apparent effort to gain control over a nearby Myanmar military command. The military soon responded with helicopter gunship attacks, artillery shelling, and ground assaults. “The Arakan Army suddenly entered our area and started deploying all around the village,” a 30-year-old villager said. “Soon after, three artillery shells fell in our area. One of the shells exploded in the local market, critically injuring four people. The explosion of another shell injured six people, and the third one injured three.” When the villagers told the Arakan Army that their presence was making them unsafe, the fighters said they would leave when they received orders to do so. “We Rohingya are dying, caught between the two parties,” the villager said. Residents and rights groups have reported that during the fighting in late January, between 12 and 24 Rohingya civilians were killed, while as many as 100 more may have been injured. More than 100 homes are believed to have been damaged or destroyed, according to Rohingya groups. “On Friday morning [January 26] the military intensified its offensive,” the villager said. “One of my cousins died on the spot. Almost all of my family members were injured and admitted to the hospital. My brother is still struggling to recover as one of the bomb fragments in his body hasn’t been removed.” A 66-year-old villager said: “An artillery shell hit and killed my son. There were dozens of funerals all around, but I only dared to attend my son’s funeral. He was 42 and the father of five children.” Another villager, 42, said: “During the attack, we had to leave the village, wrapping the dead bodies in blankets. After about five or six hours, we returned to the village to complete the burials.” Rohingya villagers said that all the beds in the hospital in Buthidaung and local clinics were filled and that the facilities had stopped admitting people. Clinics were running low on supplies and charging injured patients exorbitant prices. Some residents described the Myanmar military’s airstrikes on their village as indiscriminate bombardments. “The military is not just targeting the Arakan Army,” said a 47-year-old Rohingya villager. “They are using their helicopters to shoot all over the village.” Many people fled for shelter in nearby villages but have had little to no access to food or medical supplies, and received no humanitarian support. “My family of 25 people is now displaced and scattered,” a villager said. “We spend our days uncertain about food and shelter.” Rohingya families expressed concerns about food stocks dwindling and unharvested crops rotting in the fields. Fighting was continuing into early February. During two phone interviews on February 1 with villagers who had remained in Hpon Nyo Leik, gunshots and explosions could be heard in the background. “No one can enter the village,” a 35-year-old villager said. “It’s not yet safe to go back since the fighting is still going on. The internet is completely down in Buthidaung township. Maybe for two hours a day we can make phone calls, but after that no more calls, as the network is down. No shops are open, everything remains closed. No one is coming to help us, not the authorities or the UN or any international agency.” The junta has continued to block urgently needed humanitarian aid to civilians in conflict areas, a form of collective punishment that is a war crime. The military is blocking major roads and waterways, destroying nonmilitary supplies, imposing severe restrictions on aid workers, and shutting down telecommunications services. The humanitarian organization Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) said on January 16 that the authorities were preventing the operation of its 25 mobile clinics in Rakhine State and warned of a “catastrophic impact on people’s health.” Since the February 2021 military coup in Myanmar, the junta has driven the country further into a humanitarian and human rights catastrophe. The junta’s widespread and systematic abuses amount to crimes against humanity and war crimes. More than 700,000 Rohingya fled the Myanmar military’s crimes against humanity and acts of genocide in 2017. About 600,000 Rohingya remain in Rakhine State, confined to squalid camps and villages under a system of apartheid in which security forces have arrested thousands of Rohingya for “unauthorized travel” and imposed new movement restrictions and aid blockages. This has left the Rohingya particularly vulnerable to armed conflict. Since December, civilian casualties have been reported in a number of other Rohingya villages in northern Rakhine State. The laws of war prohibit attacks that do not or cannot discriminate between civilians and combatants. Bombardments that treat a populated town or village as a single military objective are prohibited as indiscriminate. Parties to a conflict are required to take constant care to spare the civilian population and to take all feasible precautions to avoid or minimize the incidental loss of civilian life and damage to civilian objects. Warring parties, to the extent feasible, should avoid deploying their forces in heavily populated areas. Several Rohingya said they felt caught between both sides. “If we talk to the military, the Arakan Army will suspect us,” a villager said. “But if the military or the government find any connection between us and the Arakan Army, I’m sure the military would kill the Rohingya.” He said that the Arakan Army has promised security to the Rohingya once they have fully captured the territory, but for the present they have sought to confiscate food and other support. Fighting near the border has spilled over into Bangladesh, including casualties from mortar fire. Influential foreign governments should respond urgently to the worsening crisis in Myanmar, Human Rights Watch said. “Foreign governments should loudly express their concerns about the spiraling risks to the Rohingya population from the fighting in Rakhine State,” Bauchner said. “The junta needs to immediately lift the blockage on communications and humanitarian aid and stop their forces from violating international humanitarian law.”..."
Source/publisher: "Human Rights Watch" (USA)
2024-02-09
Date of entry/update: 2024-02-09
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Description: "At least 200 civilians have been killed and 335,000 displaced in Myanmar (Burma) since 27 October when a group of ethnic armed resistance organizations – known as the Three Brotherhood Alliance – launched a campaign against the ruling military junta. “Operation 1027” has galvanized other groups across the country to join in attacks against the junta, making the current fighting the “largest in scale and most extensive geographically” since the February 2021 coup, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). Clashes have been particularly heavy in northern Shan, Sagaing, Chin, Rakhine and Mandalay states where armed resistance groups have reportedly targeted military bases and outposts, as well as trade routes. In Rakhine State, a year-long informal ceasefire between the junta and the Arakan Army ethnic armed group ended on 13 November when the group launched attacks. According to OCHA, 20,000 people have fled the fighting since mid-November in Pauktaw township alone. The junta has cut off access to the town and trapped hundreds of people in the crossfire, while also obstructing access to camps for internally displaced Rohingya..."
Source/publisher: Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect
2023-11-29
Date of entry/update: 2023-11-29
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Description: "After several failed attempts in 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021, Bangladesh and Myanmar recently announced a pilot initiative for the repatriation of Rohingyas. Myanmar scheduled a tour to Rakhine for the ambassadors or consul generals of 11 countries, including Bangladesh, India, China, and eight ASEAN members, in early March 2023, to review the situation there. The envoys noted that Rakhine has a secure security environment now. The repatriation process should now begin. Following the Ambassador's visit, a commission from Myanmar's military junta visited Bangladesh to evaluate potential repatriation candidates. As part of this pilot initiative, Myanmar confirmed a list of over 1,000 Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh who may be returning soon. On May 5, a 20-person Rohingya delegation from Bangladesh visited Rakhine to examine the situation and urge other Rohingya into voluntary return as part of a confidence-building campaign. Deng Xijun, China's Special Envoy for Asian Affairs, visited Myanmar twice before visiting Dhaka in July. He reassured Bangladesh that Myanmar had now agreed to return the Rohingyas to North Mangdaw in Rakhine. He explained that the Rohingyas would initially live in temporary camps following their repatriation. They would later build their homes there with voluntary labor. Myanmar will pay the Rohingyas for this. Unfortunately, certain Western countries and right-wing organizations have continued to advocate for the suspension of this pilot project, claiming that democracy is required for any repatriation and that the current political atmosphere makes it difficult for Rohingyas to return. "Those who keep claiming that the situation in Myanmar is "not favorable" to repatriation have rarely visited Rakhine," Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen responded. "It's bizarre. They also did not address whether the circumstances in Cox's Bazar is conducive to the displaced people living a dignified life. This is a question they must answer for themselves. Coups, military rule, ethnic conflicts etc. have been the history of Myanmar, so does the persecution on Rohingyas. The unrest was sparked mostly by religious and socioeconomic divisions between Rakhine Buddhists and Rohingya Muslims. During World War II in Burma, Rohingya Muslims allied with the British and promised a Muslim state in exchange fought against Rakhine Buddhists aligned with the Japanese. Following the country's independence in 1948, the newly established union government of the largely Buddhist country denied the citizenship of the Rohingyas, subjecting them to widespread and systematic discrimination. Many worldwide academics, analysts, and political figures, including South African anti-apartheid crusader Desmond Tutu, have linked it to apartheid. Burmese authorities became increasingly antagonistic to the Rohingyas during Ne Win's military reign, enacting measures that denied them citizenship. The persecution of the Rohingyas thus went beyond all bounds. Violent, large-scale crackdowns against Rohingya, such as Operation King Dragon in 1978 and Operation Clean and Beautiful Nation in 1991, drove hundreds of thousands of Rohingya into Bangladesh. When the Burmese Citizenship Law was passed on October 15, 1982, Rohingya Muslims in the nation were legally unrecognized and denied Burmese citizenship. To summarize, Myanmar has never had a truly democratic environment devoid of military intervention. As a result, some actors' assertion that "democracy is a prerequisite before any repatriation" is only a purposeful disregard of Myanmar's past. However, triangular attempts with China, Bangladesh, and Myanmar persist. On September 4, a high-level team from South Asia and Southeast Asia, led by Bangladesh's ambassador to Myanmar, visited Rakhine to discover what steps have been taken to restore trust and give protection to the Rohingyas. Ko Ko Hliang, a union minister and the committee's vice-chair-1 for Rakhine State stability, peace, and development, informed and directed the delegate. The delegate, according to sources, was happy with Myanmar's conduct. Chinese Special Envoy for Asian Affairs Deng Xijun informed that, 'Myanmar agreed to settle the Rohingyas in their original villages- a demand that the Rohingyas had been making in response to Myanmar's earlier plan of resettling Rohingyas in camps or model villages. Several voluntary organizations including 'Asian Coordination Centre for Humanitarian Assistance' and UNHCR will be engaged during the repatriation process.' All technical issues have been discussed. Myanmar has confirmed identity of 2087 Rohingyas already. Repatriation of the first batch may begin within months. 100 refugees could be sent home every day." Since the beginning of the crisis in 2017, this can be considered a breakthrough. Every stakeholder should back the endeavor. We should keep in mind that the Rohingya issue appears to be taking a back seat to other global crises in 2022 and 2023, including the Russia-Ukraine war. Because of the huge political attention in, and donor pledges for, Ukraine, there is a donor scarcity for Rohingyas. Bangladesh, the host country, has received little more than 50% of the required cash in 2022, while donors gave only 60% of the required funding in 2020, down from approximately 72% to 75% two years earlier. As of mid-August, the 2023 Appeal, which asked USD 876 million, was only about 28.9% financed, rendering Rohingya refugees particularly vulnerable this year. Second, because the Rohingya refugees lack viable economic options, the nearby Rohingya camps may become havens for criminal activity, putting the security of the entire region at risk. The recruitment of refugees by extremist networks is raising increasing concern since it may feed unrest not only in Bangladesh but also throughout the Indo-Pacific region. Third, around 30,000 Rohingya infants are born in refugee camps in Bangladesh each year on average. As a result, the Rohingya population has risen to around 1.2 million. A new generation of Rohingya children is growing up without a sense of belonging, exacerbating the catastrophe. Fourth, the security situation for Muslims in Rakhine is better than it has ever been. Living conditions, health care, and education have all improved. The number of Muslim-specific educational institutions has grown. After a nine-year hiatus, Sittwe University welcomed 200 Muslim students last year. This year, a large number of Muslim students were accepted. Muslims, too, have access to medical treatment. The Junta government is providing a 'National Verification Card (NVC)' to returnees. Junta's willingness to resolve the situation appears to be improving. Except for Rakhine State, the country has been plagued by severe conflicts between the regime and ethnic groups. Rakhine State is presently better than it has ever been. In such circumstances, without a doubt, the repatriation procedure should begin immediately. The world community has a primary humanitarian duty to assist the Rohingyas. Though the decades-long antagonism between Rohingya communities and the Myanmar government is unlikely to be erased quickly, the ASEAN, the United Nations, and global and regional entities can all play vital roles in fostering trust between them. The international community should send a clear statement that "we are watching the situation in Myanmar, as well as the conduct of the Myanmar Junta towards the Rohingyas." If we can input this and act on it, the ice of mistrust will slowly but surely melt. "The returnee Rohingyas will not be abandoned; they will be observed and their security condition will be monitored"- such a message should be delivered by global actors. Nobody should attempt to prevent test repatriation. Such mock repatriation will help to identify the issues before embarking on a large-scale repatriation move. This will aid in the development of better planning prior to the start of a full-scale repatriation. This is a litmus test for the international community, right-wing organizations, global actors, and Myanmar parts that must pass with flying colors..."
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Source/publisher: "The Daily Observer" (Bangladesh)
2023-09-18
Date of entry/update: 2023-09-18
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Description: "The issue of repatriating Rohingya refugees has once again taken center stage, and it appears to be yet another farcical chapter in this ongoing saga. During a tripartite meeting mediated by China in Kunming, the latest decision emerged: by December 31 of this year, 7,176 Rohingya refugees will be returned to Rakhine State, Myanmar. The push for repatriation, even on a small scale, is being urged by China and has been met with hesitance from Bangladesh. To provide some context, in the face of the brutal crackdown by Myanmar’s military in August-September 2017, approximately 800,000 Rohingyas fled to Bangladesh. In November of that same year, Bangladesh hastily signed a bilateral agreement with Myanmar to facilitate their repatriation. Under this agreement, Bangladesh submitted a list of 829,036 Rohingyas to Myanmar. After “scrutinizing” the list, Myanmar “cleared” just 62,285 individuals, confirming their Myanmar origin. This amounted to a mere 7.51 percent of the submitted list. Astonishingly, not a single Rohingya has returned to Myanmar under this agreement in the past six years. This marks the third attempt to repatriate a small number of Rohingyas. The first attempt was made following a foreign secretary-level meeting between Bangladesh and Myanmar in October 2018. However, due to international opposition, citing the ongoing genocide in Myanmar, this effort was met with failure. Similarly, a second attempt in 2019 to repatriate Rohingyas cleared by Myanmar from a list of 22,000 individuals submitted by Bangladesh was unsuccessful, primarily due to objections from the Rohingyas on the list. Even if a pilot repatriation takes place, it is unlikely to benefit either Bangladesh or the Rohingyas. Myanmar stands to gain from this process, using it as a propaganda tool to demonstrate its ability to resolve the issue through bilateral or trilateral initiatives. This effort is likely to find support from China, Russia, and potentially India, all of which have, directly or indirectly, backed Myanmar despite its genocidal actions. Six years have passed with no tangible progress. The pilot repatriation process is almost certain to reveal problems, allowing Myanmar to engage in further discussions and delay tactics. Moreover, there is the matter of verification and scrutiny. It is perplexing why Bangladesh is stepping into this precarious situation. State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam has emphasized that no one should obstruct the pilot repatriation. According to him, this experimental process will help identify and understand the challenges before proceeding with large-scale repatriation. However, two fundamental questions remain unanswered. Firstly, the main obstacle to Rohingya repatriation is the lack of a safe environment in Rakhine State – a responsibility that squarely lies with Myanmar and its military. Have they taken any substantial steps to ensure this safe environment? Will these issues be genuinely addressed during this experimental phase? Secondly, has there been any roadmap established for large-scale repatriation? The pilot project would have been more justifiable if such a plan had been in place from the outset. China may be pleased if repatriation begins, but international agencies and Western nations are unlikely to support these efforts. Is it truly beneficial to undermine one’s own interests merely to appease China? In the midst of this, the United States has presented an unrealistic proposal. While it is worth acknowledging that the US has provided substantial humanitarian assistance to Rohingya refugees and has exerted pressure on Myanmar’s military junta, their proposal raises concerns. The US embassy stated that it is unsafe for Rohingyas to return to Myanmar given the current situation and proposed rehabilitating Rohingyas in various countries as an alternative solution. They noted that over the past 14 years, 13,000 Rohingyas have been rehabilitated in the US. However, when considering the number of Rohingya refugees, 13,000 over 14 years represents a minuscule fraction. During a visit to the US last year, some Rohingyas I met were running small businesses and thriving. Anyone visiting those camps will notice signs posted on storefronts and establishments: “We are hiring”. There were numerous job openings with modest wages, but an insufficient number of applicants. If the US were to accept one million Rohingyas for rehabilitation, they would swiftly fill these positions, and these individuals and their descendants would become tax-paying consumers contributing to the US economy. This would not only demonstrate the US’s commitment to the humanitarian values it upholds but also enhance its global image. Germany, a relatively smaller country, accommodated one million Syrian refugees, with 70 percent of them successfully integrated into the German economy. Germany did not suffer losses from this decision, and it significantly bolstered the nation’s reputation. However, it is unlikely that the US will pursue this course of action. Therefore, raising the expectations of the Rohingya people regarding rehabilitation in a third country may be futile. The ultimate solution to the Rohingya crisis lies in their repatriation to their homeland. The US, as a friend of Bangladesh and the Rohingyas, and the world’s most powerful nation, can use its influence to ensure the creation of conditions conducive to Rohingya return. In the interim, the US and its Western allies can mobilize resources to provide minimal assistance for the survival of the Rohingyas..."
Source/publisher: Weekly Blitz
2023-09-12
Date of entry/update: 2023-09-12
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Description: "The following statement was issued today by the Spokesperson for UN Secretary-General António Guterres: 25 August marks six years since the forced mass displacement of Rohingya people and other communities from Myanmar’s Rakhine State. Rohingya people remain displaced domestically and abroad, including around 1 million Rohingya in Bangladesh. The vulnerabilities faced by people of Myanmar, including the Rohingya, have been compounded by the ongoing conflict and by the devastation caused by Cyclone Mocha. The United Nations will continue to support efforts to create conditions that would be conducive to the voluntary, safe, dignified and sustainable return of Rohingya refugees to their places of origin in Myanmar. The Secretary-General calls on all stakeholders to redouble efforts to find comprehensive, inclusive and durable solutions that can adequately address the root causes of systemic discrimination and violence in Myanmar, and to respond to the growing protection crisis and humanitarian needs while strengthening refugee protection efforts in the region for those fleeing persecution and violence. Bangladesh has demonstrated humanitarian commitments and generosity, which must be acknowledged through shared responsibility. More must be done to support the Joint Response Plan and prevent a broader humanitarian crisis. The United Nations is committed to working with all stakeholders, including regional actors, to help resolve the crisis and seek accountability and justice for victims towards a sustainable peace in Rakhine State and all of Myanmar..."
Source/publisher: UN Secretary-General
2023-08-25
Date of entry/update: 2023-08-25
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Description: "On 25 August 2017, the world witnessed the beginning of the forced displacement of more than 750 000 Rohingya people from Rakhine State in Myanmar, fleeing violence and persecution from the Myanmar military. The vast majority of them settled temporarily in the Cox’s Bazar District of Bangladesh, whereas others fled across the region. Six years later, and despite international efforts and calls on Myanmar to create the conditions for their return to their homeland, the crisis is still alive now which is the shame for the international community. Almost half a century has passed since 2017, but Myanmar has not taken back a single Rohingya to their country. Instead, drama has been created around the return at various times. Despite the sincere efforts of the Bangladesh government, Myanmar has always given an ax blow to the possibility of Rohingya return. On November 23, 2017, a 19-point agreement was signed between Bangladesh and Myanmar due to the concerted efforts of the Bangladesh government and international criticism. In the light of that agreement, Myanmar initially plans to take back 3,450 Rohingyas divided into seven groups. The deal did not see the light of day on the issue of proof-of-citizenship. In 2019, the Gambia filed a case against the Myanmar government at the International Court of Justice, which is still ongoing. During the hearing of that case, all their lawyers and counsel, including Aung San Suu Kyi, avoided the word ‘Rohingya’ and their citizenship. Surprising but true, in February 2021 there was a political change in Myanmar, but there was no change in opinion. Rohingya shelter project has been established in Bhasanchar along with Cox’s Bazar to improve the quality of life of Rohingyas on behalf of Bangladesh government. The Bangladesh government is doing everything possible to ensure all the benefits of the Rohingyas. There is little cooperation from Myanmar. There are many questions about the strong role of the international community. On June 18, 2021, the resolution adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on the issue of Myanmar discussed the country’s various problems, especially democratic problems, state of emergency, political prisoners, restoration of democracy, but the issue of Rohingya return did not find a place. Due to the long process of return of Rohingyas, murders, kidnappings, shootings, torture, drug trafficking and other criminal activities are a regular occurrence in the camps. The activity of several armed groups in the camps is an open secret. According to the information of Cox’s Bazar District Police, there are more than 2500 cases against Rohingyas from 2017 to 2022, with more than 5000 accused. More than 10 terrorist groups including Arsa, RSO, Nabi Hussain Group, Munna Group, Dakat Hakim Group are active. It is said that behind these groups are the invisible hands of various groups in Myanmar. On September 29, 2021, Rohingya leader Muhibullah (Master Muhibullah) was killed at around 8:30 pm. He was vocal about the return of the Rohingyas. As a result of the efforts of the Bangladesh government, the issue of Rohingya return is gaining importance at the international level. The Rohingya return process is delayed due to international political turmoil and Myanmar’s indifferent attitude. Among the reasons being used as a political tool behind this delay are citizenship, voluntary return and living conditions for the Rohingya in Myanmar. The 1982 military government barred the Rohingya with the Burma Citizenship Act. Since then, Myanmar has refused to recognize Rohingya as citizens of their country. Myanmar is using Rohingya citizenship as a tool in this return process. The international community has always been silent on the issue of citizenship law. So far, two final attempts to return the Rohingyas have failed due to objections regarding the security of the Rohingyas. In the light of the agreement of November 2017, a joint working committee of the two countries was formed to solve the Rohingya problem in Dhaka on December 19 that year. Then Myanmar started the politics of delay in the name of checking the list. An initial attempt at a comeback in 2018 ended in failure. A Chinese-brokered repatriation initiative failed in 2019, citing concerns that the Rohingya’s environment in Rakhine state is not suitable for return. Negotiations on Rohingya return stalled in February 2021 after Myanmar’s military coup d’état changed the government. However, the hope is that in 2023, China has taken the initiative to continue trying to return the Rohingyas as a mediator between Bangladesh and Myanmar without international intervention. Diplomatic level discussions are already ongoing. However, again two things are left out in this process. The first is the consent of the Rohingya and the second is the place of return. As part of this process, a group of Rohingya went to Rakhine state for the first time in May this year to see if there is a habitable environment. According to the media, after returning to the camp in Cox’s Bazar, some of them agreed to return to Myanmar after seeing the environment there, while others said they did not agree. There is also a demand for all the family members to go back to the original village together. In the early stages, camps or model villages in northern Maungdu and nearby areas of Myanmar came up for repatriation. Just as it is not clear whether all Rohingya family members will be taken in together, Myanmar has given birth to new politics over whether Rohingyas will be taken back to their villages or returned to model villages. Again, whether this return process is delayed by the turmoil of international politics has also given rise to renewed discussions. Especially, after the US plans to set up a resettlement program for the Rohingya came to light. However, the international community should forget all political differences and take the humanitarian aspect into serious consideration and help the Rohingya return immediately. Bangladesh’s top priority is Rohingya repatriation, as more than 1 million Rohingya have been staying here for 6 years. Efforts are underway to repatriate a small group to Rakhine under a pilot project. Bangladesh wants international organizations to help in this. A section of the international community is playing politics with the Rohingyas in the camps in Cox’s Bazar. Due to this, their repatriation process is becoming difficult at times. The international community and the great powers did little to pressurize the Junta to repatriate the Rohingya. Prior to Junta, the international community also failed to convince the democratic government to repatriate the Rohingya and bring the perpetrators to justice. Bangladesh has tried bilaterally, trilaterally, and multilaterally for the past six years for a viable solution. It has left no stone unturned, yet found nothing. Bangladesh eagerly wants to explore the initiative as something is better than nothing. Owing to bilateral political, economic, connectivity, and economic issues, Bangladesh itself has to solve the problem. While Bangladesh is trying heart and soul to repatriate the Rohingya to their birthplace, the NGOs are not doing enough for the most persecuted community of its time. Advocacy networks such as UNHCR, HRW, and Amnesty International failed to create effective pressure on Myanmar. Like the NGOs, the Great powers also failed to pressurize Myanmar effectively. The declining fund, deteriorating camp conditions, growing insecurity, and adverse impact of the refugees on the host community have made Bangladesh a desperate host looking for reducing the burden, where its international partners are only performing their formal duties within a set boundary. This crisis is also destabilizing regional security. It is important to note that aid for the Rohingya is decreasing daily. The current Ukraine conflict has the entire world on edge. Although the world community has lost sight of the Rohingya humanitarian issue as a result of the war in Ukraine. Furthermore, it also has the responsibility of international community to provide an external guarantee for Rohingya’s safety upon repatriation..."
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Source/publisher: Eurasia Review
2023-08-21
Date of entry/update: 2023-08-21
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Sub-title: No Justice, Freedom Since 2017 Atrocities
Description: "(Bangkok) – One million Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh face little prospect of safely returning home, six years since the Myanmar military launched a campaign of mass atrocities in Rakhine State on August 25, 2017, Human Rights Watch said today. The United Nations Security Council has failed to hold Myanmar’s generals accountable for crimes against humanity and acts of genocide against the Rohingya. Over 730,000 Rohingya who fled to Bangladesh in 2017 now live in sprawling, overcrowded camps under growing restrictions by the authorities and spiraling violence by armed groups. About 600,000 Rohingya remain in Myanmar, effectively detained by junta authorities under a system of apartheid. “Rohingya on both sides of the Myanmar-Bangladesh border are trapped in stateless purgatory, denied their most basic rights, awaiting justice and the chance to go home,” said Shayna Bauchner, Asia researcher at Human Rights Watch. “Instead of addressing these issues head on, UN Security Council inaction and government aid cutbacks are leaving Rohingya in even more desperate straits.” Rohingya in both Bangladesh and Myanmar describe a pervasive sense of hopelessness that grows each year as restrictions increase and conditions deteriorate on both sides of the border, Human Rights Watch said. Since the February 1, 2021 military coup in Myanmar, security forces have arrested thousands of Rohingya for “unauthorized travel” and imposed new movement restrictions and aid blockages on Rohingya camps and villages. The junta’s systematic abuses against the Rohingya amount to the crimes against humanity of apartheid, persecution, and deprivation of liberty. More than three months since the deadly Cyclone Mocha struck Rakhine State, the junta continues to block lifesaving humanitarian aid, including urgently needed medical care for communities experiencing dengue and malaria outbreaks. Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh describe new barriers to education, livelihoods, and movement that are similar to the restrictions they faced in Myanmar. Bangladesh authorities have also moved about 30,000 Rohingya to the isolated silt island Bhasan Char, where they face movement restrictions and food and medicine shortages. Without recognized legal status in Bangladesh, Rohingya refugees are on a precarious footing under domestic law, making them vulnerable to rights violations. “We have lost six years here,” a Rohingya woman told Human Rights Watch. “I am human. Why have I been treated this way throughout my life? I have millions of these thoughts every day.” Amid surging violence by armed groups and criminal gangs in the camps, Bangladesh authorities are failing to provide protection, maintain security, or prosecute those responsible. Refugees report facing layers of barriers to police, legal, and medical assistance. Bangladesh authorities have imposed restrictions on community-led schools since December 2021. “The prolonged refugee situation, lack of access to education and work, and ongoing violence are leaving us hopeless,” a Rohingya community leader said. “We are struggling to see a way out. We want to build better lives but can’t. The lack of education is keeping us from building skills and knowledge. The education gap in our community is growing.” Camp authorities have recently resumed harassing and evicting Rohingya shop owners, including destroying their stores, a practice that began in December 2021. “First they surround us with fencing, now they’re shutting down our small businesses and stopping us from going outside to work,” one refugee said. “They also stopped local vehicles from operating in the camps, which was the only way that some older people, pregnant women, and people with medical crises could move around. Now we have to walk four to five kilometers just to collect rations.” The 2023 UN Joint Response Plan for the Rohingya humanitarian crisis has received less than one-third of the US$876 million sought in donor contributions. The funding shortfall has led the World Food Programme (WFP) to cut Rohingya food rations by a third since February, down from $12 to only $8 a month, increasing malnutrition, disease, and desperation among refugees. Rohingya and humanitarian workers report that the ration cuts are already having medical and social consequences. “With the ration cuts, we don’t have enough food to serve ourselves,” a Rohingya volunteer said. “Think about the little kids in our families or the pregnant women. They’re all affected.” Donors, including the United States, United Kingdom, European Union, and Australia, should increase funding and pressure to meet the needs of the Rohingya refugee population. They should urge Bangladesh to reverse its restrictions so that refugees have access to the necessary tools for rebuilding their lives. Countries should also increase resettlement opportunities for Rohingya, particularly those who have been targeted by armed groups, who not only fear persecution at home in Myanmar but also threats to their lives in the camps. The prospect of durable, voluntary returns has grown ever more distant since the military coup in Myanmar, carried out by the same generals who orchestrated the 2017 mass atrocities. Bangladesh authorities contend that the repatriation of Rohingya is the only solution. The government has initiated steps with the Myanmar junta to return Rohingya to Rakhine State under a pilot project that has been marked by coercion and deception. The UN and concerned governments should continue to underscore that conditions for the safe, sustainable, and dignified return of Rohingya do not currently exist. Rohingya refugees have consistently said they want to go home, but only when their security, access to land and livelihoods, freedom of movement, and citizenship rights can be ensured. “The toll of displacement has tested our resilience and strength over these six years,” one refugee said. “I dream of being able to go back to my own country Myanmar, to my village and home, with full rights of citizenship and everything else that a person deserves.” The international response to the 2017 atrocities was fragmented and halting, with the UN Security Council doing little more than issuing a handful of statements. The council should take concrete, meaningful action, including instituting a global arms embargo, referring the country situation to the International Criminal Court (ICC), and imposing targeted sanctions on junta leadership and military-owned companies. “Moving ahead with repatriating Rohingya now would mean sending refugees back to the control of a ruthless and repressive junta, setting the stage for the next devastating exodus,” Bauchner said. “Building conditions for the voluntary, safe, and dignified return of Rohingya will need a coordinated international response to establish rights-respecting civilian rule in Myanmar and achieve justice for past atrocities.”..."
Source/publisher: "Human Rights Watch" (USA)
2023-08-20
Date of entry/update: 2023-08-20
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Sub-title: Even if they go back to their homeland, what exactly is awaiting them there?
Description: "The recent indication by Chinese Special Envoy for Asian Affairs, Deng Xijun, that the Rohingya may be taken back to their own villages should come as a welcome news for both the one million or so Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh and for the host country itself. The majority of the refugees have been stranded here since the 2017 attacks by Myanmar's state forces which led to the killing of more than 24,000 Rohingya Muslims and exodus of more than 700,000 victims. While Bangladesh has tried its best to shelter the vulnerable and unprotected refugees, their living conditions in the sprawling camps in Cox's Bazar have not been ideal. Starting from unhygienic sanitation conditions, to lack of economic opportunities forcing some refugees into illegal activities (including prostitution), to subpar security measures resulting in regular infighting between groups and killings of Rohingya leaders (including the brutal assassination of Mohib Ullah by criminals linked to the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army), the Rohingya have been surviving in dire conditions. To add to this, the recent monthly food aid slash by the World Food Programme (WFP), first from $12 to $10 per person in March 2023, and then from $10 to $8 (effective from June 1), has made life even more difficult for the refugees. On its part, the WFP has cited declining global aid for refugees. Indeed, foreign aid for the Rohingya has dwindled over time. For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. China deserves thanks for assuming a leadership role in driving the repatriation discussion with Myanmar, and the Bangladesh government's positive response in this matter should also be appreciated. However, we urge the Chinese and Bangladeshi governments to ensure the rights and security of the Rohingya population in Myanmar before their repatriation. Between 2017 and 2019, international humanitarian assistance accounted for 73 percent, 72 percent, and 75 percent, respectively, of the funds needed to sustain the Rohingya. In 2022, this plummeted to 49 percent of the amount required. As of June 2023, against a yearly Joint Response Plan appeal of $876 million, only 24 percent could be assured. This has added pressure on Bangladesh and, coupled with its ongoing economic ailments, made it difficult for the country to support the lives and livelihoods of the million refugees. Six years on, a solution to the Rohingya crisis is still elusive The Rohingya are also desperate to escape these squalid living conditions and the restrained life of the camps. Every year, an increasing number of hopeless Rohingya refugees are paying human traffickers in search of livelihood opportunities abroad. And, inevitably, many of them are perishing in the merciless seas. According to the United Nations, in 2022 alone, more than 348 Rohingya refugees fell victim to deadly sea voyages. In fact, out of desperation, many of the refugees are now willing to go back to Myanmar even without any assurances from the Myanmar junta of their safety. To this end, demonstrations have also been taking place. According to an Al Jazeera report, one placard read: "No more refugee life. No verification. No scrutiny. No interview. We want quick repatriation through UNHCR data cards. We want to go back to our motherland." The same report also quoted a protester as saying that they will have to "steal food for survival" if things keep going south. Rohingya repatriation Read more Prioritise the Rohingya’s safety and well-being But the question remains: even if they go back to their homeland, what exactly is awaiting them there? Most of their villages have been razed to the ground by the Myanmar military, even before the military takeover in 2021. As early as 2019, it was reported by the BBC that the villages were being cleared to make space for military and government infrastructure. Since 2017, more than 400 villages have reportedly been cleared. In the process, the Myanmar military has also renamed some of the places to remove any trace of the Rohingya belonging there. The issue of the Rohingya's citizenship also remains disputed. While the Rohingya – as people of Myanmar – should be given citizenship, the Myanmar regime is still suggesting that they will only be provided with a National Verification Card (NVC), at least for now. To put the Rohingya's citizenship issue into context: for decades, the predominantly Buddhist Myanmar population has nurtured an exclusionist approach towards the Muslim Rohingya and other minority groups. This surfaced prominently after General Ne Win grabbed power in 1962. After the coup, all attempts previously made to recognise Rohingya's citizenship, including official documents and any such guideline to make citizenship inclusive in the 1948 constitution, were rejected by the regime, resulting in the Rohingya's statelessness. Later, in the 1974 Myanmar constitution, the ethnic groups lost their recognition. And the Citizenship Law of 1982 ensured that the Rohingya lost all claim to Myanmar citizenship, in any form (full, associate, or naturalised), although their existence in Myanmar could be traced back to before 1823. The 1982 law stated that only children of the "national races" will be considered full citizens of the country, and the Rohingya certainly did not fall under the category. Now, citing this infamous and controversial law, Myanmar is trying to deny the Rohingya their right to citizenship in their motherland. There is also the unresolved issue of guaranteeing the safety of Rohingya once they go back to their country. One might recall how the 1978 military operation against the Rohingya, termed Operation Dragon King, forced more than 200,000 Rohingya to flee Myanmar. Ever since then, thousands of Rohingya have fallen victim to the nefarious genocidal and ethnic cleansing drives of the Myanmar military, even during the so-called democratic regime of Aung San Suu Kyi. What guarantee is there that the Rohingya will not be subjected to slow, covert killing by the same military junta, after their return to Myanmar? Without legislative measures or a formal written guarantee – to Bangladesh and international bodies such as the UN and other global players with influence over the Myanmar junta – ensuring the security of the Rohingya post-repatriation, it would be highly irresponsible on the host country's part to agree to the repatriation of the refugees. As Bangladesh had suggested in 2017, to stop the ethnic cleansing and genocide of the Rohingya population and other minority groups, UN-monitored "safe zones" could be created in Myanmar. Perhaps even UN peacekeepers, consisting of troops from neighbouring countries – Bangladesh, India and China, who are well aware of geopolitical realities and the historical sensitivities involved – could be deployed to protect the minority civilians in these safe zones. They could be tasked with monitoring and observing peace processes in post-conflict areas, providing security to civilians and UN personnel, apart from other responsibilities. As per standard international protocol, the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees should be given free access to the returnees and the repatriation document outlining every essential detail should be reviewed and signed by the UNHCR. China deserves thanks for assuming a leadership role in driving the repatriation discussion with Myanmar, and the Bangladesh government's positive response in this matter should also be appreciated. However, we urge the Chinese and Bangladeshi governments to ensure the rights and security of the Rohingya population in Myanmar before their repatriation. And any such repatriation should be conducted under complete international monitoring and as per standard protocol. Myanmar's ruling junta must also be urged to be considerate of the current realities and give the Rohingya their right to citizenship and a dignified life in Myanmar. It is in the interest of the greater Asian region that the Rohingya be helped to return to their homeland, where they belong. And all of us must work together to ensure this..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: "Daily Star" (London)
2023-08-09
Date of entry/update: 2023-08-09
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Description: "Worldwide refugee crises have taken center stage in the news in recent years. According to the UNHCR report, there are currently 110 million refugees worldwide, compared to 100 million in 2022. The report also said that the number of refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) worldwide remained stable at 40 million for two decades until 2011, but this number has almost tripled due to the Syrian crisis in 2011 and various events in recent years. The re-establishment of Taliban rule in Afghanistan in 2021, the war in Ukraine in 2022, and finally the civil war in Sudan on April 15 this year have exacerbated the refugee crisis. A refugee is a person or persons who have sought refuge from their own country to a neighboring or foreign country due to social or political discrimination and who fear loss of life or persecution upon returning to their country. They are called refugees in international law. Internationally, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) takes care of refugees in coordination with the concerned country or countries. This year, on the occasion of the World Refugee Day (June 20), UNHCR head (High Commissioner) Filippo Grandi said the number of refugees around the world is increasing at an alarming rate. He expressed concern and said that violence among people is increasing. He lamented that we live in a polarized world where international tensions dismiss all humanitarian issues. There is a growing laxity among countries in following the principles of the 1951 Refugee Convention, even among many signatories to that convention.’ Currently, the number of displaced Myanmar nationals (Rohingya) residing in Cox’s Bazar and Noakhali in Bangladesh is said to be 9 lakh, but with the addition of 30,000 new births every year, this number will exceed 12 lakh in 2022. However, Bangladesh does not recognize these Rohingya as refugees and calls them Forcefully Displaced Myanmar Nationals (FDMN). Even though the Rohingya crisis that has been going on since 2017 has been going on for almost 6 years, it can be said without hesitation that there is no visible progress in resolving it, i.e., repatriation to Myanmar. At different times, the representatives of different countries and international organizations during their visits to Bangladesh have traditionally only heard the message of hope. During a visit to Cox’s Bazar on March 30, Senior Vice President for US Development Daniel Runde said that the US is serious about solving the Rohingya problem. He said that the United States is working with the international community for a sustainable solution to the Rohingya problem. Meanwhile, in mid-April, an impromptu meeting on the Chinese-mediated repatriation of the Rohingya was held in Kunming, where officials from the foreign ministries of Bangladesh, Myanmar, and China participated. A 27-member team, including 20 Rohingyas, visited Maungdaw in Myanmar’s Rakhine state on May 5 to boost the Rohingyas’ confidence and interest in repatriation. They visited various villages and transit centers in Maungdaw city and spoke to the Rohingyas there. From their reactions, it can be understood that all those hoping for repatriation are optimistic. Meanwhile, as time goes on, there is increasing uncertainty about the continuation of humanitarian aid for the Rohingya. The reason for this is the prolongation of the Rohingya’s stay and the creation of new humanitarian crises around the world. Humanitarian services for the Rohingya are challenged to continue at the same level while providing funding for the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, the war in Ukraine, the floods in Pakistan, the earthquake in Turkey, the civil war in Sudan, the food crisis in Africa, etc. The 2022 report of the United Nations Office in Dhaka, published on April 4, feared a financial crisis in 2023 with Rohingya aid. On June 1, the United Nations cut the per capita allocation for the Rohingya to $8 for the second time in a year, from $12 earlier this year. The UN said it had to take this step as funding sources for the Rohingya continued to dwindle. As of June 1, only 24 percent had been pledged against the UN’s $876 million aid appeal for 2023. On the other hand, it is not possible for Bangladesh to bear the pressure of more than 12 lakh Rohingya indefinitely. Although the government has sheltered these Rohingyas for humanitarian reasons, there is practically no regional or international initiative to repatriate them. Although the government has been vocal about the Rohingya issue in bilateral discussions and various national and international forums, world leaders are not seen as active in solving the problem; rather, the matter is still limited to assurances. During the Prime Minister’s visit to Geneva last week, when UNHCR chief Filippo Grandi met him, the Prime Minister called for creating a favorable environment for the return of the Rohingyas to the country. Grundy reiterated UNHCR’s support for Bangladesh on repatriation but acknowledged its limitations. Meanwhile, the joint working group (JWG) of Bangladesh and Myanmar on the issue of Rohingya repatriation was held in June 2022, after three years. Most of the world’s refugee camps are long-term destinations for refugees, and their inhabitants are travelers on an uncertain path. Refugees in Bangladesh (Rohingya) have been living inhumane lives in confined spaces for a minimum of 6 years and a maximum of 30 years. Syrian refugees have been in Turkey and other countries for more than a decade. The Afghan refugee crisis in Pakistan and Iran has been ongoing since the 1990s. During the post-Afghan war (2001–2002) that began after the 9-11 (2001) attacks by the United States, Afghan refugees took shelter in Pakistan, where 36 million refugees were already stayed since the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in the 1990s. Half of these refugees scattered across the world are children (under 18), who face an uncertain future without formal education. According to international law, no refugee may be forced to return to their home country, where they are at risk of further persecution. In parallel, as a populous country, it is not possible for Bangladesh to shelter refugees or displaced Rohingyas staying in the country for a long period of time in accordance with international standards. Apart from this, due to the delay in their repatriation, various social disturbances are occurring frequently. Incidents of violence and conflict are frequent inside and outside the camps, which is alarming. In addition, Rohingyas often spread outside the camps, even to different parts of the country, and get involved in illegal activities. We must not only sympathize with the plight of refugees. The forces that are creating this situation must be held accountable. Public opinion should be created in favor of refugees in the domestic and international arenas. The sooner the repatriation of Rohingyas is possible, the better for Rohingyas and their host countries. Sustainable repatriation through bilateral and international diplomatic efforts is the only solution to this crisis. So, the role of rich countries cannot be ignored; big countrie must work earnestly to solve the refugee problem..."
Source/publisher: Eurasia Review
2023-07-16
Date of entry/update: 2023-07-16
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Description: "14 July 2023: The member States of the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council and broader international community must do far more to support the struggle for human rights and democracy in Myanmar if they are genuine about wanting to facilitate the voluntary, safe, dignified and sustainable repatriation of Rohingya refugees, says the Special Advisory Council for Myanmar (SAC-M). The UN Human Rights Council adopted resolution A/HRC/53/L.30 on the “Situation of human rights of Rohingya Muslims and other minorities in Myanmar” on 14 July 2023. The resolution urges “Myanmar” to immediately commence the voluntary, safe, dignified and sustainable repatriation of all forcibly displaced Rohingya from Bangladesh (OP32), among other calls. This contradicts earlier statements in the resolution that recognise the lack of tangible progress in creating conditions in Myanmar conducive to repatriation. “A UN Human Rights Council resolution should be concerned with human rights – in this case, the human rights of the Rohingya. Instead, resolution A/HRC/53/L.30 appears to be more concerned with normalising premature and dangerous initiatives to bring about their repatriation,” said Yanghee Lee of SAC-M. “Rohingya refugee communities have made it very clear that they do not want to return to Myanmar before their rights are guaranteed and their citizenship restored. That should be the focus of the Human Rights Council.” The Government of Bangladesh has recently been cooperating with the military junta in Myanmar to implement a so-called repatriation pilot scheme, that has involved members of the junta visiting the refugee camps in Bangladesh and several Rohingya refugees visiting a repatriation facility in Myanmar. Rohingya who took part in the so-called ‘go-and-see’ visit concluded they would not return to Myanmar under the arrangement as suitable conditions do not exist. UN agencies have provided practical assistance to the scheme, despite the UN Refugee Agency expressing a position that conditions for sustainable repatriation do not exist – an assessment also publicly stated by the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, and the UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights during the current 53rd Regular Session of the Human Rights Council. Rohingya living in Myanmar, primarily in Rakhine State, are subjected to a systematic violation of their rights that may amount to genocide. The discriminatory 1982 Citizenship Law effectively deprives the Rohingya of full citizenship. Rohingya are also denied freedom of movement, including 120,000 people who have been confined to camps in central Rakhine for eleven years. The military systematically denies international actors access to Rohingya communities in need of humanitarian assistance, most recently in the wake of devastation caused by Cyclone Mocha in May. “Myanmar is right now in the midst of a fully-fledged national liberation movement to free the whole country from the externally abetted tyranny of the military,” said Marzuki Darusman of SAC-M. “That is the same military that perpetrated the atrocities against the Rohingya in 2016 and 2017, seeking to re-impose the same constitutional framework that enabled their persecution for generations. The cause of the Rohingya is the cause of Myanmar. The two cannot be divorced from one another.” The crisis in Myanmar has worsened throughout 2023. The military junta has increased its use of airstrikes against civilians and civilian infrastructure as it cedes control on the ground to the increasingly organised democratic resistance. The Myanmar people have received little support from the international community in their efforts to resist the military’s attacks and establish a peaceful federal democracy. The military junta, meanwhile, continues to receive weapons and strategic supplies from UN member States, financial support from its network of business interests and crony companies, and has control over when, where and how desperately needed international humanitarian relief can enter the country. “Any genuine initiative on the part of the international community to facilitate the repatriation of Rohingya refugees to Myanmar, and, indeed, all refugees and internally displaced persons that have fled the military’s decades of violence, will require a far greater effort to support the democratic movement inside the country,” said Chris Sidoti of SAC-M. “That means expediting accountability through the International Criminal Court, strengthening sanctions regimes and arms embargoes, and providing humanitarian, diplomatic, financial and technical support to the people through the National Unity Government, National Unity Consultative Council, Ethnic Resistance Organisations and civil society.”..."
Source/publisher: Special Advisory Council for Myanmar
2023-07-14
Date of entry/update: 2023-07-14
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Description: "Mukesh Kapila I clung atop a palm tree praying furiously while cyclonic winds threatened to whip me away. It was the early 1970s and I was a humanitarian volunteer on Moudubi island in the Bay of Bengal. I was teaching and living in the island’s ramshackle school. That first visit to Bangladesh was in the dark shadow of its 1971 Liberation War which saw three million killed in genocidal atrocities. It was soon after Supercyclone Bhola had already cost 0.5 million lives in 1970. Fully expecting that by now the island would have disappeared under rising seas, I am heartened to see just the opposite. A google-maps flyover reveals a bustling Moudubi and a lively Facebook page extols my former school’s many achievements. The plucky survival of this tiny speck is a metaphor for a nation once described as a “basket case” meriting just a two-hour stop-over by US Secretary of State, Henry Kissinger. Today Bangladesh is a lower-middle-income country. It’s 169 million people have seen poverty headcount halve and income jump to US$2500 per capita (in current dollars) from US$400 at the Millennium. Many more Bangladeshi children survive birth, grow up healthy and educated to live longer and productively. The nation has got better at coping with frequent disasters and its population will stabilise by mid-century as growth rate falls below 1% annually. But it still ranks modestly at 129th (out of 191 ) on the Human Development Index and its resilience is under test. It is the sixth most climate-vulnerable country, even as it confronts many social, economic, and political challenges, in common with other developing countries. I returned many times to see how Bangladesh navigates an increasingly perilous world. This was in different official capacities in the British government, International Red Cross Red Crescent, and United Nations I learnt that key was the grim determination and natural resourcefulness of its people. Also the supportive partnerships its government has built with many nations and international organisations to attract aid, trade, and financial investment. My latest visit took me to Cox’s Bazar. Recalling the darkest days of the 1970s when 10 million Bangladeshis found safety in India, it is Bangladesh’s turn now to provide a safe haven for one million Rohingya fleeing Myanmar. Cox’s Bazar is the world’s largest refugee settlement and the Rohingya live in some 33 heavily-congested camps that are frequently devastated by fires, cyclones flooding, and disease outbreaks. Nevertheless, it is an enterprising and energising place. Bangladeshis are naturally generous and the authorities have diverted significant national resources to help the Rohingya while facilitating some 100 countries, international organizations, philanthropies and NGOs to come and bolster Bangladesh’s own humanitarian endeavors. I saw that despite the challenging and fragile physical environment, commendable efforts addressed critical refugee needs starting with infrastructure for shelter, sanitation, and clean water. Healthcare facilities provide clinical services, immunizations, maternal and childcare. Tackling malnutrition and preventing communicable diseases get special attention. In an echo of Bangladesh’s own development journey, fostering hope, empowering communities, and rebuilding productive lives are recognised as important to enhance future prospects for the refugees. Learning centres provide basic education, vocational training and skills development to thousands of refugee children and youth. Bangladesh has also established legal aid services to guide refugees seeking justice and protection in collaboration with international partners. That includes registering and documenting all refugees to further safeguard their rights. The Rohingya have been fleeing Myanmar for at least 50 years, with big purges in 1978, 1992, 2012, and the biggestever exodus in 2016. No one becomes a refugee out of choice, and none want to stay exiled longer than necessary. Neither do they wish to depend on the charity of others. “We don’t want to be confined in camps. We want to get back our land, and we will build our own houses there,” said Oli Hossain. Another refugee, Abu Sufian, added that “We want nothing but a safe, voluntary, dignified, and sustainable repatriation.” Rohingya prospects were discussed recently in Geneva between Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi. Long-term solutions require most refugees to eventually return home with a minority settling permanently in Bangladesh or third countries. The Muslim Rohingya fled their Buddhist-dominated homeland in Rakhine state where they had lived for centuries because the Myanmar state and military denied their ethnic identity, cancelled their citizenship and inflicted terrible violence and atrocities that are alleged as genocide in a case working its way through the International Court of Justice. There are no prospects of meaningful Rohingya returns while Myanmar’s repressive regime continues and the nation remains embroiled in other internal conflicts. Overall, these have forcibly displaced around 3 million Myanmar people, mostly minorities living at the periphery of this vast nation. Re-settlement in other countries is relatively modest. Malaysia hosts around 150,000 Rohingya, Thailand nearly 100,000, and small numbers live precariously in India, Nepal, and Indonesia. Hundreds of fleeing Rohingya have lost their lives in perilous sea crossings. Safer migration and re-settlement in Asia-Pacific or in the West should be possible if nations act in solidarity according to their Refugee Convention obligations. The energy and enterprise of the Rohingya make them an asset to any country that admits them. The global refugee system is heavily-stretched, and a refugee may, on average, spend twenty years in limbo before finding a durable solution. That is both inhumane and a waste of human resources. Recognising that most of the Rohingya are likely to stay in Bangladesh for some time before returning home means helping the Bangladesh authorities and international agencies to care for them in a more sustained manner. Also, enabling the refugees to depend less on humanitarian aid and contribute more to their host country’s economy and development. Fairness also requires helping the approximately 538,000 local Bangladeshi population to benefit equitably from hosting their Rohingya guests. De-congesting Cox’s Bazar by voluntarily relocating some of the Rohingya to safe parts of the country can ease and distribute the burden. But the challenges are considerable. The Rohingya Humanitarian Response Plan of the United Nations and partners seeks US$875.9 million for 2023 of which only 28% had been received at mid-year. Recently, Rohingya food rations have had to be cut… again and again. Discontent and insecurity are to be feared in a geopolitically sensitive part of the world. Of course, there is also much pain and suffering in other parts of the world. But there are still enough resources to go around even under current difficult global scenarios. The world’s dispossessed should not be put into undignified competition with each other. Neither Bangladesh nor the Rohingya should be left alone and the international community must be more generous in playing its part. This can be a collective win-win and breathe genuine meaning into this year’s World Refugee Day slogan to bring “hope away from home”..."
Source/publisher: E-International Relations
2023-07-13
Date of entry/update: 2023-07-13
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Sub-title: Restrictions on Humanitarian Access, Supplies, Movement Threaten Millions
Description: "The Myanmar junta’s increasing obstruction of humanitarian aid in the month since Cyclone Mocha has put thousands of lives at immediate risk and endangered millions of people. The junta’s aid blockages have hindered every aspect of the cyclone response and turned an extreme weather event into a man-made catastrophe. Governments should press the junta to lift all restrictions on aid delivery without relenting on the need to hold junta officials responsible for their ongoing human rights abuses. (Bangkok) – The Myanmar junta’s increasing obstruction of humanitarian aid in the month since Cyclone Mocha has put thousands of lives at immediate risk and endangered millions of people, Human Rights Watch said today. Since the cyclone made landfall on May 14, 2023, junta authorities have refused to authorize travel and visas for aid workers, release urgent supplies from customs and warehouses, or relax onerous and unnecessary restrictions on lifesaving assistance. The persistence of Cyclone Mocha’s damage and resulting illness and deaths reflect the junta’s new as well as existing restrictions on aid. Donors, regional bodies, and the United Nations should press the junta to lift all restrictions on aid delivery without relenting on the need to hold junta officials responsible for past and ongoing human rights abuses. “The junta’s moves to block aid have turned an extreme weather event into a man-made catastrophe,” said Shayna Bauchner, Asia researcher at Human Rights Watch. “Donors should press the junta to drop their politically motivated obstruction and allow desperately needed aid to reach all cyclone survivors.” Cyclone Mocha was one of the strongest cyclones to ever hit the region, with maximum sustained winds of 250 kilometers per hour leaving a trail of destruction. The UN estimates that 7.9 million people were affected, with 1.6 million in need of urgent aid across 5 Myanmar states and regions, Rakhine, Chin, Sagaing, Magway, and Kachin. Hundreds were killed and hundreds of thousands of buildings damaged. Telecommunication outages have delayed outreach and needs assessments, further isolating communities. Human Rights Watch interviewed aid workers and people in affected communities who described how the junta’s failed relief response has been deliberate. Humanitarian aid staff, who asked that their names not be used for fear of junta retribution, told Human Rights Watch that since the cyclone, the junta’s access restrictions have hindered their agencies’ ability to conduct needs assessments, distribute relief supplies, and provide emergency medical care. Many aid workers, local activists, and villagers expressed the view that the junta was seeking to use the cyclone response to legitimize and bolster its control. On June 8, after weeks of appeals by humanitarian organizations for unrestricted access, the junta formalized its obstruction by issuing a blanket suspension of travel authorizations for aid groups in Rakhine State, reversing initial approvals granted in early June. The ban followed a letter requiring the UN and international nongovernmental organizations (INGOs) to hand over all domestic distribution of relief supplies to junta authorities. Meanwhile, villagers have continued to report massive levels of unaddressed needs, including destroyed shelters, injuries and waterborne illnesses, malnourishment, and lack of access to food and clean water. “It is unfathomable that humanitarians are being denied access to support people in need,” the acting UN resident and humanitarian coordinator, Ramanathan Balakrishnan, said following the suspension. “Just when vulnerable communities need our help the most, we have been forced to stop distributions of food, drinking water, and shelter supplies. This denial of access unnecessarily prolongs the suffering of those without food to eat or a roof over their head.” The junta named 18 generals to oversee “rehabilitation processes” in disaster-affected townships, led by the junta’s deputy prime minister, Adm. Tin Aung San, and its minister of border affairs, Lt. Gen. Tun Tun Naung, both of whom are sanctioned by the United States, European Union, and Canada. The generals assigned to townships in Rakhine State include Brig. Gen. Sunny Ohn, who served as deputy commander in Rakhine State during the military’s 2017 campaign of crimes against humanity and acts of genocide against the Rohingya, and Lt. Gen. Aye Win, who led two investigations in 2017 that covered up military atrocities. The junta’s actions have been felt by those in need. “The junta isn’t doing anything on its own and won’t let international organizations help,” a Rohingya man from Thae Chaung camp in Rakhine State told Human Rights Watch. “Why they’re doing that, I don’t understand. Children are suffering. We need shelter, we need food, we need medical support. The monsoon season is just starting. We fear more rain.” The junta’s interference in relief operations disregards multiple international calls regarding humanitarian aid, most notably the five-point consensus from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the December 2022 UN Security Council resolution, which urged “full, safe and unhindered humanitarian access.” The junta’s grave violations of international human rights and humanitarian law have only increased since the December resolution. The Security Council should urgently pass a follow-up resolution instituting a global arms embargo, referring the situation to the International Criminal Court, and imposing sanctions on the junta leadership and military-owned businesses. The global humanitarian response has received only 15 percent of the US$887 million needed for the year, $333 million of which is earmarked for the cyclone response. Donors should increase funding while seeking ways to channel aid through local civil society groups, rather than through junta authorities, given the military’s track record of corruption and misuse of disaster assistance funding and material. Effective aid delivery hinges on engaging local partners that have the networks and experience to navigate a difficult environment, Human Rights Watch said. “Governments seeking to help the people of Myanmar facing this or future humanitarian crises need to recognize that the military junta will only be a dangerous obstacle to reaching that goal,” Bauchner said. “The lives of countless thousands of people across the country are at risk because of generals who are determined to maintain their tight grip on power at any cost.” Humanitarian Catastrophe Since the February 2021 military coup, Myanmar’s junta has carried out a nationwide campaign of crimes against humanity and war crimes, deliberately blocking aid from reaching millions at risk, as a form of collective punishment. The blockages sustain the military’s longstanding “four cuts” strategy, in which the armed forces maintain control of an area by isolating and terrorizing the civilian population. One week before Cyclone Mocha, the UN Children’s Fund, UNICEF, reported that “humanitarian access continues to deteriorate because of bureaucracy, multiple checkpoints, movement restrictions, conflicts and roadblocks.” The number of people needing assistance in the country has grown from 1 million before the coup to 17.6 million, according to the UN, with almost half the population now living below the national poverty line. About 1.2 million people displaced by conflict and insecurity were living in areas affected by the storm. Since the coup, the junta has arrested hundreds of local aid and healthcare workers. In October 2022, it imposed a new Organization Registration Law requiring domestic and international organizations to register with the junta and submit quarterly updates on their activities, with criminal penalties of up to five years in prison for failing to comply. The law prohibits organizations from direct or indirect contact with any opposition groups, and requires organizations seeking to deliver emergency disaster relief to obtain approval from local junta administrators by submitting information on funding, materials, and proposed projects. The junta’s obstruction of aid violates international human rights law obligations regarding the rights to life, health, and shelter. All parties to an armed conflict are obligated to facilitate rapid and unimpeded impartial humanitarian assistance to all civilians in need, and are forbidden from withholding consent for relief operations on arbitrary grounds. Expert guidance commissioned by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) states that in exceptional situations, such as when a country is unlawfully impeding lifesaving assistance, international organizations may, without the country’s consent, “conduct temporary humanitarian relief operations to bring life-saving supplies to a people in extreme need, when no alternatives exist,” and when they would not “seriously impair the territorial integrity of the state.” Inadequate Warning Authorities were effectively detaining about 600,000 Rohingya in camps and villages when the storm hit Rakhine State, having long denied them freedom of movement and other basic rights, amounting to a system of apartheid. Rohingya told Human Rights Watch that while local junta authorities made evacuation announcements a few days before the cyclone, they provided little support to find shelter or transportation, and did not adequately communicate the storm’s risks. Some Rohingya said they tried to take shelter at Sittwe University and in other concrete buildings but returned home because the sites were full. “Authorities made an announcement about an incoming cyclone but they didn’t tell us how devastating it could be,” a Rohingya man living in Rakhine’s Dar Paing camp said. “They just told people to leave their homes, but didn’t say where to go. No one from the junta or NGOs came to help move people. So people stayed in their shelters and were injured or died. We thought it would be like the other storms we face every year. We never realized it would be so catastrophic.” From Rakhine State, the cyclone moved inland to the country’s northwest, where the civilian population has faced military attacks, displacement, movement restrictions, and internet shutdowns for over two years. Villagers from Matupi, Kanpetlet, and Mindat townships in Chin State, all under martial law, reported that the junta closed major roads after the cyclone hit. In Sagaing and Magway Regions, where almost a million people have been displaced by airstrikes and fighting since the coup, flooding has destroyed large swathes of farmland, while shifting landmines and unexploded ordnance increased the risk to villagers. Post-Cyclone Blocking of Aid The junta’s restrictions on access, movement, banking, and the import and transport of critical nutrition, housing, and medical supplies have hindered every aspect of the cyclone response. In early May, in preparation for the cyclone, international agencies submitted travel authorization requests for pre-approval, a highly bureaucratic and arbitrary process. For weeks, the junta delayed issuing new travel authorizations and visas for emergency relief staff and experts, leaving many groups reliant on local partners and existing field staff who themselves were affected by the cyclone. Following negotiations, some travel authorizations were issued in early June, only to be revoked in the June 8 order blocking all existing access for aid groups in Rakhine State. “The humanitarian access situation in cyclone-hit Rakhine State has deteriorated,” OCHA reported on June 9. “The suspension of access in Rakhine brings a stop to activities that have been reaching hundreds of thousands of people.” Humanitarian staff reported that some access requests were briefly approved by state-level junta authorities before being overturned by the junta in the capital, Naypyidaw. OCHA, which is coordinating the emergency response, submitted a detailed two-week plan for the transport and distribution of supplies in Rakhine and Chin States to junta authorities in Naypyidaw the week of May 22. After weeks with no response, OCHA reported on June 9 that “initial approval for humanitarian distribution and transport plans across 11 townships have also been rescinded.” On June 7, the junta issued a letter to the UN asserting that beyond Yangon, Myanmar’s largest city, all domestic distribution of relief supplies would be managed by the relevant state-level junta authorities. The junta has claimed that it is overseeing an extensive, effective disaster response. Junta spokesman Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun told the BBC that the junta “has allowed local and international organizations helping recovery efforts in line with rules and regulations.” A junta diplomat in Thailand claimed baselessly in an opinion article that the junta’s early warning system and relief efforts have demonstrated its “management capability, efficient action, and ability to plan long-term.” Residents from coastal Rakhine State said there was no support for search-and-rescue operations after the storm. “How many are still missing, no one knows,” the man from Thae Chaung camp said. “I saw many bodies afterward. I attended ten funerals including two of my relatives. The junta could have evacuated us to buildings in town, but they did not. If the diaspora hadn’t sent some assistance after the cyclone, many more Rohingya would have died.” Local aid workers told Human Rights Watch about new roadblocks and increased scrutiny at military checkpoints, amplifying the risk of arbitrary detention, harassment, and confiscation of supplies. Junta officials have blocked staff from transporting food, housing materials, and medical goods between townships, at times demanding they turn the supplies over to the junta. The authorities have also exacted bribes at Sittwe airport from staff bringing in cash and supplies. The junta’s General Administration Department has denied local activists’ requests to collect aid for storm victims. “The INGOs and NGOs are unable to provide assistance to us,” a man from Sittwe said. “The junta authorities told them that if any humanitarian wants to help us, they have to work with the junta. It makes it difficult for them to help us independently. So we are suffering. We do not have shelters now, or any aid.” On May 23, junta officials detained and interrogated five ethnic Rakhine aid workers transporting relief supplies from Sittwe to Ponnagyun township for alleged connections with “illegal” media outlets. They released the aid workers the following day. On June 2, officials arrested eight aid workers at a junta checkpoint in Mrauk-U while they were trying to distribute supplies. The Arakan Army, an ethnic armed group, along with its political wing, the United League of Arakan, has requested international support for its relief efforts, having strengthened its control across central and northern Rakhine State since the coup. Local activists expressed concerns that the junta was using the cyclone response to regain a foothold in the state, by both enforcing restrictions to undermine the Arakan Army’s efforts as well as reinforcing junta troops through its own minimal outreach. On May 19, the junta threatened to take legal action against media reporting “false news” about the cyclone, including reports with higher death tolls. The statement claimed that 97 people died, and only because they had refused to be evacuated by the junta. The opposition National Unity Government tallied more than 450 deaths. Shelters Destroyed Humanitarian agencies said that in camps and villages in low-lying central and northern Rakhine State, nearly all shelters were damaged or destroyed, along with latrines, wells, and other infrastructure. “All of Sittwe is damaged,” a Rohingya man said of the Rakhine State capital. “It looks like a graveyard.” About 140,000 Rohingya have been confined to camps in central Rakhine State since 2012, sheltered in bamboo longhouses designed to last just two years. For more than 10 years, the authorities denied aid agencies’ requests for adequate land and resources to improve safety in the flood-prone former paddy fields and low-lying coastal areas where the camps sit. Fewer than half of all camp shelters had received any repair over the past two years. The resulting damage has been massive, with most Rohingya interviewed by Human Rights Watch saying that shelter is their greatest need. Many people who lost their houses have been living in tents made of debris along roads, in paddy fields, or in other overcrowded and ad hoc displacement sites. Markets have begun to reopen but prices for building materials and food have skyrocketed. “So many Rohingya in the camps are living under an open sky,” the man from Dar Paing camp said. “My shelter was fully destroyed but we survived. People are using htamein [skirts] as temporary roofs. No one is coming to help us.” In the northwest, roadblocks and ongoing fighting are preventing people from reaching towns to buy building materials, while local aid workers have been blocked at checkpoints from moving supplies and cash. Food Aid Withheld A humanitarian agency reported that “80 per cent of households surveyed in Rakhine stated their communities and neighbors are struggling to access food.” Residents of some camps and villages in Rakhine State said they had received small rations of rice, beans, and oil from junta officials following the cyclone. “But it was finished after two days,” a man said. Some villagers reported being charged for rice and roofing sheets delivered by local junta officials to cover “transportation costs.” Others have relied on community donations to avoid starvation. Aid workers said that the supplies distributed by junta officials – extremely limited in scope, without consideration of communities’ needs – appear to be little more than a propaganda opportunity, with photos splashed across state media. Local media reported that a military ceremony allegedly providing supplies to survivors in Matupi township was nothing more than a photo op, with junta officials leaving with the aid that they were photographed distributing. The World Food Programme had been distributing food assistance but, even prior to the June 8 suspension, the organization was facing dwindling supplies, transport restrictions, and difficulty reaching northern Rakhine and the northwest due to lack of travel authorizations. “Wider access for distributions is urgently needed, along with permission to transport humanitarian supplies from in-country warehouses and into Myanmar from other countries,” OCHA reported. Cyclone flooding has caused massive destruction to paddy fields, seed storage, livestock, and other means of agricultural and fishing livelihoods, exacerbating the vulnerability of populations already facing losses due to conflict and the country’s economic freefall. The coup triggered widespread infrastructure collapse and a severe devaluation of the Myanmar currency, leading to increasingly dire banking and supply chain crises and shortages of food, medicine, and other essentials. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization estimated that about 327,000 hectares of agricultural land were affected by flooding, and at least half of all fishing equipment in Sittwe was damaged or destroyed. Disease, Damaged Health Facilities Communities have been reporting outbreaks of diarrhea and skin infections, particularly among children, while health workers warn of heightened risks of waterborne and communicable diseases in the weeks ahead. “We’re facing a shortage of drinking water,” the man from Dar Paing camp said. “During the cyclone, the sea water entered our ponds. We are still tasting water like salt.” The cyclone caused significant damage to hospitals and clinics, compounded by the junta’s severe restrictions on health care. Rohingya in Sittwe and Pauktaw camps reported little to no access to mobile health services. “So many injured Rohingya still need medical attention,” a man from Sittwe said. “Some kind doctors came from Yangon to help us, but it’s not enough.” “Health partners continue to face persistent challenges in accessing the most severely affected areas,” OCHA reported on June 9. “Wider access is crucial to effectively extend health services, allocate resources, and carry out early warning and outbreak investigations.” Following the suspension of its travel authorizations, Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders or MSF) Myanmar tweeted: “This will desperately hurt communities as we will be unable to open primary healthcare clinics, facilitate emergency referrals or provide much needed emergency relief items. People impacted by the cyclone … will continue to suffer enormously if this decision is not reversed.” The UN reported that “the impact of Cyclone Mocha will deprive more children and pregnant and lactating women of access to timely and lifesaving nutrition treatment and support, contributing to increased morbidity and mortality.” Humanitarian agencies reported that the junta is denying access to even assess nutrition needs and disseminate guidance on feeding infants in emergencies. Rates of severe acute malnutrition have spiked this year, yet only nine percent of children in need received lifesaving nutrition treatment in the first quarter of 2023, with assistance “severely hampered by access constraints, restrictive humanitarian space, displacement, and uncertainty around the importation of nutrition therapeutic products.” For 2 years, junta authorities refused to provide customs clearance for 77 cases of medicine, healthcare equipment, and nutrition supplements. Urgent Need for Protection “Increasing protection risks require urgent attention,” OCHA reported, “including threats to safety and security, unexploded ordnance (UXOs), sexual and gender-based violence, loss of civil documentation, looting, extortion, and robbery. New negative coping mechanisms observed include borrowing money at high interest, and children begging for food due to the lack of job opportunities, which might lead to child labor, exploitation, and abuse.” OCHA also reported cases of suicide attempts, “primarily among women and girls who were affected by the cyclone and are experiencing psychological distress after the storm.” Landmines and improvised explosive devices that may have been dislodged by landslides and flooding pose an ongoing risk, especially as people clear debris in previously safe areas. Myanmar was one of only a handful of states to use antipersonnel landmines in 2022, with casualties spiking since the coup. Over 60 percent of landmine incidents in the first quarter of 2023 took place in areas affected by Cyclone Mocha, and landmine contamination has been reported in almost 300 villages since the storm. On May 24, one person was killed and five were injured by a landmine in Hakha, Chin State, where post-cyclone landslides had been reported..."
Source/publisher: Human Rights Watch (USA)
2023-06-20
Date of entry/update: 2023-06-20
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Description: "London, UK/ Sittwe, Burma – Burma Human Rights Network is marking the solemn anniversary of the confinement of Rohingya to IDP camps in Rakhine state following the anti-Rohingya pogroms in Burma that occurred in 2012. This day serves as a reminder of the urgent need for justice, accountability, and a steadfast commitment to upholding the rights of all individuals, regardless of their ethnicity or religious background. The anti-Rohingya pogroms in Burma resulted in the loss of countless lives, widespread displacement, and unimaginable suffering for the Rohingya community. Over 100,000 Rohingya displaced in the 2012 riots remain in squalid camps for internally displaced people. BHRN Executive Director, Kyaw Win, stated, "The anniversary of the anti-Rohingya pogroms in Burma is a stark reminder of the urgent need for action. We cannot ignore the ongoing human rights violations against the Rohingya and all of Burma’s people. The international community must come together to demand justice, accountability, and lasting solutions for the Rohingya community." BHRN calls on the international community to renew its commitment to the Rohingya in Burma and Bangladesh and work towards a future where they can enjoy full human rights and citizenship. The Burmese military remains the greatest obstacle to peace and justice in the country, and change will not come as long as they retain their illegitimate power. Organisation’s Background BHRN is based in London and operates across Burma/Myanmar working for human rights, minority rights and religious freedom in the country. BHRN has played a crucial role in advocating for human rights and religious freedom with politicians and world leaders..."
Source/publisher: Burma Human Rights Network
2023-06-13
Date of entry/update: 2023-06-13
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Description: "UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, Tom Andrews, said there were reports that Bangladeshi authorities were using deceptive and coercive measures to compel Rohingya refugees to return to Myanmar. “Conditions in Myanmar are anything but conducive for the safe, dignified, sustainable, and voluntary return of Rohingya refugees,” Andrews said. “Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, who commanded the forces that launched the genocidal attacks against the Rohingya, now leads a brutal military junta that is attacking civilian populations while denying the Rohingya citizenship and other basic rights,” he said. Bangladesh officials have stated that an initial group of 1140 Rohingya refugees will be repatriated to Myanmar at an unspecified date and 6000 will be returned by the end of the year. Actions by Bangladesh authorities suggest that the first return could be imminent. Bangladesh authorities have reportedly threatened arrest, confiscation of documents, and other forms of retaliation for those who resist the government’s plans. “There are also reports of refugees being promised large sums of money, if they agree to return. These promises are allegedly being made even as food rations are being cut to $.27 per person per day for those in the Bangladesh camps. It remains unclear where the funds for repatriated families will come from,” Andrews said. Under the pilot project, Rohingya refugees will not be allowed to return to their own villages, many of which were razed to the ground during the genocidal attacks of 2017. The refugees would pass through “reception” and “transit” centers in Maungdaw Township, after which they would be moved to a designated area of 15 newly constructed “villages” – places they will not be allowed to leave freely. In March, Bangladesh authorities facilitated two visits by Myanmar junta authorities (SAC) to the Bangladesh camps. According to reports, at least some of the refugees were coerced into participating in ‘verification’ interviews with SAC officials. Bangladesh and SAC officials also coordinated a ‘go and see’ visit to Rakhine State for some Rohingya refugees. Bangladeshi officials said the refugees had expressed “general satisfaction” with arrangements made for their return, but these assurances were contradicted by reports that those who participated in the trip had unequivocally rejected the repatriation plans. “The return of Rohingya refugees under these conditions would likely violate Bangladesh’s obligations under international law and expose Rohingya to gross human rights violations and, potentially, future atrocity crimes,” the Special Rapporteur said. “I implore Bangladesh to immediately suspend the repatriation pilot programme,” Andrews said. “I also urge the international community to stand with Rohingya refugees in both word and deed. This must include reversing the failure to provide a humane level of support for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh who are unable to pursue livelihoods, continue to face hunger and malnutrition, and whose children have very limited educational opportunities,” the expert said..."
Source/publisher: Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (Geneva)
2023-06-08
Date of entry/update: 2023-06-08
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Description: "Bangladesh and Myanmar are planning a pilot project to repatriate more than 1,000 Rohingya refugees. In May, Bangladesh camp officials led a group of 20 Rohingya refugees on a visit to Rakhine State in Myanmar. Refugees International Director for Africa, Asia, and the Middle East Daniel P. Sullivan released the following statement: “Refugees International is extremely concerned about plans to repatriate Rohingya refugees to Myanmar. The returns would come at a time when the Rohingya homeland is ruled by a military junta that continues to commit atrocities across the country and that is made up of the same people that led the genocide against the Rohingya in 2017. More than 130,000 Rohingya in Myanmar remain confined to internal displacement camps, while others face serious constraints on their freedom of movement. The junta’s response to the recent cyclone that killed hundreds of Rohingya, including denial of much needed aid, only further highlights the vulnerability of Rohingya in the country. Two previous repatriation exercises resulted in no volunteers coming forward, but—as Refugees International has documented—did spread fear widely among the Rohingya refugees. That fear is being echoed in the latest talks of repatriation. While most Rohingya with whom Refugees International has spoken want to return home, they simply do not feel that the conditions are currently safe. Not only is the safety of any returnees in serious question, but Rohingya are already reporting deception and coercion in the process. This includes camp officials allegedly veering from official public policy by promising payments for those who volunteer to repatriate while at the same time threatening to confiscate ration cards of those who do not. The reduction of aid, specifically cuts in daily rations by the World Food Program, from $12 a day a couple of months ago to just $8 a day as of June 1, is also worrisome as it may indirectly further incentivize Rohingya to make dangerous and uninformed decisions to return. Any return of Rohingya refugees must be safe, voluntary, dignified, and sustainable, in line with international standards. UN leadership and donor countries must make clear that conducive conditions for legitimate returns do not currently exist and demand that Bangladesh and Myanmar refrain from further endangering this community of genocide survivors.” Refugees International has been covering the conditions facing Rohingya for several years, including a report in December 2022, Hope Amid Despair: Finding Solutions for Rohingya in Bangladesh, highlighting the deteriorating conditions in the refugee camps, recommending solutions, and calling for Bangladesh to refrain from repatriation. To schedule an interview, please contact Refugees International’s Vice President for Strategic Outreach Sarah Sheffer at  [email protected]..."
Source/publisher: Refugees International
2023-06-02
Date of entry/update: 2023-06-02
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Description: "The Rohingya are the most persecuted minority group in the world. Such persecution has forced Rohingyas into Bangladesh for many years, with significant spikes following violent attacks in 1978, 1992, and again in 2016. More than 700,000 Rohingya were forced to flee from Myanmar following a brutal military crackdown in 2017. Currently, Bangladesh has been hosting nearly 1.2 million Rohingya refugees for six years. At this point, there are more Rohingyas in Bangladesh than in Myanmar. Due to this massive refugee crisis, the socio-economic and security situation of Bangladesh is worsening and there seems to be no other way except a repatriation, which has been a hanging case for the last six years. The issue remained at a deadlock and to bring momentum, Bangladesh needed an initiative from Myanmar. A breakthrough finally happened on May 05, when a team of 20 Rohingya accompanied by seven Bangladesh government officials visited two of 15 villages in Rakhine State, at the invitation of the Myanmar government. Bangladesh welcomes the pilot project The Rohingya team left for Myanmar on Friday via the transboundary Naf River to visit a settlement in Rakhine State. The visit was considered a part of a “confidence-building measure” for repatriation to encourage Rohingyas for a self-willing return. This is the first time any Rohingya delegation visited Rakhine to assess the situation there as the Rohingyas have not volunteered to return home despite two attempts, arguing that the situation was not conducive. Earlier, Bangladesh and Myanmar signed an agreement to repatriate this huge number of Rohingyas to Myanmar in 2017 and 2019. These attempts failed to repatriate the Rohingyas because the Rohingya refused to return to their homeland for fear of fresh persecution and lack of a congenial environment for repatriation. Bangladesh has raised the issue at every international forum, with the support of many countries. But Myanmar had been indifferent to international laws and norms. Finally, it is taking this symbolic step, most possibly to “lighten the responsibility” in its next submission to the International Court of Justice in May regarding the Rohingya genocide. The foreign ministry of Bangladesh welcomed this effort and appreciated Myanmar’s willingness. The development comes amid a series of events that took place for Rohingya justice and repatriation. The UN refugee agency said it was aware of Friday’s trip, which was taking place “under a bilateral arrangement between Bangladesh and Myanmar”. Some experts and rights activists have observed that the UN’s involvement in the visit would be more conducive for the parties involved in the pilot project to initiate the repatriation. However, Refugee returns must be voluntary, in safety and dignity and no refugee should be forced to do so. And this pilot project is following those steps sincerely. Facilities offered by Myanmar Upon their arrival, Myanmar authorities briefed the team about the possible benefits they would likely get in the villages. After the Rohingyas return, each family will be given a house in the model village, land for agriculture, fertilizer, and seeds. The government will provide Rohingyas ‘with national verification cards (NVC)’ and within half a year would be able to travel outside Maungdaw Township. Hospitals, mosques, and playgrounds are being housed in the model villages, which were not present in Rohingya settlements in the past. The model village of Mangdu is much better than the Rohingya camps in Bangladesh in every possible way. For those who will stay in the model village, each family will be allocated one acre of land for cultivation. Those families who wish to build their own homes can do so and the regime will pay for them. There will be no barbed wire fence around the villages. A Maungdaw official informed the team that Rohingya children will be allowed to study and go to Sittwe University. Most Rohingyas who are now living in Maungdaw, are working, and moving freely in Maungdaw city, the returnee will enjoy the same. Response from the Rohingya It is undeniable that this visit by the Rohingya team marks a new beginning of the Rohingya repatriation. Rohingya repatriation will largely depend on the voluntariness of the Rohingyas, and their confidence in security and equal rights as citizens of Myanmar. The purpose of the visit was to inspect infrastructure built in Rakhine’s Maungdaw Township with grants from the governments of Japan, India, and China for the “repatriation and resettlement of refugees”. Regarding that, no member of the delegation team had any complaints. Rohingya refugees, who have spent nearly six years living in overcrowded and squalid camps in Cox’s Bazar, have been hopeful of the scheme since it became public knowledge in March. Though their queries about security or recognition of their right to citizenship in Myanmar has not been answered. But the bilateral talks have just begun, so there is always room for bargaining as Rohingyas have international support. Soon a team from Myanmar would visit the Rohingya in Cox’s Bazar to try and convince them to be repatriated. Bangladesh and international concerned communities are optimistic about Rohingya repatriation this time. There was a need for a ‘pilot repatriation project’ to send back refugees where both countries have historical experience and references to repatriate Rohingyas. Through this initiative and China’s mediation, both countries can resolve the long-pending Rohingya crisis. As every refugee has an inalienable right to return to their place of origin and such returns must also be voluntary, this confidence-building measure will play a crucial role to encourage Rohingyas to return their home..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: Eurasia Review
2023-05-08
Date of entry/update: 2023-05-08
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "SITUATION AT A GLANCE: 4.5 MILLION People Targeted for Humanitarian Assistance in Burma UN – January 2023 1.4 MILLION IDPs in Burma Displaced Since February 2021 UNHCR – March 2023 1.7 MILLION People Displaced in Burma UNHCR– March 2023 950,972 Estimated Number of Refugees in Bangladesh UNHCR – November 2022 1.5 MILLION People Targeted by 2023 Rohingya Humanitarian Crisis Joint Response Plan UN – March 2023 • Military authorities in Burma declare martial law in 47 townships across Burma, hindering the operations of relief actors and exacerbating protection risks faced by violence-affected populations. • Fire in a Cox’s Bazar District Rohingya refugee camp on March 5 displaces over 5,200 individuals and damages or destroys more than 2,800 refugee shelters, as well as nearly 160 camp facilities. • The UN 2023 Rohingya Humanitarian Crisis JRP targets approximately 1.5 million people in Cox’s Bazar and Bhasan Char to receive life-saving assistance..."
Source/publisher: US Agency for International Development (Washington, D.C.) via "Reliefweb" (New York)
2023-04-04
Date of entry/update: 2023-04-04
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "A settlement of around 3,000 Rohingya refugees on the zero-line of the Myanmar-Bangladesh border was burnt last month amid the firing between the Rohingya Solidarity Organization (RSO) and the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA). Members of about 558 families lost their temporary shelters and fled inside Bangladesh. Bangladesh government has taken initiative to relocate these stranded people, of whom two-thirds are already registered under different camps in Ukhiya and Teknaf, while the rest are unregistered. As a part of the relocation process, at least 180 Rohingyas from 35 families were taken to a transit camp in Ukhiya’s Kutupalong. Tension continued to escalate in the Rohingya camps. Various armed organizations are involved in building reigns of terror around the Rohingya camps. Clashes between different groups, killings, rapes and abductions are regular incidents, which have created fear among the people throughout the camp. Amid rising tensions across the border, Myanmar has stepped up the repatriation of their nationals to their homeland in Arakan. In the meantime, local media reported that on February 5, Junta leaders, including International Cooperation Minister U Ko Ko Hlaing, Border Affairs Minister Lieutenant General Tun Tun Naung, Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement Minister Dr Thet Thet Khaing and Immigration and Population Minister U Myint Kyaing, visited Maungdaw on the Bangladesh border and instructed the authorities to prepare transit camps for repatriation. Since the military’s taking over power in 2020, this is the biggest step forward for Rohingya repatriation..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: "Daily Times"
2023-02-21
Date of entry/update: 2023-02-21
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Sub-title: What are the prospects of a dignified repatriation for the Rohingya?
Description: "The year 2022 was a “year of confluence” for the Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, where many positive developments happened in favour of their repatriation. Alternatively, there were some negative developments as well where new impediments emerged to hinder the repatriation process. Though Bangladesh has successfully included the Rohingya crisis in the international discussion and displayed significant developments to initiate repatriation, pathetically, more than five years have passed since the Rohingya influx in Bangladesh, but the repatriation of the 1.2 million Myanmar nationals has not seen light. However, the year 2022 marked a significant progress in the repatriation process, as the Rohingya themselves tried to draw the attention of the international community to express their desire to return to their home. On June 19, 2022, the Rohingya staying in various camps in Bangladesh organized a “Go Home campaign” and put forward their demands and expressed their interest to return to their homeland. In August, during the 5th anniversary of their exodus into Bangladesh, they reiterated the urgency of repatriation to their homeland. Moreover, the campaign is continued under the banner “Go Home Campaign 2023” demanding safe repatriation to their country on December 31 on the eve of the New Year. At this time, the Rohingya demonstrated with posters and placards saying “Enough is enough, let's go home, 2023 should be Rohingya home year.” Bangladesh government's decision to relocate Rohingya to Bhasan Char, to reduce the pressure on the overpopulated Rohingya camps in Cox's Bazar, was a discreet and timely move in 2022. After reaching a batch of 963 Rohingya in the 14th phase on October 17, so far around 30,079 Rohingya reached Bhashan Char. Despite initial hesitations, the US and Japan, the UN, and Canada joined the Bhasan Char project in August 2022. A ray of hope for the Rohingya refugees was lit, when the hearing of Gambia's case at the ICJ ended on February 28 last year. Significantly, on July 22, the court dismissed Myanmar's objections to jurisdiction over the case, and ordered Myanmar to respond to the complaint by April 24 of this year. The NUG, led by Aung Sung Su Kyi's NLD, responded positively that it would cooperate with the trial, and the pro-democratic party aims to establish relations with the local population in the Rakhine region to ensure the safe repatriation of the Rohingya. The year is also significant for many remarkable bilateral and multilateral initiatives, which are instrumental to propel the process of repatriation a step further. Bilaterally, on June 14, the 5th joint working group meeting between Bangladesh and Myanmar on the repatriation of the Rohingya was held, where the speedy return of the Rohingya to Myanmar was discussed. In her address to the 27th International Nikkei Conference, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina urged Asian countries to work closely for the safe repatriation of the Rohingya. Among the global powers, no other country than the US has made significant strides to solicit the crisis. On March 21, The US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken announced the violence against the Rohingya in Myanmar as genocide and crimes against humanity. In September, the US announced more than $170 million in additional humanitarian assistance for Rohingya inside and outside Burma, as well as for host communities in Bangladesh. In November, the US initiated a rehabilitation program for the Rohingya living in Bangladesh and introduced a historic “BURMA ACT.” From December 3 to 7, the US Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration Julieta Valls Noyes visited Rohingya Camps and discussed relocation programs. On December 8, 24 Rohingya left for the US from a group of 62 Rohingya, identified for resettlement. The role of China is also an important factor in facilitating Rohingya repatriation. Despite Beijing's controversial axis with Myanmar, during his visit to Bangladesh on August 6, China's State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that China is working sincerely to find a solution to the Rohingya crisis. Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Prak Sokhon, ASEAN Chair's Special Envoy to Myanmar, also assured Bangladesh of making all-out efforts for a sustainable solution to the Rohingya issue. On the multilateral level, the Rohingya quagmire was discussed as a serious concern at numerous UN forums throughout the year. The UNGA unanimously adopted the resolution entitled "The situation of human rights of Rohingya Muslims and other minorities in Myanmar" for the first time on November 16, 2022. A Tripartite Memorandum of Understanding was signed between Myanmar, UNHCR, and UNDP to create an enabling environment for the repatriation of Rohingya in Rakhine State according to the resolution. This will play a significant role in strengthening the collective efforts of the UN member states for a sustainable solution to the Rohingya problem. Meanwhile, UNHCR High Commissioner Filippo Grandi has called on regional countries to come forward to repatriate the Rohingya, stressing the continuation of humanitarian assistance to the refugees. Since December 21, the Rohingya problem has become part of the regular activities of the UN Security Council, as the UNSC adopted a historic resolution on Myanmar for the first time, calling for an immediate end of ongoing violence. The proposal emphasized on solving the Rohingya problem with a particular emphasis. It also emphasized the speedy and full implementation of the five-point consensus adopted by ASEAN member states in 2021. Though the year was overwhelmed with many positive events, the Rohingya crisis witnessed several challenges throughout the year. Since August, fierce clashes and heavy gun fights broke out between the Arakan army and the Myanmar army along the Bangladesh border in North Maungdu and lasted for about three months. To reduce border tension, the 8th border conference between BGB and BGP was held from November 23 to 27. Meanwhile, in a meeting between BGB and BGP officials, Bangladesh's concerns regarding the quick repatriation of Rohingya were informed. From the security perspective, the failure to create an environment conducive to safe and sustainable voluntary return has exacerbated the Rohingya's frustration, leading to a variety of security concerns and instability. Till October 2022, 125 people have been killed in the Rohingya camps. Human trafficking and illegal trafficking of methamphetamine “Yaba” tablets from Myanmar to other neighbouring countries have increased alarmingly. In the last five years, 2,441 cases have been filed in Rohingya camps for various crimes including posession of weapons, drugs, rape, kidnapping, robbery, assault on police, murder, and human trafficking. Rohingya leaders and volunteers were the targets of these killings within the camps. The ongoing instability may spread organized crimes to other parts of the country, which will pose a regional and global security threat in the upcoming days. From the economic perspective, dwindling funds for the Rohingya camps also deteriorated the humanitarian crisis. In 2022, only 43% of the required amount of $881m under the Joint Response Plan (JRP) has been disbursed, which leaves room for consideration. As around 35,000 children are born in the camps every year, this increased population is gradually putting pressure on humanitarian assistance. From 2017 to 2023, the Rohingya problem remains unresolved and the crisis is becoming a “frozen and protracted” one over the years. A long-term plan must be developed to address a sustainable solution, which is nothing but dignified repatriation. In any situation, it is imperative to keep the flow of the relief and financial aid, and therefore, necessary measures should be taken on an urgent basis. On the political front, ARNA and other organizations working with the Rohingya must work together to create an enabling environment for repatriation. The ongoing awareness activities undertaken to resolve the crisis should also be continued. In addition, more robust steps must be taken to ensure the progress of initiatives taken in 2022 in the international arena. If these activities are implemented promptly, it is expected that the solution to the Rohingya problem will see the light of day in the forthcoming days..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: "Dhaka Tribune" (Bangladesh)
2023-01-29
Date of entry/update: 2023-01-29
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "Beginning in August 2017, the Myanmar security forces undertook a brutal campaign of ethnic cleansing against Rohingya Muslims. This report is based on an in-depth investigation into Meta (formerly Facebook)’s role in the serious human rights violations perpetrated against the Rohingya. Meta’s algorithms proactively amplified and promoted content which incited violence, hatred, and discrimination against the Rohingya – pouring fuel on the fire of long-standing discrimination and substantially increasing the risk of an outbreak of mass violence. The report concludes that Meta substantially contributed to adverse human rights impacts suffered by the Rohingya and has a responsibility to provide survivors with an effective remedy..."
Source/publisher: Amnesty International (UK)
2022-09-29
Date of entry/update: 2022-09-29
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Format : pdf
Size: 1.08 MB (Original version) - 74 pages
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Description: "Since August 2017, rampant persecution and violence in Myanmar’s Rakhine state has pushed hundreds of thousands of Muslim minority people, known as ‘Rohingyas,’ to abandon their homes and seek sanctuary in Bangladesh. According to UN estimates, 200,000 Myanmarese civilians have already sought refuge in Bangladesh following prior displacements. Many more have travelled to Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia, frequently with the assistance of human traffickers. In Myanmar, civilian and military authorities deny targeting Muslims in Rakhine and suggest that the international world is misrepresenting the severity of the violence, a viewpoint shared by extreme nationalists. The number of individuals living in Bangladeshi camps has risen to over 1.1 million, leading ASEAN to consider a meaningful reaction. The safe and voluntary return of refugees currently residing in Bangladeshi displacement camps was a topic of discussion during the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in January 2019. They finalized preparations for the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on Disaster Management (AHA Centre) to analyze Rakhine’s needs. This would enable them to have a better understanding of the areas of collaboration that ASEAN may help in the repatriation process in order to increase refugee confidence and trust in returning home. ASEAN is working to create a secure and sustainable environment for refugees to return home. Cambodia’s Asean Chairmanship a great opportunity for Rohingya repatriation. Cambodian Chairmanship of Asean provides a great opportunity to facilitate safe and dignified return of the Rohingyas, now sheltered in Bangladesh, to Myanmar.There are a potential security risks to Bangladesh, Myanmar and to the greater region if the Rohingya crisis is left festering for a much longer period of time and vulnerability of the displaced people to radicalism, extremism, terrorism, cross-border crimes, etc. As chair and an active member of Asean, Cambodia can help resolve this crisis by being a mediator. Cambodia can play a holistic, significant and strategic role. It can raise the issue within the Asean platform. Cambodia can negotiate with Myanmar diplomatically and bilaterally as it has good relations with Myanmar. However, ASEAN was compelled to postpone the AHA Centre needs assessment due to recent escalation of hostilities between Myanmar’s government armed forces and the banned Arakan Army, an insurgent organization in Rakhine. At the 33rd ASEAN Summit in Singapore, ASEAN issued a statement expressing profound concern over the worsening humanitarian catastrophe in Myanmar. This is a great start toward acknowledging that Myanmar’s humanitarian catastrophe necessitates immediate regional response and informing Myanmar’s administration that more needs to be done. To address the Rakhine situation, ASEAN must exhibit its inventive spirit and practical problem-solving abilities. Member states must be prepared to collaborate bilaterally and via ASEAN with the afflicted nations. They can also interact with the UN and other foreign organizations working in Bangladeshi refugee camps independently. The safety of their families and their livelihoods were the two main concerns raised by refugees during Dr Vivian Balakrishnan’s (Singapore’s Foreign Minister) visit to a refugee camp in November 2018. By continuing to engage Myanmar and encouraging conversations on long-term peace options, ASEAN can address these issues. It is vital that solutions not only address the concerns of individuals returning to Rakhine from displacement camps, but also those of minority communities who are now living in deplorable conditions in the state. To ensure long-term peace and security in Rakhine, ASEAN can provide direct assistance in some sectors. Building schools, vocational training, and community healthcare facilities are all possible approaches. To alleviate suspicion, anxiety, and hostility among diverse groups, a reconciliation process must be implemented. Reconciliation is a long and laborious process, as seen in numerous countries with internal conflicts. Although there have been no systematic reconciliation efforts, the Myanmar government has established an Independent Commission of Inquiry. It remains to be seen if the process will be conducted professionally and fairly, and whether those guilty for the violence will be held accountable. Setting up a judicial redress system, akin to the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia, which was set up to pursue the Khmer Rouge’s atrocities, might be very helpful in the reconciliation process. A nation or organization that has not been involved in the war, such as ASEAN, may be seen as a reliable partner in establishing such a tribunal. ASEAN may begin this process by compiling lessons learned from the war, forming support groups on the ground to better understand the problems of the state’s residents, and bringing diverse communities and the government together to transcend the past. ASEAN’s devotion to the principle of non-interference is its most significant impediment to taking a more active role in Rakhine. It comes up anytime ASEAN tries to talk about a significant issue in one of its member states. The importance of the non-interference rule in crisis situations has to be re-calibrated for ASEAN to work more successfully. A revision of the ASEAN Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response would be the clearest indication of ASEAN’s willingness to help (AADMER). AADMER only authorizes ASEAN to intervene in a humanitarian crisis if the afflicted member state requests it. Because Africa has endured several guerrilla wars and pandemics such as the Ebola outbreak, African experiences might be beneficial in establishing systems to deal with complicated humanitarian situations. Because ASEAN is Southeast Asia’s only regional organization, leaders cannot turn a blind eye to any sort of human misery. The task of establishing a strong and obvious humanitarian mandate under the AADMER will only get more difficult in the future..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: Eurasia Review
2022-06-15
Date of entry/update: 2022-06-15
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "Malaysian authorities must conduct a transparent inquiry and allow independent observers to conduct interviews and inspect detention facilities, after more than 500 Rohingya refugees reportedly fled a temporary immigration centre in Penang, leading to the deaths of some of those fleeing, said the Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK (BROUK). According to media reports, six of the refugees were killed, including two women and two children, as they tried to cross a busy highway. “Even before this incident, many of these refugees would have already been undergoing huge trauma, having escaped a genocide against them in Myanmar,” said Tun Khin, BROUK President. “Malaysian authorities must not only treat them with compassion, but also get to the bottom of what triggered the incident. Rights groups have for years called for an end to the detention of refugees in Malaysia, who are typically held in overcrowded and under-resourced detention centres, causing untold distress to the men, women and children being held there.” Media reports said that 528 Rohingya escaped the Sungai Bakap immigration detention centre in the early hours of April 20 after a “riot” took place. Videos shared on social media showed mainly women and children along the side of the road, while others showed groups of people squatting on the side of the road after being detained by police. As of the morning of April 21, 448 of those who escaped have been re-detained and are being held in four detention centres across three states. It has since emerged that all of those who fled the immigration centre had been held there since 2020. As of January 2022, there were 103,560 Rohingya refugees and asylum seekers registered in Malaysia with UNHCR, the UN’s refugee agency. However, Malaysia is not a party to the 1951 Refugee Convention, and refugees in the country do not have access to fundamental rights including legal status, safe and lawful employment, formal education and equal protection of the law. In addition, their lack of legal status means that refugees are at risk of arrest, detention and exploitation. “Malaysia must take the opportunity to show itself a leader when it comes to human rights and rule of law in the region and immediately sign the Refugee convention, and improve conditions inside its detention centres,” Tun Khin said. “It is very possible for Malaysia to protect its own interests, while treating these vulnerable people in a dignified and humane way.”..."
Source/publisher: Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK
2022-04-22
Date of entry/update: 2022-04-22
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "Recently, the US officially recognised the coordinated atrocities against the Rohingya Muslim minority, perpetrated by the Myanmar military through a bloody "clearance operation," as "genocide," the gravest of crimes. Within the first three weeks of the deadly military crackdown in August 2017, Bangladesh took in more refugees than the entirety of Europe did during the Syrian crisis. Since then, Bangladesh has been generously sheltering more than 1.2 million Rohingyas on humanitarian grounds. Following this refugee influx—the fastest and largest—Bangladesh and Myanmar signed two bilateral agreements in 2017 and 2019 for the repatriation of these forcibly displaced Rohingyas. But due to the reluctance and non-cooperation on Myanmar's part, repatriation remains a distant reality. The situation has become further complicated due to the ongoing conflict between the military regime and the pro-democracy front, following the audacious coup on February 1, 2021. However, Naypyidaw's recent proposal to take back 700 Rohingyas frustrated Dhaka, as the former compiled the "verified list" in a way that apparently showed its "lack of goodwill" for repatriation. Again, the question arises: Is repatriation the only sustainable solution to end the plight of the stranded Rohingyas? For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. But, as per the legal maxim of William E Gladstone, "Justice delayed is justice denied." As almost five years have elapsed without an enduring solution, it's high time we rethought a viable way out of this crisis. The 1951 Refugee Convention, a universal treaty on the status and rights of refugees, could be a legal statute to resolve any refugee crisis with three possible solutions: local integration, resettlement in other countries or voluntary repatriation. An in-depth assessment of those options, discerning distinct spectrums of the crisis, could offer one that would be feasible in resolving the protracted Rohingya crisis. An impact assessment study, jointly conducted by the UNDP and the Policy Research Institute, unveiled the immense socio-economic pressure and environmental costs of supporting Rohingya refugees for Bangladesh, an already overpopulated country with more than 165 million people. The total geographical area of Bangladesh is 147,570 sq-km, 92nd in terms of country size, and smaller than the US state of Iowa. It is understandable why it is impossible for Bangladesh to accommodate 1.2 million Rohingyas—more than the total population of Bhutan—on its limited land. Moreover, Bangladesh, which has long been struggling with its own unemployment problems, has neither the financial capability to ensure basic needs and life-saving assistance for the Rohingya refugees, nor provide them with employment opportunities. Arguably, even if Bangladesh started integrating the refugees locally, it would motivate the Tatmadaw not only to continue delaying the repatriation, but also to conduct its brutality on around 600,000 Rohingyas now living in Myanmar, and to make them stateless. Besides, the Arakan Rohingya Society for Peace and Human Rights stated point-blank that they did not want Bangladeshi citizenship, and would rather go back to their homeland. So, integrating them locally, against their will, would equate depriving them of fundamental and human rights. This is why the World Bank has been recently hit with extensive criticism for its proposal of local integration—an unacceptable solution on all grounds—of Rohingya refugees into Bangladesh. Apart from Bangladesh, the members of this persecuted minority are now living in 19 other countries. As of today, no other country has expressed interest in granting citizenship to the Rohingya refugees with due economic and social rights. As the countries with the capability to accept Rohingyas are already struggling with the global refugee problem, it is illogical to expect that they would resettle millions of Rohingyas as citizens. According to the UNHCR, around 84 million people worldwide have been forced to flee their homes, of whom more than 26 million are refugees. The number has been intensified by the recent Ukraine war, which has resulted in the second largest ongoing refugee crisis in the world, after Syria. As overseas resettlement is a voluntary option, depending on the willingness of third-party countries, it should not even be considered as an option until any large country, in terms of geographical area and financial capability, wilfully declares their acceptance of Rohingya refugees. Given the socio-economic conditions of Bangladesh and the intense global refugee crisis, dignified repatriation ensuring internationally monitored safe zones remains the only sustainable solution to put an end to the Rohingyas' struggles. As formal diplomatic manoeuvres see no light at the end of the tunnel, Bangladesh may venture into informal diplomacy as well. Though the Tatmadaw is directly ruling Myanmar now, they indirectly ruled this quasi-civilian state, as a near-deep state, even when they were not in power. This is why defence diplomacy, especially military-to-military cooperation, could be fruitful not only to understand the Tatmadaw's psychology, but also in convincing them for the safe and dignified repatriation of the Rohingyas. Also, deepening bilateral ties through economic dependency, such as exploring unexamined avenues of economic sectors, leasing agricultural lands, importing natural gas, etc between these two neighbours could also be helpful. Obviously, this does not mean that Bangladesh should stop pushing world communities to exert continuous pressure on Myanmar to expedite the Rohingya repatriation process and end the cycle of systemic abuse against the Rohingyas. Instead, Bangladesh should leave no stone unturned to ensure the safe and dignified repatriation for the most persecuted minority of our time..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: The Daily Star (London)
2022-04-12
Date of entry/update: 2022-04-12
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Topic: water insecurity, climate change, preparedness, public health, IDPs
Topic: water insecurity, climate change, preparedness, public health, IDPs
Description: "Introduction: The Rohingya IDPs in the Pauktaw Township in Rakhine State (Myanmar) suffer annual potable water scarcity during the dry season into early rainy season. Due to hydrogeology, with surface brackish water and sea water intrusion, the area’s main water source is rainwater collected in ponds. Due to water loss, linked to seepage and evaporation, the ponds go dry 3-months a year, impeding meeting the minimum humanitarian standards during water scarcity period, and water is boated in to fill the gaps. This is a costly intervention, easily disrupted and not financially sustainable. Moreover, water supplied is limited, impacting personal hygiene, including menstrual hygiene, and public health, creating the conditions for diffusion of skin infections, COVID-19, acute watery diarrhoea (AWD) etc. Climate change is starting to exacerbate these issues, as sea level rise threatens to flood low lying camps, increases saltwater intrusion and makes rainy season unpredictable. Update: Considering the upcoming season of water scarcity in Pauktaw and the need for coordinated efforts to ensure continuation of water supply, as a life-saving action, it is shared below with relevant stakeholders the summary of the trend of water consumption and forecasted date of the start of the emergency response, based on our software to monitor and analyse each pond’s available water, together with the user numbers, and actual water consumption and losses, to predict scarcity timing and plan water boating for Rohingya settlements of Pauktaw township where Solidarités International is the main WASH service provider. Together with water boating, the response provided by Solidarités International includes a gradual reduction of water consumption to 7.5 litres/person/day, and a decrease of water points to ration distribution to delay the start of water boating. In addition, water conservation behavioural change messaging is provided to IDPs. To save freshwater, brackish water is used in public handwashing stations..."
Source/publisher: Solidarités International
2022-03-24
Date of entry/update: 2022-03-25
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language:
Format : pdf
Size: 281.07 KB
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Description: "Myanmar government’s discriminatory policies with the Rohingya ethnic group since the late 1970s have forcefully compelled a great number of Muslim Rohingya to escape their homes in the predominantly Buddhist country. Most of them have crossed by land into Bangladesh, while others took the sea route to reach Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand. The violence of Rohingya displacement chronologically occurred after Burma had got independence from the British, and finally, in 2017, the brutality of Myanmar Junta aroused extremely with reported rape, murder, and burning that generated a massive migration of Rohingya towards Bangladesh. There are compelling reasons for studying the refugee policy of Bangladesh. First, the magnitude of Rohingya influx in 2017 drew unprecedented global attention when an estimated 750,000 Rohingya refugees from Myanmar’s Rakhine state entered Bangladesh. (Ashraf, 2021) The Assignment has been designed with short answers to the following questions: a) Did the military junta in Myanmar make a long-term plan to forcefully displace hundreds and thousands of Rohingya’s painful journey to Bangladesh since August 2017? b) How did they (military junta of Myanmar) execute their plan? c) Did the Bangladeshi authorities fail to detect Myanmar’s plan? d) What could have been done to prevent the 2017 Rohingya influx? The assignment also contains four sections: the first section depicts an introduction including four questions on the Rohingya crisis, the second section draws a short identity of Rohingya and Myanmar, the third section explains the mainstream covering the real and logical answers to the questions of section one and the final section depicts a brief conclusion. Myanmar and Rohingya Myanmar is the largest Buddhist-dominated country at the meeting point of South and Southeast Asia. After his independence from the British on January 4, 1948, Aung San, the general of his national army took charge of the country’s government. During the time of General Ne Win, it became a one-party socialist state until 1988. The military junta was melted down authoritarian with a parliamentary election in 2010 and a nominally civilian government was formed. The Rohingya are an ethnic Muslim minority who practice Sunni Islam in Rakhine State in Myanmar. They differ religiously, ethnically, and linguistically from dominant Buddhists. Rohingyas have lived in Myanmar for centuries and they are the descendants of Muslim Arabs, Moors, Persians, Turks, Mughals, and Bengalis who came mostly as traders, warriors, and saints through overland and sea routes (Kipgen, 2014). They have a glorious past that informs us about Muslim Sultanate. The Rohingya trace their origins in the region to the fifteenth century, when thousands of Muslims came to the former Arakan Kingdom. (Eleanor Albert, 2020). But the local people and the government of Myanmar says that the Rohingya are gradual migrant from Bangladesh. They did never confess them as the ethnic of Myanmar..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: Academia Letters
2022-01-00
Date of entry/update: 2022-02-28
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language:
Format : pdf
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Description: "Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarčič is concluding today a three-day visit to Bangladesh to see the situation on the ground in the context of the worsening humanitarian crisis affecting Rohingya people. In the margins of his visit, he announced an additional €12 million in humanitarian aid funding for the Rohingya in Bangladesh and Myanmar. Commissioner for Crisis Management Lenarčič said: "The EU is providing an additional humanitarian aid for the affected Rohingya in Bangladesh as well as in Myanmar, where the root causes of this crisis lie. This new funding reaffirms the European Union stands by Bangladesh and its people which hosts nearly a million Rohingya, who had to flee their homes to save their lives. At the same time I wish to commend our partners, who are supporting the refugees on a daily basis. We closely monitor the humanitarian situation in the region and remain committed to provide life-saving assistance, including through innovative ways to elevate displaced Rogingya's standard of living, as well as long-term support to Rohingya and host communities in Bangladesh and Myanmar”. While in Cox's Bazar, Commissioner Lenarčič visited the world's largest refugee settlement, the Kutupalong camp, meeting with the Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner and representatives of the United Nations, humanitarian and civil society organisations. Upon arrival to Dhaka, the Commissioner met with Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. A. K. Abdul Momen, Bangladeshi Minister of Disaster Management and Relief, Dr Md. Enamur Rahman, and the Bangladeshi Minister of Water Resources, Mr Zahid Faruk. The massive influx of Rohingya populations into Bangladesh is the largest refugee movement in the region in decades, and the fastest-growing refugee crisis in the world since the Syrian emergency. Background Bangladesh continues to be a safe haven for over 884,000 Rohingya refugees. They fled brutal repression and wide-ranging discrimination in Myanmar's Rakhine state and currently live in refugee camps in the Cox's Bazar district. Being the world's largest stateless population, most of them without formal refugee status, the Rohingya cannot pursue education or formal employment. They remain vulnerable to exploitation and serious protection risks. Living in refugee camps, they depend entirely on humanitarian aid. In 2021, the European Union has contributed €28.15 million* in humanitarian aid and disaster preparedness funding to Bangladesh. Since 2017, the EU has allocated over €283 million for the Rohingya crisis in Bangladesh, Myanmar and the region. For More Information Factsheet on Bangladesh *Updated on 28.10.21 at 15:38..."
Source/publisher: European Commission (Brussels)
2021-10-28
Date of entry/update: 2021-10-29
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Description: "The National Unity Government is deeply saddened by the horrendous violence, gross human rights violations, and massive displacement that the Rohingya people suffered four years ago, resulting in hundreds of thousands fleeing their home and taking refuge in neighboring countries. The same military responsible for those atrocities have perpetrated crimes against humanity and war crimes against people in Myanmar on the basis of race, religion, sexual orientation, or political belief, especially people living in the ethnic areas over decades. Since 1 February 2021, the entire people of Myanmar, have been experiencing atrocities and violence, witnessed by the whole world through different media. We will endeavor to seek justice and accountability for all crimes committed by the military against the Rohingya and all other people of Myanmar across the country throughout our history. It is important to bring perpetrators to account in the interest of truth and justice, as well as because we believe doing so will act as a deterrent against future atrocities. In this regard, we are trying to cooperate with international judicial bodies. We have lodged a declaration with the registrar of the International Criminal Court, accepting the Court's jurisdiction with respect to international crimes committed in Myanmar's territory since 1 July 2002, which is the earliest date permitted by the Statue of the International Criminal Court. We are gravely concerned about the situation of the Rohingya people living in refugee camps of neighboring countries and who continue to face difficult conditions within Myanmar. Voluntary and safe repatriation of Rohingya people in a dignified manner is our utmost priority. We believe that repealing the 1982 Citizenship Law with a new one that bases citizenship in Myanmar or birth anywhere as a child of Myanmar citizen and abolishing the process of issuing National Verification Cards will also contribute to solving problems during the repatriation process. We also accept the importance of addressing the root causes of the plight of Rohingya people in Rakhine State, taking into consideration the recommendations for possible solutions in the reports of relevant international bodies and directly from Rohingya communities. We firmly believe that establishment of the Federal Democratic Union, where all ethnic groups belonging to the Union live together peacefully, will be the best solution for our country. We have been attempting to achieve that goal together with all ethnic groups. On this solemn anniversary, we, the National Unity Government, would like to express again our commitment to the fundamental principles enshrined in the Federal Democratic Charter, including fundamental human rights and human dignity as well as individual rights held by each person regardless of their ethnic origin and collective rights held by ethnic groups, and to the establishment of a Federal Democratic Union in which the violence committed against the Rohingya people will never be repeated..."
Source/publisher: National Unity Government of Myanmar
2021-08-24
Date of entry/update: 2021-08-24
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Description: "Rohingya communities in villages and displacement camps in Sittwe and Buthidaung townships in Rakhine State say they have been facing food shortages for more than three months. Displacement camps holding hundreds of thousands of Rohingya in the west of Sittwe have received no relief aid since June, Khaung Dokka camp manager U Maung Maung Tin told The Irrawaddy. “We have not received cash allowances for some three months. We are having real hardships. Some already have no money to buy rice and have sold what they have to survive. The situation is that bad,” he said. Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya have been sheltering in camps along the Sittwe coast since sectarian strife targeted the Muslim community in 2012. Some make a living fishing, farming and doing casual work while the majority rely on international aid. “We can hardly buy food. We can’t go out due to COVID-19 [restrictions] and we have no work. There have been petty crimes, like stealing food, committed by those who are starving. WFP [World Food Program] staff told us that they are not giving aid because of orders from their managers,” said a Rohingya from the Sae Thamar Gyi displacement camp in Sittwe. The WFP previously provided a monthly allowance of 15,000 kyats (US$9) per head for the camp, he said. Rohingya villages in Buthidaung Township on the Bangladesh border have received no relief aid for more than three months, said a Muslim villager from Hteik Hto Pauk in the township. “We have received no food supplies for three months. People are being forced to sell or pawn their belongings as they can’t go out to earn a living due to COVID-19. Every day, we long for supplies and call to ask when they will come,” said the villager. There are more than 50,000 Muslims in several villages in Buthidaung Township and the WFP used to provide them with monthly supplies of rice, oil and other basics. By THE IRRAWADDY 23 August 2021 Rohingya communities in villages and displacement camps in Sittwe and Buthidaung townships in Rakhine State say they have been facing food shortages for more than three months. Displacement camps holding hundreds of thousands of Rohingya in the west of Sittwe have received no relief aid since June, Khaung Dokka camp manager U Maung Maung Tin told The Irrawaddy. “We have not received cash allowances for some three months. We are having real hardships. Some already have no money to buy rice and have sold what they have to survive. The situation is that bad,” he said. A displaced Rohingya woman. Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya have been sheltering in camps along the Sittwe coast since sectarian strife targeted the Muslim community in 2012. Some make a living fishing, farming and doing casual work while the majority rely on international aid. “We can hardly buy food. We can’t go out due to COVID-19 [restrictions] and we have no work. There have been petty crimes, like stealing food, committed by those who are starving. WFP [World Food Program] staff told us that they are not giving aid because of orders from their managers,” said a Rohingya from the Sae Thamar Gyi displacement camp in Sittwe. The WFP previously provided a monthly allowance of 15,000 kyats (US$9) per head for the camp, he said. Rohingya villages in Buthidaung Township on the Bangladesh border have received no relief aid for more than three months, said a Muslim villager from Hteik Hto Pauk in the township. A displaced Rohingya woman. “We have received no food supplies for three months. People are being forced to sell or pawn their belongings as they can’t go out to earn a living due to COVID-19. Every day, we long for supplies and call to ask when they will come,” said the villager. There are more than 50,000 Muslims in several villages in Buthidaung Township and the WFP used to provide them with monthly supplies of rice, oil and other basics. International non-governmental organizations are in talks with Rakhine State’s military authorities to provide relief supplies to Rohingya villages and displacement camps..."
Source/publisher: "The Irrawaddy" (Thailand)
2021-08-23
Date of entry/update: 2021-08-23
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Sub-title: Bangladesh: Remove Fencing, Support Fire-Affected Refugees
Description: "The Government of Bangladesh should remove barbed-wire fencing confining Rohingya refugees to camps and support those affected by suspicious fires that destroyed buildings and shelters and killed at least 14 refugees in Cox’s Bazar District since January 2021, said Fortify Rights today. “Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina should order the immediate removal of barbed-wire fencing surrounding the Rohingya camps,” said Ismail Wolff, Regional Director at Fortify Rights. “The fences are a deadly experiment that infringe on basic freedoms and have now contributed to injury and death.” In April 2021, Fortify Rights interviewed 13 refugee eyewitnesses and other Rohingya in Cox’s Bazar District who said that barbed-wire fencing enclosing the camps hampered efforts to escape fires and directly contributed to injuries and at least one death during a major blaze in the Kutupalong-Balukhali camp on March 22. Fortify Rights also spoke with five humanitarian aid workers operational in Bangladesh and reviewed and analyzed videos and photographs of the recent fires and aid-agency maps of the fencing. The fencing, which the Bangladesh authorities erected during the past 17 months, is part of a broader system of restrictions on refugees’ freedom of movement. The fencing surrounds the camps and includes limited exit points, confining nearly one million Rohingya refugees who fled persecution and genocide in Myanmar and creating unnecessary protection risks. At least 86 fire incidents occurred in at least 25 of the 34 Rohingya refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar District this year, according to data reviewed by Fortify Rights from the Inter-Sector Coordination Group (ISCG)—the central coordinating agency for the international Rohingya refugee response in Bangladesh. The incidents ranged from minor fires that were quickly extinguished to major blazes that left at least 14 dead, hundreds injured, and thousands without shelter, according to the U.N. refugee agency and media reports. In the most severe incident this year, a massive daytime fire engulfed large sections of the Kutupalong-Balukhali camp on March 22, affecting more than 48,000 people and leaving 10,100 households without shelter according to ISCG. The fire resulted in at least 11 deaths and injured more than 560 people, according to a joint assessment conducted by humanitarian organizations operational in Bangladesh. The fire began in the afternoon and spread rapidly through four sections of the camp. Some refugees are still rebuilding their homes as monsoon season approaches. He was trying to climb the fence. The barbed wire cut him. It was impossible to jump. He tried to climb the fence . . . Suddenly, the fire caught up to him. This happened as he was trying to escape and jump the fence . . . The fire was so dangerous, and people could not rescue him. A Rohingya family member later confirmed with Fortify Rights the young man had died in the fire. “Some were climbing the wire fence to escape,” said a 29-year-old Rohingya refugee who was in the camp during the fire on March 22 and saw at least 15 people injured. “Those who could not escape were burned in the fire.” A 27-year-old Rohingya woman from Balukhali camp described to Fortify Rights her attempt to flee the March 22 fire with her three-month-old child: I saw black smoke in the sky . . . [and then] the fire became very close. I started to go back to Boli Bazar market and saw that it was also on fire. When the fire became dangerously close, we started fleeing towards the fencing. We tried to get over [the fence]. We were running here and there inside the fencing. We ran along the border of the fence but couldn’t jump over it . . . It was such a horrible day. I thought my baby and I were going to die . . . We have lost everything. My shelter and belongings are all burned. A Rohingya on the other side of the fence cut through the fence with bolt cutters, rescuing the woman and her child. She described how others tried to get through the fence: Some men used their hands to break the fence, injuring their hands on the barbed wire. People were cut by the barbed wire trying to flee. They got stabbed in the legs, arms, head, and back. Some were bleeding . . . The fence should be taken down. On April 12, another fire occurred in Balukhali camp, damaging several buildings and shelters. A Rohingya refugee man, 26, told Fortify Rights he witnessed Bangladesh police beat a Rohingya man trying to extinguish the flames: I saw it myself. The police beat him with the end of their guns and a stick. The police hit him more than five times. He was trying to put out the fire . . . There were three police hitting him. The rest of the police tried to push the other people back to prevent them from putting out the fire..."
Source/publisher: "Fortify Rights"
2021-05-05
Date of entry/update: 2021-06-13
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Description: "Indian Supreme Court rules Rohingya refugees can be returned to Myanmar (Cox’s Bazar, April 9, 2021)—The Government of India should protect Rohingya refugees and prevent their forced return to Myanmar, Fortify Rights said today. On April 8, the Supreme Court of India denied a petition challenging the arbitrary detention of Rohingya refugees in northern India. The court further ruled that the refugees could be returned to Myanmar, where Rohingya have faced mass atrocity crimes by Myanmar security forces for years. Since a February 1 military coup d’état, the Myanmar military and police have killed more than 600 men, women, and children. “India has a responsibility under international law to protect refugees from being forcibly returned to a place where their lives or freedoms are threatened,” said Amy Smith, executive director of Fortify Rights. “The same military responsible for the ongoing genocide against the Rohingya is now violently carrying out a military coup in Myanmar.” On March 6, Indian authorities in Jammu and Kashmir detained more than 160 Rohingya refugees from Myanmar, according to media reports. Two refugees petitioned the Supreme Court last month, seeking the release of the detained refugees and an order to prevent their return to Myanmar. On April 8, the Supreme Court of India rejected the petition, paving the way for the forced return of the refugees to Myanmar. In a six-page interim order reviewed by Fortify Rights, the court said, “we cannot comment upon something happening in another country” regarding the petition’s claims that returnees would face persecution should they be returned to Myanmar. “It is not possible to grant the interim relief prayed for,” the order said. Under customary international law, the principle of non-refoulement prohibits a state from returning any person on its territory or under its jurisdiction to a country where they face persecution. Article 3 of the U.N. Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, to which India is a party, states: “No State Party shall expel, return (‘refoule’) or extradite a person to another State where there are substantial grounds for believing that he [or she] would be in danger of being subjected to torture.”..."
Source/publisher: "Fortify Rights"
2021-04-09
Date of entry/update: 2021-06-13
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Description: "PREFACE: The Rohingya crisis defies easy summary. Terms such as ethnic cleansing, genocide, abuse of human rights, have all been applied to what is undoubtedly a major humanitarian crisis of our times. Understanding and responding to the plight of hundreds of thousands of Rohingyas requires a multi-disciplinary approach, with the need for engagement from a wide variety of perspectives. Legal and medical questions, issues around cultural contexts and the physical environment, psychological and social factors, religious and political considerations, are all highly relevant. There is no simple solution to a whole complex of interconnected issues: here, as in so many other cases, the eruption and tragic human consequences of collective violence raise innumerable challenges. It is all the more urgent that we can bring people together to engage in the kind of informed debate that can assist intelligent action. We are delighted that such a distinguished and broad range of scholars and practitioners have contributed their insights in this booklet of abstracts, and that some of them will be able to contribute further in person at the conference held at UCL on 4- 5 July 2019. We welcome participation in what we hope will be a productive set of encounters, seeking both to understand and, through enhanced understanding, to inform more effective responses to this still unfolding crisis.....Genocide Studie.....FORWARD : According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), there are over 70 million people worldwide who have been forcibly displaced from their homes. As an underlying principle of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to be achieved by 2030 is to leave no one behind, it is essential that the needs and aspirations of the forcibly displaced are addressed. Of these about 10 million are stateless. With limited or no legal rights, and often denied refugee legal status, the challenges they face are severe. About one third of the stateless forcibly displaced, belong to the Rohingya diaspora. The Rohingya are a Muslim-majority ethnic group from today's Rakhine State in Myanmar. After a long period of systematic exclusion, the Rohingya were stripped of their citizenship in 1982. Since the late 1970s, nearly two million Rohingya have fled Myanmar, with another one million living as internally displace people (IDPs) within Rakhine State, in waves of violent forced displacement perpetrated by the Myanmar authorities. Violence towards the Rohingya in Myanmar from 2017, caused the mass displacement of people to southeastern Bangladesh. The Human Rights Council acting under UN resolution 34/22 has cited this as a crime against humanity and called for an investigation for genocide against the authorities in Myanmar. The majority of the nearly one million displaced persons are residing in overcrowded temporary makeshift shelters, of bamboo frames and plastic sheeting, in Cox’s Bazar district. Kutupalong is the world’s largest refugee camp. These camps are highly susceptible to rainfall-triggered landslides, flash flooding and cyclones and the likelihood of a public health emergency from infectious diseases is high, which in this vulnerable population threatens new disaster...."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: University College London
2019-07-05
Date of entry/update: 2021-06-12
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "At the launch of the 2021 Joint Response Plan for the Rohingya Humanitarian Crisis, the United States announced nearly $155 million in new assistance to sustain critical efforts to support Rohingya refugees and host communities in Bangladesh and internally displaced Rohingya and other affected people in Burma. Our assistance will help meet the immediate needs of the nearly 900,000 refugees in Bangladesh who fled from horrific violence in Burma’s Rakhine State, including women and children. As the leading contributor of assistance in response to the Rohingya refugee crisis, the United States is helping to support the victims of atrocities and other vulnerable people in need. With this new funding, our total humanitarian aid for those affected by the crisis in Burma, Bangladesh, and elsewhere in the region since the brutal violence by the Burmese military in August 2017 is more than $1.3 billion, including more than $1.1 billion for programs inside Bangladesh. Given the tremendous funding needs for this crisis, we welcome the contributions that some member states have made to this humanitarian response in recent months. We encourage the broader international community to do more and urge other countries and stakeholders to contribute as well. The United States recognizes the cost and responsibility that the response has placed on host countries, especially Bangladesh. We will continue to support all countries in the region that prioritize protection of Rohingya refugees. In the aftermath of the February 1 military coup and the brutal military crackdown in Burma, we remain committed to addressing the Rohingya crisis, recognizing that the coup leaders are many of the same individuals responsible for previous human rights abuses, including atrocities against Rohingya. We continue to work with international partners to support justice and accountability for all those responsible for the coup and human rights abuses. We continue to advocate for the rights of Rohingya and urge their inclusion in discussions about their future. We also continue to underscore the need for unhindered humanitarian access to all people requiring assistance in Burma. We urge Bangladesh to take steps to protect refugees, particularly at this time of increased risk to them, and not create conditions that would force them to return to a country where they could face persecution and violence. The United States is committed to promoting peace, security, and respect for the human rights and human dignity of all people in Burma, including Rohingya..."
Source/publisher: United States Department of State
2021-05-18
Date of entry/update: 2021-05-20
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Description: "In recent years, the deliberate destruction of cultural heritage, particularly in conflict contexts, has become increasingly visible. Cultural heritage destruction in Afghanistan, Iraq, Mali, and Syria drew the attention of the world’s media, caused public outcry, and in one instance led to a successful International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecution (Burke 2016; González Zarandona, Albarrán, and Isakhan 2018; Kraak 2018; Moffett 2017; UN News 2017a). Although the deliberate destruction of cultural heritage in Myanmar (Figure 1) has been less visible internationally, throughout the 2017 Rohingya refugee crisis there were numerous documented examples of cultural heritage destruction both by the Myanmar authorities and by ordinary residents of Myanmar (a country often still known as Burma1). The 2017 Rohingya refugee crisis drew world attention to the circumstances of this persecuted Muslim ethnic minority and to the nature of the military crackdown that caused around 700,000 Rohingya to flee their homes in Myanmar’s Rakhine state for Bangladesh (UN News 2017b; OCHA 2018; UNHCR 2018). During 2017, Myanmar’s military, known as the Tatmadaw, partially or totally razed almost 300 Rohingya villages and destroyed numerous mosques in northern Rakhine state (Human Rights Watch 2017a, 2017b, 2018). The Myanmar authorities have subsequently remodelled large parts of northern Rakhine state which has included constructing at least one military base on lands previously occupied by the Rohingya (Amnesty International 2018a, 2018b; Associated Press 2018; Child 2018). Largescale destruction of heritage in Rakhine state did not begin in 2017. During 2012, conflict between Buddhists and Muslims caused the destruction of entire neighbourhoods around the Rakhine state capital, Sittwe, displacing more than 140,000 people, overwhelmingly Muslims (Human Rights Watch 2012; Republic of the Union of Myanmar 2013). In this article we map heritage destruction in Myanmar’s Rakhine state from the time of this 2012 violence to the present, and we consider the role of religion and recent political change in violence towards cultural heritage in contemporary Myanmar. We trace patterns of heritage destruction as legal and/or illegal iconoclasm specifying the key elements of heritage destruction in Rakhine state. Our analysis focusses on the use of heritage destruction as a tool of genocide, and we suggest that heritage destruction in Rakhine state ought to be understood as part of the authorities’ policies of genocide against the Rohingya. We conclude the article with a call for UNESCO to act to extend its ‘Unite4Heritage’ campaign to include the destruction of heritage by state actors. Traditionally, iconoclasm was considered the destruction of images – paintings and statues, mainly – for religious and political motives. Particular (Western) iterations of this phenomenon have been identified during the eighth and ninth centuries in Byzantium, and the Reformation in Europe, where religious images were considered idols and thus erased to avoid idolatry. Nonetheless, the concept of iconoclasm has gradually evolved to start considering other types of destruction, not only images, but also ideas, buildings, cultural property and heritage; the targets of iconoclasts because they reflect a part of a group’s identity (see Latour 2002 for an extended discussion). In this paper, we not only consider Rohingya heritage as those culturally significant sites for them, such as mosques and neighbourhoods, but also the traditions practised by the Rohingya for centuries in those sites. The paper does not point to a particular type of ‘heritage’, but rather it takes heritage in its broadest meaning. That is, we consider heritage not only the tangible expressions of Rohingya culture as exemplified by mosques, but also other forms considered intangible and moveable, and providing evidence of long-term Rohingya settlement in Rakhine state such as the presence of Rohingya villages (the destruction of which can serve to erase physical evidence of long-term Rohingya residency). In doing so, the aim of this paper is not to detail all the heritage which has been destroyed in Rakhine state, but to map the destruction of Rohingya heritage to demonstrate the link between heritage destruction and a genocidal campaign against the Rohingya..."
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Source/publisher: International Journal of Heritage Studies
2019-09-21
Date of entry/update: 2021-05-14
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "Myanmar faces a number of significant stabilisation challenges including frequent natural disasters, environmental challenges and organised crime, in addition to the challenges associated with a nascent democratisation process. This report, however, focuses exclusively on violent conflict and displacement. Myanmar has been afflicted by armed conflict since independence. During the 1960s-1980s, a number of armed groups were able to establish ‘effectively independent micro-states’ (EC, 2016, p. 3). These had their own ‘rudimentary’ governments, service provision, and foreign policies (EC, 2016, p. 3). This situation persists in some parts of Myanmar (EC, 2016, p. 3). The communities currently most at risk of, and affected by, conflict and violence are those living in the Kokang Self-Administered Zone and in other parts of northern Shan State. Other affected communities include those living in Kachin, Rakhine, Chin and Kayin States. The community most affected by the threat of forced displacement is the Rohingya, a Muslim ethnic group, in Rakhine State. The nature of conflict in these areas ranges from occasional to frequent clashes between armed groups and government forces. In addition to armed conflict, Rakhine State suffers from tensions between the Muslim and Buddhist communities. There were more than 700,000 internally displaced people (IDPs) in Myanmar in 2016 (McConnachie, 2016, p. 4). Moreover, more than 128,000 refugees from Myanmar were living in Thailand in 2014 (UNICEF, 2014, p. 3). According to UNICEF, displacement can constitute a driver of conflict, depending on whether it is forced or not, and on the extent to which host communities are prepared for IDPs. Women and children are reportedly disproportionately affected by migration and displacement, and make up the majority of those who are IDPs and refugees (ibid). The literature identifies a number of sources of resilience in Myanmar, which include:  Institutionalisation of peace-making: Both the previous and current governments declared their commitment to ending conflict in Myanmar. A number of peace initiatives and inter-faith dialogues have taken place in order to mitigate tensions and conflict in the country.  Economy: Myanmar’s economy has considerable potential. A number of economic reforms have been undertaken and economic growth is strong, although it has been slowing recently.  Strengthened civil society: The previous government’s decision to allow issue-driven CSOs to operate in Myanmar has led to a proliferation of such organisations.  Education: The previous government undertook steps to reform the education system in Myanmar in a bid to end discrimination against ethnic minorities.  Release of political prisoners: A significant number of political prisoners have been released since the new National League for Democracy (NLD) led government came to power.  Increased press freedom: Extensive media reform has resulted in a proliferation of ‘alternative’ information and has rendered the government subject to increased scrutiny. The literature identifies a number of policy options for mitigating tensions in Myanmar. International actors could potentially provide support and assistance in a number of areas. These include technical support for the conclusion, implementation and monitoring of ceasefire agreements, and support for an inclusive national political dialogue. They also include various forms of assistance for recovery and development, as well as support for educational reform. There is a sizeable body of literature on Myanmar’s stabilisation challenges. This consists of a mixture of peer-reviewed journal articles, policy briefs, and reports by NGOs and international organisations. While gender is not addressed in all of the papers reviewed for the purposes of this report, a number of papers do look at gender, specifically in the context of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), and in the context of peace-making and peacebuilding..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: Governance and Social Development Resource Centre
2017-05-02
Date of entry/update: 2021-04-21
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: " After grabbing power in a February 1 coup that has been resisted by massive demonstrations and condemned by the US, EU and UN, Myanmar’s military regime would appear to have few cards to play to win acceptance. But one the coup-makers amazingly think they can play is the plight of Muslim Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, who were driven across the border during brutal military campaigns in 2016-17, and those who have remained behind in Myanmar. Shortly after overthrowing Aung San Suu Kyi’s democratically elected government, the new military regime sent a letter to Bangladesh’s government through its ambassador in Myanmar to explain their reasons for the coup, namely unsubstantiated allegations of fraud at the November 2020 election Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) resoundingly won. In the letter, the full contents of which has not been made public, the military regime also mentioned a possible solution for solving the Rohingya crisis. That prompted Bangladesh’s Foreign Minister Abdul Momen, quoted by the Dhaka Tribune on February 6, to say “these are good news. It’s a good beginning.” Inside Myanmar’s Rakhine state, several local military commanders have visited Muslim-inhabited areas close to the Bangladesh border and a camp for internally displaced Rohingyas in the state capital Sittwe..."
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Source/publisher: "Asia Times" (Hong Kong)
2021-02-09
Date of entry/update: 2021-02-10
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Topic: Agriculture, Camp Coordination and Camp Management, Coordination, Education, Food and Nutrition, Health, Logistics and Telecommunications, Protection and Human Rights, Shelter and Non-Food Items, Water Sanitation Hygiene
Topic: Agriculture, Camp Coordination and Camp Management, Coordination, Education, Food and Nutrition, Health, Logistics and Telecommunications, Protection and Human Rights, Shelter and Non-Food Items, Water Sanitation Hygiene
Description: "The present Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) seeks to mobilize assistance for close to 945,000 people in 2021, in support of the efforts of the Government of Myanmar to aid those affected by humanitarian crises and challenges in different parts of the country. As has been the case for previous years, the HRP places protection at the centre of an inclusive response tailored to the particular needs of the most vulnerable women and men, girls and boys. The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 further demonstrated the critical importance of localization in Myanmar. In 2021, the Humanitarian Country Team (HCT) will build on the partnerships with national NGOs and local civil society actors that were strengthened as we adjusted to new operational realities in 2020. We will redouble our efforts to put in place robust channels for systematic two-way dialogue and engagement with affected people, and to capitalize on innovations around cash and voucher assistance to further extend our reach. Humanitarian partners remain committed to contributing to the achievement of durable solutions for displaced people. The National Strategy on Resettlement of Internally Displaced People (IDPs) and Closure of IDP Camps provides a key entry point in this regard. Progress on implementation of the Strategy in 2020 was slowed down by COVID-19 but new opportunities are emerging. Our efforts in this regard in 2021 will seek to create new links across the humanitarian-development nexus, while remaining firmly anchored in the perspectives and concerns of displaced people themselves. In Rakhine, the recommendations of the Advisory Commission on Rakhine State will continue to be an important reference point for engagement between humanitarian organizations and the Government of Myanmar. Our dialogue with the authorities will continue to emphasize the importance of humanitarian access, so that needs can be fully assessed and analyzed, humanitarian activities can be prioritized on the basis of those needs, and the impact of our efforts can be effectively monitored. The Myanmar HCT remains committed to working in accordance with the humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence, and without any adverse distinction based on region, ethnicity, religion or citizenship status..."
Source/publisher: OCHA (New York) via Reliefweb (New York)
2021-01-27
Date of entry/update: 2021-01-27
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Size: 10.58 MB
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Description: "Bangladesh, Myanmar and China will hold a tripartite meeting on Rohingya repatriation in Dhaka on January 19, as Dhaka finds their repatriation to Myanmar as the only solution to the crisis. "We hope it would be a fruitful meeting," Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen told reporters on Wednesday about the tripartite talks. He said the meeting would be held at secretary level. The last tripartite meeting like this was held on January 20 last year. The foreign minister said Bangladesh had handed over a list of 840,000 Rohingyas to Myanmar for verification. "Myanmar has verified very few people. They are very slow. They verified only 42,000 people. There is (a) serious lack of seriousness," said the foreign minister. Dr Momen said they were doing their part of the job, but Myanmar is not responding the same way. Responding to a question, he said he is always hopeful of beginning repatriation as Myanmar has taken back their nationals before – in 1978 and 1992. The government earlier hinted that the repatriation talks would begin this month as there was no Rohingya repatriation and discussion in 2020, because of the Covid-19 pandemic as well as the general elections in Myanmar..."
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Source/publisher: "Dhaka Tribune" (Bangladesh)
2021-01-13
Date of entry/update: 2021-01-15
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Topic: Explosive Weapons in Civilian Areas , Landmines , Internally Displaced People
Sub-title: Statement of Manny Maung, Myanmar Researcher, Human Rights Watch Subcommittee on International Human Rights Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development
Topic: Explosive Weapons in Civilian Areas , Landmines , Internally Displaced People
Description: "Study of the Impacts of Covid-19 on Internally Displaced People in Myanmar Thank you to the Chairperson and Honorable Members of Parliament for inviting me to appear before this Committee to discuss the impacts of Covid-19 on internally displaced people in Myanmar. My name is Manny Maung and I am the Myanmar Researcher for Human Rights Watch. Decades of conflict have resulted in over 360,000 internally displaced peoples across the country. They are mainly members of ethnic minority communities spread across northern Myanmar, in Kachin and Shan States; in western Rakhine State; and in the southeast near the Myanmar-Thai border. Renewed conflict has created fresh displacements in 2020 in both Rakhine and Shan States. Humanitarian agencies reported that the government did not take measures to ensure that they could deliver emergency aid under the government-imposed travel restrictions to protect against the spread of Covid-19. In October, Human Rights Watch released a report, “An Open Prison without End,” on Myanmar’s detention of 130,000 Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine State since 2012.[1] Human Rights Watch found that the squalid and oppressive conditions imposed on the interned Rohingya and Kaman Muslims amount to the crimes against humanity of persecution, apartheid, and severe deprivation of liberty. Starting in August 2017, a military campaign of killings, sexual violence, arson, and forced eviction of Rohingya in northern Rakhine State forced more than 700,000 to flee to Bangladesh. Human Rights Watch determined the Myanmar security forces committed ethnic cleansing, crimes against humanity, and acts of genocide..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: "Human Rights Watch" (USA)
2020-12-10
Date of entry/update: 2021-01-05
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Description: "Last week, the Bangladesh government made it quite apparent that they won’t allow the displaced Rohingyas from neighbouring Myanmar, quarantined at Bhasan Char, to shift to the camp areas in the Cox’s Bazar region. They want the refugees to stay in the char region. The displaced people fear that they will be made to live there until they are repatriated to Myanmar. More than 300 displaced Rohingyas were rescued by the Bangladesh navy in early May after being stranded at sea for more than two months, not being able to enter either Malaysia or Thailand due to Covid-19 scare. Following international pressure, Bangladesh became obliged to provide shelter. However, the new arrivals were sent to Bhasan Char, a landmass made up of silts. This particular landmass is located at the northern end of the Bay of Bengal and the mouth of the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna river system. It will be in the first area of impact if a tsunami or cyclone hits the region. Bangladesh, as is known, takes big hits by cyclones, year after year. Bhasan Char was chosen under the initial strategy of Bangladesh — Ashrayan 3. It was planned to move the Rohingyas there. Nevertheless, since a UN team is yet to declare the place fit for habitation after technically assessing it, the plan to move the Rohingyas in December 2019 was halted. In February 2020, there were rumours that the land will not be provided to the Rohingyas anymore and will be made available to Bangladeshi citizens in need. However, with the current state of events, it seems that Covid-19 has become a good pretext for test-running the government’s pilot scheme since the spread of the disease remains too high within the camp areas..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: "Observer Research Foundation (ORF)" (India)
2020-07-23
Date of entry/update: 2020-07-23
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Sub-title: The following speech was delivered at the Liberation War Museum at the inaugural event for the Thread Exhibition on June 29
Description: "Honourable Foreign Secretary; Mr Sarwar Ali, Trustee of the Liberation War Museum; Mr Mofidul Hoque, Trustee of the Museum and Director of the Centre for the Study of Genocide and Justice; distinguished participants; ladies and Gentlemen. Let me begin by thanking the Liberation War Museum for allowing me to join this morning’s event on the occasion of World Refugee Day and to launch the “Thread Exhibit.” When the Liberation War Museum reached out to me, I did not hesitate. UNHCR has had a very long and historic partnership with the museum. It’s also an honour to be part of such a distinguished panel and to be together, once again, with the Foreign Secretary, Ambassador Masud Bin Momen, who leads the Rohingya response in Bangladesh and stands at the very centre of our cooperation with the government to meet this challenge. After working for UNHCR for more than three decades, I retain the same energy, commitment, and optimism that I had on my first day in 1987. Refugees are the source of my motivation, but the engagement of young people around the world -- the next generation of humanitarians -- are an inspiration. The Thread Exhibition shows the different ways that people can connect and communicate about the refugee experience and show solidarity. I want to thank the students -- from Harvard University, Dhaka University, South Asian University, and others -- who have worked across continents and also across generations, with the honoured veterans of the Liberation War -- to make this exhibition happen. The Thread Exhibition helps us understand that the Rohingya refugee crisis is about more than endless lines or undifferentiated masses of traumatized people who flooded into Bangladesh in late 2017 and spread across the hills of Ukhiya and Teknaf. The Rohingya story is about individuals. Each refugee has a story to tell and has hopes and aspirations for the future. The Thread Exhibition makes us confront that human dimension by sharing with us work from the hands of the Rohingya refugees..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: "Dhaka Tribune" (Bangladesh)
2020-07-03
Date of entry/update: 2020-07-04
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Sub-title: Transparency, accountability in the process of disbursement of aid is very critical, says, foreign minister
Description: "Foreign Minister Dr AK Abul Momen on Tuesday called on the UK to exert more pressure on Myanmar for solving the Rohingya crisis urgently by sustainable repatriation. He made this call during the videoconference with UK DFID Secretary of State Anne-Marie Trevelyan. Dr Momen expressed his sympathy for the severity of Covid-19 in the UK, and briefed Trevelyan on the steps taken by Bangladesh to contain the deadly virus, reports UNB. He briefed Secretary of State for DFID about the economic and social impact of coronavirus in Bangladesh, including the challenge of job loss by a significant number of Bangladeshi migrant workers abroad, particularly in the Middle East. Dr Momen requested the support of the UK in overcoming this difficulty. Foreign Minister Momen flagged that Myanmar has not done anything to date for the repatriation of Rohingyas. He insisted that until the international community exerts more pressure on Myanmar, including by putting trade and investment moratorium, the Rohingya crisis will not be resolved. While thanking DFID as a longstanding development partner of Bangladesh, Dr Momen pointed out that transparency, accountability, and aid effectiveness regarding disbursement of aid are critical. He requested the UK to keep the government of Bangladesh informed of the different development programs, modes of distribution, and modalities of development activities carried out by DFID in Bangladesh. DFID Secretary Trevelyan assured Foreign Minister Momen of following transparent mechanism in this regard. Trade, climate issues They also discussed the issue of climate change and committed to working together for addressing the global challenge. Dr Momen informed Trevelyan about the Climate Vulnerable Forum, where Bangladesh is the chair now, and suggested that the UK could help Bangladesh to strengthen the Forum. 2020/06/samsung-june-offer-dt-1170x90-1592483732604.gif Foreign Minister Momen also raised the issue of RMG export to the UK is severely affected during the ongoing coronavirus crisis. He flagged that even now, close to $300 million worth of confirmed orders have been cancelled by different British brands and retailers. Dr Momen requested for the support of the government of the UK to solve this problem of defaulting on confirmed orders by UK companies. He suggested that a Covid-19 recovery fund could be created to address this particular issue Dr Momen also briefed Trevelyan about the trade and investment opportunities in Bangladesh. He flagged the advantages of investing in Bangladesh and suggested that the UK, a major investor in Bangladesh, could further diversify its investment here..."
Source/publisher: "Dhaka Tribune" (Bangladesh)
2020-06-24
Date of entry/update: 2020-06-25
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "In March, I sat down with Katie Striffolino, InterAction's Senior Manager for Humanitarian Practice, to discuss her work with the NGOs on the front lines of this crisis. "We undertake a number of field visits every year, looking at different operational and policy issues as they affect humanitarian NGOs and conditions at the field level," she told me. "We do documentation and analyses, produce recommendations, and engage stakeholders on improvements to the humanitarian response, as well as actions that can improve humanitarian conditions to support overall response operations in any given context." From February 10-20, Katie traveled to Myanmar with Rachel Unkovic, InterAction's NGO Coordination Advisor, to consult with, support, and learn from the Myanmar INGO Forum, its 140 NGO members, many of them InterAction members and local and national NGO networks and actors. Their trip had two objectives. "First, we were looking at the Myanmar INGO Forum's governance, structures, and practices," she said. "We asked ourselves what lessons and experiences could we share with them from other response locations around the world and what we could learn from them to bring to NGO Consortia working in other humanitarian settings? "Second, we conducted research into bureaucratic and administrative impediments as they affect the humanitarian response for both U.N. and NGO actors which will form a case study and inform InterAgency Standing Committee (IASC) normative guidance to Humanitarian Coordinators and Country Teams around the world on how to best, collectively support the humanitarian community in addressing undue bureaucratic and administrative impediments. We need to be collectively addressing these issues so that humanitarian programs can continue to run in an efficient, unfettered and principled manner." The more time they spent with the Myanmar INGO Forum, the more they realized how similar it is to InterAction. While the diversity of their membership is a strength, it can often make it challenging to drive consensus and provide equal support to each member..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: " InterAction" via "Reliefweb" (New York)
2020-06-19
Date of entry/update: 2020-06-19
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "In what the United Nations (UN) has referred to as a risky ‘sport of human ping pong’, the displaced Rohingyas at sea are oscillating from one country to another in hopes of gaining entry to Malaysia or Thailand since February this year. While some were rescued by the coast guard when the boats had returned to Bangladesh in mid-April and early May, the apprehensions remained that more such trawlers are still at sea being denied access owing to the COVID19 scare. The few hundreds of displaced Rohingyas rescued were severely emaciated, dehydrated and could barely walk due to a shortage of food and water. Several of them had died in the boat and their bodies were disposed off at sea. Such abysmal conditions has forced us to ponder that what propels these displaced people to venture out on such dangerous expedition and what happens to most of them eventually? For quite some time now, Malaysia and Thailand appear to be lucrative destinations for these hapless people. They believe that once they arrive there, it will put an end to their ongoing anguish of being in caged like circumstances with next to no economic or social engagements. Thus, they agree to commence unsafe sea journeys in search for better prospects. However, behind these anticipated aspirations, a ruthless trafficking network lurks that preys on such vulnerable conditions. According to latest reports, the blight of human trafficking affects some 40 million people in South and South East Asia. Women and girls account for 71 percent of modern slavery numbers. Women and children particularly are enmeshed in an atrocious network of sexual exploitation, forced labour and coerced marriage. The population of around 885, 000 Rohingyas currently reside in Bangladesh, and their stateless status and displacement has eroded their financial capabilities. Restriction of movement, the stalled repatriation efforts between the governments of Bangladesh and Myanmar coupled with isolation and desperation has heightened crimes like human trafficking to flow smoothly. Thus, men, women, and children are enticed either with false work assurance or are simply abducted. Once an offer is accepted, individuals are often trapped, abused, and not paid the agreed amount and even sometimes held for ransom until their family pays an exorbitant sum to rescue them. Physical and sexual form of abuse is common for women and children who are frequently forced into prostitution after accepting jobs as domestic workers. Men are coerced to work within inhuman conditions as bonded labourers. Ironically, the current COVID-19 pandemic may have saved these people from a fatal future ahead..."
Source/publisher: "Observer Research Foundation (ORF)" (India)
2020-06-03
Date of entry/update: 2020-06-07
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Sub-title: Bangladesh has urged the European Union to put more pressure on Myanmar to take back Rohingya refugees living in makeshift camps in Cox's Bazar.
Description: "Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen made the appeal during a courtesy phone call with Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Simon Coveney yesterday, said a press statement issued by the foreign ministry. Momen thanked his Irish counterpart for the continued support on the Rohingya issue but also expressed deep concern over the lack of progress in the repatriation of Rohingyas to Myanmar. To date, Myanmar has not taken back a single Rohingya refugee since some 750,000 Rohingya refugees fled brutal military crackdown in the Rakhine state of Myanmar from August 2017. The foreign minister hoped that if elected as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, Ireland will play a more robust role in the Council. Simon Coveney told Momen that Bangladesh has shown extraordinary generosity in hosting a huge number of persecuted Rohingyas from Myanmar. "Bangladesh has played a very significant role in extending temporary shelter to this huge number of Rohingyas, a number almost equivalent to a quarter of the population of Ireland," he added. The Irish minister applauded the leadership role of Bangladesh in UN Peacekeeping and expressed willingness to work jointly in this area. Dr Momen informed his counterpart about the availability of a huge pool of IT experts (6,00,000) whose expertise could be used by Ireland. He also requested the Irish government to ease and facilitate visa procedures for Bangladesh nationals. Momen also expressed concern that many foreign buyers are dishonouring their contracts during this pandemic..."
Source/publisher: "The Daily Star" (Bangladesh)
2020-06-04
Date of entry/update: 2020-06-06
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "Myanmar is preparing to help citizens stuck in Thailand to return home while a large group of Indians have flown home on a special flight. The Interior Ministry has permitted stranded Myanmar workers to return home via the Thai–Myanmar Friendship Bridge in Tak's Mae Sot district. Chatchai Promlert, permanent secretary for the Interior Ministry, said the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration had agreed to open the bridge, although other crossings remain closed for now. Mr Chatchai said those who wish to cross the border must show a letter of guarantee issued by the Myanmar embassy in Thailand, or one of the Myanmar labour offices in Chiang Mai or Ranong. The travellers are required to present either the physical letter itself or show a copy of it on their mobile phone to border security personnel. More Rohingya migrants detained in Mae Sot Illegally cut teak seized in Mae Sot Myanmar editor jailed for Covid error Travellers are also required to present themselves at the border checkpoint before 3pm each day, said Mr Chatchai, who added that a coach service runs to the border from Mo Chit 2 Bus Terminal in Bangkok every evening Tak provincial governor Ansit Samphantharat also told media that about 27,000 Myanmar workers in Bangkok and adjacent areas have submitted requests to the Myanmar embassy in Thailand asking for permission to return to their country. The Transport Co will provide 10 coaches which will cover the Bangkok-Mae Sot route to transport Myanmar workers from Mo Chit 2 Bus Terminal to the Mae Sot border checkpoint, stopping only at Nakhon Sawan Bus Terminal..."
Source/publisher: "Bangkok Post" (Thailand)
2020-05-23
Date of entry/update: 2020-05-23
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Sub-title: Yanghee Lee says the army is ‘maximising suffering’ on Rohingya and other people in attacks reminiscent of the 2017 assault in Rakhine state
Description: "Myanmar’s military may once again be committing crimes against humanity in Rakhine state, the UN special rapporteur on human rights has warned, urging the international community to prevent further atrocities. In a damning statement issued on Wednesday, Yanghee Lee said the military was inflicting immense suffering on communities living in conflict-affected states, and called for increased efforts to “ensure that there is not another systemic failure like in 2017”. The military had also expanded its campaign against minorities from Rakhine to neighbouring Chin state, she said. Myanmar is already facing allegations of genocide over a brutal military crackdown that began in August 2017, and which forced more than 700,000 Rohingya Muslims to flee over the border to Bangladesh. Earlier this year, Myanmar was instructed by the UN’s highest court to take action to prevent genocidal violence against Rohingya citizens and to report back on its progress..."
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Source/publisher: "The Guardian" (UK)
2020-04-29
Date of entry/update: 2020-04-29
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Description: "...MINISTRY of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement held a coordination meeting yesterday on drafting a project plan for prevention, control and treatment of the Coronavirus infection at the internally displaced persons-IDP camps. Speaking at the meeting, the project plan is aimed at quickly responding to the possible COVID-19 infection at the IDP camps as the disease can spread rapidly.According to the statistics in January, 2020, there are 128 IDP camps with a total population of 184,333 in 24 townships in Kachin State, Kayin State, Shan State and Rakhine State.“Regarding the project, it is important to disseminate knowledge on prevention and control the Coronavirus infection not only to those living at the IDP camps but also for those taking administrative duty at the camps,” said Dr Win Myat Aye..."
Source/publisher: The Global New Light of Myanmar, 2020
2020-03-25
Date of entry/update: 2020-04-25
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Format : PDF
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Description: "...During the Interactive Dialogue with Ms. Yanghee Lee, Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in Myanmar, held in the morning of 10 March 2020 at the on-going 43rd session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva, Permanent Representative of Myanmar U Kyaw Moe Tun made a rebuttal statement as a concerned country......Turning to the repatriation process, while sharing concern of the displaced person from Rakhine State, he mentioned that more than 300 displaced persons returned to Rakhine State from Bangladesh on their own volition though no official repatriation has taken place. He, therefore, called for Bangladesh to strictly adhere to the bilateral agreements signed between the two countries...."
Source/publisher: The Global New Light of Myanmar, 2020
2020-03-14
Date of entry/update: 2020-04-25
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "Bangladesh will not accept two boats carrying hundreds of reportedly starving Rohingya refugees, the country's foreign minister said on Thursday (April 23) as calls grew to rescue the Muslim outcasts. The new controversy over stranded Rohingya blew up just a week after dozens starved to death on a boat that was left at sea for two months before it could land. Activists are fearful that large numbers of Rohingya, a persecuted Muslim minority from mostly Buddhist Myanmar, may be trapped on boats and unable to reach other countries. The two latest boats are in international waters after human traffickers had tried to reach Malaysia, according to aid groups and a Rohingya community leader. Bangladesh has ordered increased patrols in the Bay of Bengal to stop the boats entering, Foreign Minister A.K. Abdul Momen said. "Two boats carrying Rohingya are trying to get into our waters," he said, adding that the vessels could have come from Myanmar's Rakhine state following fighting between the military and rebel groups, or "somewhere else". "Our navy and coastguard are on alert and they have been instructed not to let these boats enter Bangladesh," Momen said..."
Source/publisher: "The Straits Times" (Singapore)
2020-04-23
Date of entry/update: 2020-04-23
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Sub-title: UN agencies together with the Bangladesh authorities have appealed for $877 million to support hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees from Myanmar, where conditions are still not conducive for their safe return, UN refugee agency chief Filippo Grandi said on Tuesday.
Description: "Speaking on the sidelines of the 2020 Joint Response Plan (JRP) launch for 855,000 ethnic Rohingya, and the more than 444,000 vulnerable Bangladeshis in host communities, Mr. Grandi urged Myanmar to take quicker action to help the displaced to return home. “The solution continues to be in Myanmar”, said the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). “The problem is that things that need to be done there, to create conditions for refugees to return from Bangladesh into Myanmar, are too slow or not happening yet.” In August 2017, a military operation in Myanmar’s Rakhine state in response to separatist violence prompted hundreds of thousands of ethnic Rohingya to flee. At the time, then High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, likened the episode to a “textbook example of ethnic cleansing”. Reporting to the Human Rights Council, he also cited reports of Myanmar authorities laying landmines along the border with Bangladesh and requiring returnees to provide “proof of nationality” - an impossibility, given that successive Myanmar governments have, since 1962, progressively stripped the Rohingya population of their political and civil rights, including citizenship rights. Longstanding discrimination At the current Human Rights Council session in Geneva, Zeid’s successor, Michelle Bachelet, noted that for over half a century, the policies of Myanmar had discriminated against religious and ethnic minorities..."
Source/publisher: UN News
2020-04-03
Date of entry/update: 2020-03-04
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Sub-title: The prime minister also particularly requested Germany to play role further in repatriation of the forcibly displaced Rohingyas
Description: "Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has called upon the international community, including Germany, for mounting more pressure on the Myanmar government to take back its Rohingya nationals from Bangladesh. “Rohingyas are a huge burden for us and they are creating social problems. Myanmar should take back its nationals from Bangladesh immediately,” she said. The prime minister also particularly requested Germany to play role further in repatriation of the forcibly displaced Rohingyas, reports BSS. The prime minister made the remarks when visiting German Federal Minister of Economic Cooperation and Development Dr Gerd Muller paid a courtesy call on her at her official Ganabhaban residence in Dhaka on Tuesday evening. After the meeting, Prime Minister’s Deputy Press Secretary Hasan Zahid Tusher briefed reporters. The prime minister said the exodus of over 1.1 million Rohingyas has created a big problem for the people of Cox’s Bazar as they outnumbered the local people..."
Source/publisher: "Dhaka Tribune" (Bangladesh)
2020-02-25
Date of entry/update: 2020-02-26
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Sub-title: ICOE report comes days before UN's top court issues ruling on whether urgent measures are necessary to stop genocide.
Description: "A commission set up to investigate the 2017 crackdown in Rakhine that led hundreds of thousands of mostly Muslim Rohingya to flee Myanmar, has concluded that while some soldiers probably committed war crimes there was no genocide. The Independent Commission of Enquiry (ICOE) released the findings of its investigation, but not the full report, to the country's president on Monday, a few days before the United Nations' top court is set to rule on whether to impose urgent measures to stop the alleged continuing genocide in Myanmar. More: Transcript: Aung San Suu Kyi's speech at the ICJ in full Rohingya refugees reject Aung San Suu Kyi's 'lies on genocide' Top court to rule on emergency measures against Myanmar on January 23 The ICOE conceded some security personnel had used disproportionate force and committed war crimes and serious human rights violations, including the "killing of innocent villagers and destruction of their homes". But the crimes did not constitute genocide, the panel decided..."
Source/publisher: "Al Jazeera" (Qatar)
2020-01-21
Date of entry/update: 2020-01-21
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Description: "An independent commission established by Myanmar’s government has concluded there are reasons to believe that security forces committed war crimes in counterinsurgency operations that led more than 700,000 Rohingya Muslims to flee to neighboring Bangladesh. However, the commission, headed by a Philippine diplomat, said in a report given Monday to President Win Myint that there is no evidence supporting charges that genocide was planned or carried out against the Rohingya. The Independent Commission of Enquiry announced its findings in a statement posted on its Facebook page and the full report does not appear to have been publicly released. Nevertheless, it went further than any public statements issued by Myanmar’s government in suggesting government forces were guilty of major abuses. “Although these serious crimes and violations were committed by multiple actors, there are reasonable grounds to believe that members of Myanmar’s security forces were involved” in war crimes, serious human rights violations, and violations of domestic law in 2017, it said. “The killing of innocent villagers and destruction of their homes were committed by some members of the Myanmar’s security forces through disproportionate use of force during the internal armed conflict,” it said..."
Source/publisher: "Associated Press" (USA)
2020-01-21
Date of entry/update: 2020-01-21
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "A Myanmar-appointed panel concluded on Monday (Jan 20) that some soldiers likely committed war crimes against its Rohingya Muslim community but the military was not guilty of genocide, findings swiftly condemned by rights groups. The "Independent Commission Of Enquiry (ICOE)" released the results of its probe just ahead of a ruling on Thursday by the UN's top court on whether to impose urgent measures to stop alleged ongoing genocide in Myanmar. It conceded some security personnel had used disproportionate force and committed war crimes and serious human rights violations, including the "killing of innocent villagers and destruction of their homes". But the crimes did not constitute genocide, the panel decided. "There is insufficient evidence to argue, much less conclude, that the crimes committed were undertaken with the intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical (sic), racial or religious group." Military operations from August 2017 forced about 740,000 Rohingya to flee over the border into sprawling camps in Bangladesh..."
Source/publisher: "CNA" ( Singapore)
2020-01-21
Date of entry/update: 2020-01-21
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Topic: China, Myanmar, Rakhine, repatriation, Rohingya
Topic: China, Myanmar, Rakhine, repatriation, Rohingya
Description: "China has reaffirmed its willingness to provide further support, within its capacity, to Myanmar in the Rohingya repatriation process and resettlement of the displaced people from Rakhine State. This was mentioned in a statement issued on Sunday at the end of the visit of Chinese president Xi Jinping’s two-day state visit to Myanmar. The two countries signed a number of deals. The Chinese side supports the efforts of Myanmar to address the humanitarian situation and promote peace, stability and development for all communities in Rakhine State, reads the statement. Myanmar reiterated its commitment to receive verified displaced people based on the bilateral agreement reached between Myanmar and Bangladesh, according to the joint statement. Myanmar thanked China for its understanding of the complexity of the issue and for all its support to Myanmar. Bangladesh and Myanmar signed a repatriation deal on November 23, 2017. On January 16, 2018, Bangladesh and Myanmar inked a document on ‘Physical Arrangement’, which was supposed to facilitate the repatriation..."
Source/publisher: newagebd.net
2020-01-20
Date of entry/update: 2020-01-20
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Description: "In a muddy field in western Myanmar, hundreds of Chinese shipping containers fitted with single narrow windows stand in neat lines, empty of the refugees they were designed to host. The gray boxes were sent by China two years ago as quick and cheap housing for some of the hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims who fled Myanmar for Bangladesh during a military-led crackdown in 2017 that the United Nations said was conducted with genocidal intent. The empty containers, situated near the town of Maungdaw in Rakhine state, reflect months of failed efforts to entice the Rohingya to return to Myanmar despite a diplomatic drive by the country’s close ally and neighbor, China. In a sharp departure from its official policy of non-interference in the affairs of other countries, China has positioned itself as the key mediator in resolving the protracted crisis. But like the Indonesian and United Nations envoys who previously attempted to mediate between the parties, China is finding the business of diplomacy tough going, with little signs that the crisis will soon be resolved..."
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Source/publisher: "Reuters" (UK)
2020-01-20
Date of entry/update: 2020-01-20
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Sub-title: A short paper on the region‘s response to the recent refugee crisis.
Description: "The objectives of this short report are to: (a) give a comprehensive historical background on the plight of the Rohgingya and the events of the migrant crisis; (b) identify, explain the role and response of entities such as the governments of ASEAN and other organizations such as the United Nations (UN) and relevant non-governmental organizations (NGOs); (c) explain the political, economic and social aspects, factors and developments on the issue; (d) give a conclusion and recommendations based on the author‘s research. Studying refugees and forced displacement flows is essential in understanding emerging trends in migration, as well as an indicator of consequences of conflict, economic stagnation, and environmental degradation. As of 2014, the United Nations High Commissioner on Refugees (UNHCR) reported an accelerated growth in global forced displacement whilst reaching unprecedented levels. There are 59.5 million individuals globally that were forcibly displaced because of persecution, armed conflict, generalized violence, or human rights violation1 . Crises in the Middle East, Africa, Eastern Europe and Southeast Asia have severely stretched the global humanitarian system. In addition, the gaps can be observed on the current global legal framework in protecting, asylum seekers, refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs). Out of the 59.5 million displaced, 19.5 million are refugees, 28.2 million are IDPs, and 1.8 million are asylum-seekers. 42,500 individuals are forcibly displaced daily due to conflict and persecution..."
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Source/publisher: "Academia.edu" (USA)
2015-11-28
Date of entry/update: 2019-12-07
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Format : pdf
Size: 540.62 KB (12 pages)
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Description: "Few years ago, I was in London attending a human rights festival, where I watched a documentary about Myanmar. At that time I knew little about Myanmar, but that movie struck my attention and gave a different direction to my life. I decided to take action and understand what was behind the Junta’s curtain and the military violence against its own people. Therefore, few months later, I started a Master in Human Rights & Conflict Management at Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna in Pisa, Italy and then spent four months at the United Nations Regional Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Bangkok. During my time at OHCHR, I got closer to the Rohingya’s cause when in October 2012, following an escalation of violence in Myanmar, they organized a protest in front of the UN building in Bangkok, asking the United Nations Security Council to deploy, within 72 hours, UN Peacekeeping Forces in the Rakhine State to protect the Rohingya people and to constitute a UN Commission of Inquiry to investigate the international crimes committed against them and bring the perpetrators to justice. The decision to research on the topic of the stateless Rohingya has been taken as a way to stand for their cause. Their particular vulnerability and determination at the same time, inspired me..."
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Source/publisher: "Institute of Law, Politics and Development"
2013-03-28
Date of entry/update: 2019-12-06
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Format : pdf
Size: 1.91 MB (74 pages)
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Description: "The discrimination suffered by Rohingya Muslims is increasingly blewed up in media in last decade. The peak of the discriminatory treatment against Rohingya Muslim by Myanmar government is the unavailability of shelter from Myanmar government. In the perspective of international law, Myanmar government’s actions constitute a serious violence, because it ignores the rights of its citizens. Even a series of massacres and inhumane treatment became a major offense committed by Myanmar government in terms of humanity. This attracted international attention in solving the problem. This article illustrated the fate of Rohingyas who are not given citizenship rights by Myanmar government. It also revealed the irony of Muslims of Rohingya life who are discriminated by the government of Myanmar, both in the practical as well as in the political context. Diskriminasi yang diderita oleh Muslim Rohingya semakin mengemuka di media dalam dekade terakhir. Puncak perlakuan diskriminatif terhadap Muslim Rohingya adalah tidak tersedianya tempat tinggal dari pemerintah Myanmar. Dalam perspektif hukum internasional, tindakan pemerintah Myanmar ini merupakan..."
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Source/publisher: "Academia.edu" (USA)
2017-00-00
Date of entry/update: 2019-12-06
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Format : pdf
Size: 155.59 KB (303 pages)
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Sub-title: Nearly, one-third has had a family member or friend murdered, or forcibly isolated from others, reveals a report
Description: "About half of the forcibly displaced Rohingyas - living in refugee camps at Cox’s Bazar- had suffered some form of abuse, torture, aggression and even near-death or impending death experiences in Myanmar. Nearly, one-third has had a family member or friend murdered, or forcibly isolated from others, reveals a report. The survey-study, jointly conducted by Innovations Poverty Action (IPA), the International Growth Center (IGC), and Yale University, USA, was revealed yesterday at a workshop in Dhaka. The outcome of the survey is based on extensive interviews with more than 25,000 Rohingyas. The survey-study was carried out between March and August in 2019. However, the survey also reveals that more than one-quarter of the forcibly displaced Rohingyas were separated from their families. "The data of Rohingyas and host communities allows us to actually understand the population we work with, which will allow organizations to better target and design their programs to efficiently meet the needs," said Imran Matin, Executive Director of BRAC Institute of Governance and Development..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: "Dhaka Tribune" (Bangladesh)
2019-12-04
Date of entry/update: 2019-12-04
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Sub-title: Côte d’Ivoire and Myanmar with 692,000 and 620,000 stateless people respectively followed the list after Bangladesh
Description: "Bangladesh is currently hosting the largest number of stateless people in the world with about 906,000 persons, mainly because of the Rohingya exodus that began in August 2017. This number is one fourth of the total number of stateless persons globally with 3.9million as of 2018, according to the World Migration Report-2020, launched on Wednesday by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM). Côte d’Ivoire and Myanmar with 692,000 and 620,000 stateless people respectively followed the list after Bangladesh. Several hundred thousands of Rohingya fleeing their homeland following violence in Myanmar since August 25, 2017 contributed largely to the mammoth number of stateless people in Bangladesh. Following the crackdown, mainly on Rohingya Muslims by Myanmar security forces, Bangladesh opened its borders and sheltered these people at the sprawling refugee camps in Cox's Bazar. “Due to violence and persecution of Rohingya people, Myanmar produced the third largest refugee population in the region, and the fourth largest in the world in 2018, with most refugees hosted in Bangladesh,” said the report. There has been an increase in displacement in the subregion due to violence, systemic persecution and marginalization. The Rohingya refugee situation is the most acute, and remains one of the most complex refugee crises in the world, it added..."
Source/publisher: "Dhaka Tribune" (Bangladesh)
2019-11-29
Date of entry/update: 2019-12-04
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Sub-title: Some reports may provide excuses to the Myanmar government to stay away from taking responsibilities for their crimes, experts have said
Description: "Both local and international print and electronic media have played a role, as a catalyst to draw global attention to Rohingya refugees seeking justice for the persecutions they faced in Myanmar. After fleeing shocking violence in Myanmar's Rakhine state, over 1 million Rohingyas are now living in Bangladesh in the world’s biggest refugee camp. Despite the welcome they have received, many are now struggling to imagine a future for themselves. At the onset of the refugee influx starting on August 25, 2017, the media in general put forth its commitment to expose the abuse, exploitation and persecution that the Rohingya people had long been enduring. However, since the talks to repatriate them from the Cox’s Bazar camps began, particularly before the second anniversary of the Rohingya exodus, the media reports have largely portrayed the sufferings of the host communities..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: "Dhaka Tribune" (Bangladesh)
2019-11-30
Date of entry/update: 2019-12-01
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Sub-title: Myanmar's army continues to fund its brutal campaigns through its vast economic operations. It must be stopped.
Description: "During the optimistic years that ultimately led to the National League for Democracy forming a government in 2016, the international community confirmed its faith in Myanmar's transition from military rule by lifting a succession of economic sanctions that had been imposed on the country. But there were warnings that this response came too soon. With the army's involvement in politics protected by the constitution it drafted in 2008, continued progress in the reforms was not guaranteed. Removing the sanctions reduced important leverage against the military, which could have been instrumental to the new government. For its part, the military-allied elite had spent years carefully positioning itself to be the main beneficiary of economic liberalisation and Myanmar's re-engagement with the global market. As Myanmar now once again approaches general elections in 2020, the optimism has decidedly diminished. Under Aung San Suu Kyi's government, the reforms have stalled, and the human rights situation has deteriorated across the country. Democratic freedoms have been curbed, armed conflict has plagued the lives of hundreds of thousands, and the relentless plunder of natural resources has persisted unabated. The emboldened military leadership retains a firm grip on politics and the economy, while the government has so far proved unwilling or unable to make any significant move against it..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: "Al Jazeera" (Qatar)
2019-11-26
Date of entry/update: 2019-11-26
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Sub-title: Says Ban Ki-moon about treatment of Rohingyas; calls for political solution
Description: "Former UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon yesterday called for a political solution to the Rohingya crisis so that the Rohingyas could return to Rakhine State “freely and safely”. “There should be a political solution,” he told reporters after meeting with Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen at a hotel in the capital, reports UNB. Ban appreciated Bangladesh’s role in sheltering over 1.1 million Rohingyas in Cox’s Bazar camps and sought continued support for Rohingyas from the UN agencies and humanitarian organisations. The former UN chief said the Myanmar government should show much more generous and compassionate support to Rohingyas so that they can return to their home country “freely and safely”, adds BSS. About his experience of visiting Rohingya camps in Cox’s Bazar during his last tour of Bangladesh this year, Ban said, “It’s a very tragic situation …. It was hard to describe [the sufferings of Rohingyas]. What I felt that was so sad.”..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: "The Daily Star" (Bangladesh)
2019-11-24
Date of entry/update: 2019-11-25
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Sub-title: Bangladesh said the crisis originated in Myanmar and the solution entirely lies there
Description: "Bangladesh has yet again come down heavily on Myanmar for its continued propaganda over the Rohingya repatriation, saying that Naypyitaw must stop unjustifiable campaign against Dhaka on the return of the persecuted people. In a strongly-worded press statement issued on Sunday, the Foreign Ministry placed arguments, justifying that Bangladesh is always prepared to begin the repatriation. However, Myanmar has yet to fulfill its obligations under the bilateral instruments to create an environment conducive to a sustained return of the forcibly-displaced people from Rakhine. The statement by the foreign ministry was released in response to a statement from Myanmar's Ministry of the State Counsellor Office on November 15, where the spokesper blamed Bangladesh’s non-cooperation and absence of respect towards bilateral instruments for the delayed repatriation of the Rohingyas. In addition to that, there was even harsh criticism of the international community for the recent initiatives on the accountability of the perpetrators for atrocity crimes. The government of Bangladesh always stands ready to extend all possible cooperation to those who volunteer to return, the statement said, strongly denying the presence of Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) in Bangladesh..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: "Dhaka Tribune" (Bangladesh)
2019-11-24
Date of entry/update: 2019-11-24
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "Former ambassadors and security analysts yesterday called upon the Bangladesh government to strengthen diplomatic efforts to earn China and India’s support for Rohingya repatriation, saying their roles are imperative to resolve the crisis. As the countries are regional powers, Myanmar maintains good relationships with them while they (India and China) also have their own economic and geopolitical interests in the Southeast country, the ambassadors and analysts said at a roundtable discussion. They said Bangladesh also needed to continue its diplomacy with the US and the United Nations to make them impose sanctions on Myanmar over “genocide” charges. Institute of Conflict, Law and Development Studies (ICLDS) and Bangla daily Bhorer Kagoj jointly organised the roundtable on the “Necessity of Rohingya Repatriation in Regional and Global Contexts” at the capital’s Jatiya Press Club..."
Source/publisher: "The Daily Star" (Bangladesh)
2019-11-19
Date of entry/update: 2019-11-21
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: " Myanmar State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi has underscored that the country will not shirk its responsibility to take care of the rights and security of people, according to the Foreign Ministry Monday. The counselor made the response to the remarks by United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres regarding Rakhine issue. At the opening session of the 10th ASEAN-UN Summit in Bangkok on Sunday, Guterres expressed concern over the situation in Rakhine state and the plight of the refugees in Cox's Bazaar, saying Myanmar is responsible to ensure a conducive environment for safe, voluntary and dignified return of refugees. The counselor pointed out that the Rakhine issue is a most complex one and that the UN and its agencies, which have been present in the region for 10 times longer than the present government has been in office, must have some idea of the extent of the complexities. The Myanmar government was fully committed to take back the verified returnees based on the bilateral agreement signed with Bangladesh and the trilateral agreement signed with UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and UN Development Program (UNDP), she said. She expressed appreciation to ASEAN and the ASEAN Secretariat for their constructive contribution to Myanmar's efforts in creating the most suitable environment to which the displaced people can return in peace and security and voluntarily..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: "Xinhua" (China)
2019-11-04
Date of entry/update: 2019-11-13
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "Fifty-seven nations are suing Myanmar at the International Court of Justice, alleging in a historic lawsuit that the government has conducted genocide against its Rohingya minority. The suit comes just weeks after the United Nations warned that the violent campaign against the Rohingya is continuing in northwest Myanmar, and its special envoy called for the U.N. Security Council to refer Myanmar's senior officials to the International Criminal Court, a separate international body. Over 700,000 Rohingya, a Muslim-majority ethnic minority, have fled Myanmar since a campaign by the country's military to push them out and raze their villages began in August 2017. Myanmar, previously called Burma, has denied any wrongdoing, saying that the campaign was against an Islamist extremist group. (MORE: Rohingya refugees say they would choose death over repatriation to Myanmar) The Gambia, a small West African country, filed the lawsuit Monday on behalf of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, a coalition of countries with significant Muslim populations. It asks the ICJ to investigate whether Myanmar's government has violated the Geneva Convention, which prohibits genocide..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: "ABC News" (Australia)
2019-11-11
Date of entry/update: 2019-11-12
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Sub-title: The case targets systemic violence that forced more than 700,000 Rohingya Muslims to flee their country
Description: "Canada is supporting a genocide prosecution of the Myanmar government for systemic violence that forced more than 700,000 Rohingya Muslims to flee their country. Gambia filed the genocide case Monday with the International Criminal Court in The Hague on behalf of the Organization of Islamic Co-operation, a group of 57 Muslim countries. Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland said in a statement the move will advance accountability for the crime of genocide, which includes mass murder, systemic discrimination, hate speech and sexual and gender-based violence. The Canadian government will look for ways to support Gambia’s legal efforts, she added. To that end, she said the government will enlist the help of former Liberal interim leader and longtime politician Bob Rae, who also served as Canada’s special envoy to Myanmar..."
Source/publisher: "Penticton Western News"
2019-11-11
Date of entry/update: 2019-11-12
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Sub-title: International Court of Justice to Address Atrocities Against Rohingya
Description: "The Gambia’s case against Myanmar at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for violating the Genocide Convention, filed on November 11, 2019, will bring the first judicial scrutiny of Myanmar’s campaign of murder, rape, arson, and other atrocities against Rohingya Muslims, 10 nongovernmental organizations said. States that are party to the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide agreed that genocide “whether committed in time of peace or in time of war, is a crime under international law which they undertake to prevent and to punish” and, by extension, have an obligation not to commit it. The convention permits member states to bring a dispute before the ICJ alleging another state’s breach of the convention, and states can seek provisional measures to stop continuing violations. Myanmar became a party to the Genocide Convention in 1956..."
Source/publisher: "Human Rights Watch" (USA)
2019-11-11
Date of entry/update: 2019-11-12
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Sub-title: Gambia has filed a "game-changing" case at the United Nations' top court, accusing Myanmar of committing genocide against its Rohingya Muslim minority.
Description: "The International Court of Justice (ICJ), also known as the World Court, is the UN's top legal institution that rules on disputes between states. Gambia's application alleges Myanmar has carried out mass murder and rape in Rakhine state and asked the ICJ to urgently order measures "to stop Myanmar's genocidal conduct immediately". The 46-page case will bring the first judicial scrutiny of what a UN fact-finding mission called a systematic military campaign of murder, gang rape, arson, and "genocidal intent" against Rohingya Muslims — warning just last month that there was "a serious risk of genocide recurring". The mission also said in its final report in September that Myanmar should be held responsible in international legal forums for alleged genocide against the Rohingya. More than 730,000 Rohingya Muslims fled to neighbouring Bangladesh following a 2017 crackdown by Myanmar's military in response to an insurgency attack. Myanmar, which has a Buddhist majority, denies accusations of genocide and says its crackdown targeted militant separatists in Rakhine state. Both Gambia and Myanmar are signatories to the 1948 Genocide Convention, which not only prohibits states from committing genocide but also compels all signatory states to prevent and punish the crime of genocide. Under the rules of the ICJ, the application argues, member states can bring actions against other member states over disputes alleging breaches of international law..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: "ABC News" (Australia)
2019-11-12
Date of entry/update: 2019-11-12
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "Myanmar faced accusations of genocide in a landmark lawsuit filed by Gambia at the UN's top court on Monday (Nov 11) over the Southeast Asian nation's treatment of Rohingya Muslims, Gambia's government said. Gambia said it was acting on behalf of the 57-nation Organisation of Islamic Cooperation in bringing the case against Myanmar before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague. The lawsuit accuses mainly Buddhist Myanmar of breaching the 1948 UN Genocide Convention through a brutal military campaign targeting the Rohingya minority in Rakhine state. The 2017 crackdown forced 740,000 Rohingya to flee over the border into sprawling camps in Bangladesh, in violence that United Nations investigators say amounts to "genocide". "The Gambia is taking this action to seek justice and accountability for the genocide being committed by Myanmar against the Rohingya," Justice Minister Abubacarr Tambadou said in a statement. The court is expected to hold its first hearings in December on Gambia's request for urgent interim measures "to protect the Rohingya against further harm", Gambia's lawyers Foley Hoag said in a statement, describing the case as "historic". Human Rights Watch hailed the move by the tiny west African state, saying it was the "first judicial scrutiny" of Myanmar's alleged crimes against the Rohingya..."
Source/publisher: "CNA" ( Singapore)
2019-11-11
Date of entry/update: 2019-11-12
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Sub-title: On behalf of OIC, the Gambia files the case with International Court of Justice seeking orders to stop atrocities on Rohingyas immediately
Description: "The Gambia has filed a case with the top court of the United Nations, accusing Myanmar of committing genocide against its Rohingya Muslim minority, more than two years after some 750,000 Rohingyas fled a military crackdown in the Rakhine State. “We have just submitted our application to the ICJ under the Genocide Convention,” Gambian Justice Minister Abubacarr Tambadou said at a news conference yesterday in The Hague, where the court is based. The International Court of Justice (ICJ), also known as the World Court, is the UN’s top legal institution that rules on disputes between states. The West African nation, which is predominantly Muslim, has filed the case on behalf of the Organisation for Islamic Cooperation (OIC), which has held a series of meetings to encourage its 57 members to support the case. “The aim is to get Myanmar to account for its actions against its own people: the Rohingya. It is a shame for our generation that we do nothing while genocide is unfolding right under our own eyes,” he said, reports Reuters. Both the Gambia and Myanmar are signatories to the 1948 Genocide Convention, which not only prohibits states from committing genocide but also compels all signatory states to prevent and punish the crime. Tambadou, who has worked for more than a decade as a lawyer at the UN tribunal that dealt with the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, assumed a position of leadership in the lawsuit because of his special expertise..."
Source/publisher: "The Daily Star" (Bangladesh)
2019-11-12
Date of entry/update: 2019-11-12
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Sub-title: The small west African nation of The Gambia has filed a lawsuit at the UN's top court formally accusing Myanmar of genocide against Rohingya Muslims.
Description: "It was filed at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which normally rules on disputes between states. Last year, the UN issued a damning report into the violence in Myanmar, saying military leaders should go on trial for genocide. Myanmar's government denies its troops carried out such crimes. Thousands of Rohingya were killed and more than 700,000 fled to neighbouring Bangladesh during an army crackdown in the Buddhist-majority country in 2017. The UN's Independent International Fact Finding Mission on Myanmar said in August 2018 that the army's tactics were "grossly disproportionate to actual security threats" and that "military necessity would never justify killing indiscriminately, gang raping women, assaulting children, and burning entire villages." Myanmar rejected the report. It has consistently said its operations targeted militant or insurgent threats..."
Source/publisher: "BBC News" (London)
2019-11-11
Date of entry/update: 2019-11-12
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "At the 33d summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Singapore last year, the issue of Myanmar’s Rakhine/Rohingya crisis was high on the agenda. The chairman’s closing statement expressed the group’s readiness to support Myanmar in repatriating refugees by conducting a needs-assessment overview in Rakhine State. The Muslim Rohingya had fled ethnic persecution there, committed by the Burmese-led army. The association, or Asean, recognized the need to find comprehensive and durable solutions to the crisis and to create conducive conditions for refugees to return and rebuild their lives. Myanmar, also still known as Burma, was encouraged to carry out the recommendations of the Rakhine advisory commission led by the late Kofi Annan. A year later, as the 35th Asean biannual summit ended in Thailand last week, only two paragraphs in the 17-page chairman’s statement — a summary of the conference’s consensus — were devoted to the Rohingya crisis. While much in those paragraphs repeated the language of the year before, the 2019 concluding statement showed that Asean was heeding the urgent need to garner more consistent political attention to the Rakhine problem..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: "PassBlue" (New York)
2019-11-10
Date of entry/update: 2019-11-11
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Sub-title: ASEAN has a responsibility to help facilitate a repatriation process that prioritises the well-being of the Rohingya.
Description: "After fighters attacked security targets in Myanmar's northern Rakhine state on August 25, 2017, the Myanmar military responded by killing and maiming thousands of Rohingya civilians, raping hundreds of women and girls, and burning entire villages to the ground. Almost two years after the military-led "clearance operation" that forced more than 745,000 Rohingya men, women and children to flee and seek refuge in Bangladesh, this humanitarian crisis seems more intractable than ever. Systematic state discrimination against the Rohingya, making them stateless and without rights, and recurring state-sanctioned violence has spurred various influxes of refugees into Bangladesh in the 1970s and 1990s. Together with more than 300,000 Rohingya who had already taken shelter during these previous waves of violence, Bangladesh now hosts over one million Rohingya refugees - most of whom reside in Cox's Bazar, now the world's largest refugee camp. It is a testament to Bangladesh's historic generosity that it did not turn away any recent arrivals despite already hosting large numbers of refugees..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: "Al Jazeera" (Qatar)
2019-07-22
Date of entry/update: 2019-11-08
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Sub-title: Nay Pyi Taw must act decisively to address real causes, Dhaka says rejecting baseless accusation
Description: "Bangladesh has reacted sharply on Myanmar's persistent campaign to mislead the international community with fabricated information, misrepresentation of facts, unsubstantiated claims and undue accusations. Dhaka made it clear that Nay Pyi Taw is doing so to avoid its obligations for the sustained repatriation and reintegration of the forcibly displaced Rohingya in safety and dignity, reports UNB. Myanmar must act decisively to address the real causes that are preventing the displaced Rohingya from going back voluntarily, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' External Publicity Wing on Wednesday. It is a matter of utter dismay to witness the persistent campaign on the part of the Government of Myanmar to mislead the international community, it added. Bangladesh recently noticed yet another round of such attempts by Myanmar Union Minister for International Cooperation U Kyaw Tin. He resorted to misrepresentation of the whole issue as well as laying unjustified blames on Bangladesh in his effort to refute the well-founded remarks by Bangladesh Foreign Minister on Rohingya crisis at the Preparatory Ministerial Meeting of the 18th Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement on October 23 in Baku, Azerbaijan..."
Source/publisher: "Dhaka Tribune" (Bangladesh)
2019-10-30
Date of entry/update: 2019-11-08
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Sub-title: She was an official visit to check on the condition of the locals affected by the Rohingya refugees
Description: "United States Agency for International Development (UNAID) Deputy Administrator Bonnie Glick has stressed the importance of pressuring Myanmar for a safe and sustainable repatriation of the Rohingya refugees, who fled their homes due to the military crackdown carried out in the Rakhine state. "We are grateful to the Bangladesh government for giving asylum to more than 1.1 million Rohingyas, and we are always prepared to provide necessary support to resolve this pressing issue," Ms Glick said while talking to reporters after her visit to the camps in Ramu, Cox’s Bazar on Thursday afternoon. She was an official visit to check on the condition of the locals affected by the Rohingya refugees, the overall sanitation condition in the region, and the ever increasing rate of human trafficking. US is continually pressuring Myanmar for the safe repatriation of the Rohingyas and taking necessary steps to reduce the distress faced by the locals, added Ms Glick. A seven-member delegate team discussed the human trafficking situation in the Rohingya camps with Young Power in Social Action (YPSA), a non-profit social development organization, under the leadership of Bonnie Glick. They also talked with the human trafficking victims there. Later, they went to Rajarkul in Ramu upazila where they conversed with the Rohingyas, and the locals who were affected by their immigration..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: "Dhaka Tribune" (Bangladesh)
2019-11-07
Date of entry/update: 2019-11-08
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "Since August 2017, widespread persecution and violence in Myanmar’s Rakhine state has forced hundreds of thousands of primarily Muslim minority residents, often identified as ‘Rohingyas’, to flee their homes and seek refuge in Bangladesh. According to UN figures, an estimated 200,000 people from Myanmar were already taking shelter in Bangladesh after earlier displacements. Many have also travelled to Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia, often with the help of human traffickers. In Myanmar, civilian and military leaders deny targeting Muslims in Rakhine and insinuate that the international community is exaggerating the severity of the violence — a view echoed by nationalist hardliners. The number of people in Bangladeshi camps has increased to more than 720,000, prompting ASEAN to deliberate a credible response. During the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in January 2019, discussion focussed on safe and voluntary repatriation of refugees currently living in displacement camps in Bangladesh. They finalised plans for the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on Disaster Management (AHA Centre) to conduct a needs assessment in Rakhine. This will allow them to better understand areas of cooperation that ASEAN could support in the repatriation process to build the confidence and trust of refugees to return home. ASEAN seeks to establish a safe and sustainable environment that refugees will voluntarily return to. But the recent escalation of violence between the Myanmar national armed forces and the outlawed Arakan Army, an insurgent group in Rakhine, forced ASEAN to postpone the AHA Centre needs assessment. ASEAN released a statement at the 33rd ASEAN Summit held in Singapore to express their deep concern at the growing humanitarian crisis in Myanmar..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: "East Asia Forum" (Australia)
2019-03-08
Date of entry/update: 2019-11-07
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language:
Format : pdf
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Sub-title: This is the last part of a two-part series on them mental health of the Roghingya refugees
Description: "As the world takes stock of the situation two years on from the forced mass expulsion of the Rohingya from Myanmar, the 'leaders' of the refugee community in Cox's Bazar placed a five point charter of demands. Syed Ullah, refugee leader and secretary of the Arakan Rohingya Society for Peace and Human Rights (ARSPHR), placed the demands at a press briefing in Jamtoli camp of Cox's Bazar in August 2019. It has now been two years since a brutal campaign of ethnic cleansing by the Myanmar military forced out of the country, more than two-thirds of the Rohingya population living in Myanmar. Talking to reporters at refugee camps in Ukhiya and Teknaf, youth and elderly alike said they want to return to their homeland but before that they want reassurance from Myanmar authorities about a conducive environment in northern Rakhine state. They said the ultimate solution to the Rohingya crisis will be a safe, voluntary, dignified, and sustainable return of those who fled their homes in Myanmar. Meanwhile, the failure in the reparations and repatriation of Rohingya refugees has been causing mental health problems among the refugee population and people of the host communities as well. A sense of resentment prevails among locals who now fear repatriation of the refugees might take longer than they had anticipated..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: "Dhaka Tribune" (Bangladesh)
2019-11-03
Date of entry/update: 2019-11-05
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Sub-title: India is keen on improving physical connectivity in Myanmar through building roads, ports, and other infrastructure, he said.
Description: "Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has underlined the importance of speedy, safe, and sustainable” return of Rohingyas to their homes in Rakhine in the interest of the people, and regions of the three countries -- India, Bangladesh, and Myanmar. Prime Minister Modi has conveyed this message to Myanmar State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi during their meeting on the sidelines of the ASEAN-India Summit in Bangkok. Mentioning the completion of the first Indian project to build 250 prefabricated houses, which were handed over to the Myanmar government this July, Modi said his country is ready to carry out more such projects in Myanmar. In a recent letter written to Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen, his Indian counterpart Dr S Jaishankar mentioned that the “safe, speedy, and sustainable” return of displaced persons to Myanmar is in the best interests of all concerned. “This is also in the best interest of lasting regional security, and stability,” said the Indian External Affairs Minister. Jaishankar also expressed deep admiration for Bangladesh in shouldering the burden of hosting the displaced people from Rakhine State in Myanmar, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs here. Bangladesh is now hosting over 1.1 million Rohingyas who have fled their homeland in Rakhine State after being persecuted by their own country..."
Source/publisher: "Dhaka Tribune" (Bangladesh)
2019-11-04
Date of entry/update: 2019-11-05
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi responded to the remarks made by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres regarding the Rakhine issue. She underscored that Myanmar will not shirk its responsibility to take care of the rights and security of all those whom it must protect. In the opening session of the 10th ASEAN-UN Summit in Bangkok on 3 November 2019, the UN Secretary General expressed concern over the situation in Rakhine State and the plight of the refugees in Cox’s Bazaar. He also stressed that it was Myanmar’s responsibility to ensure a conducive environment for safe, voluntary and dignified return of refugees. In response to the remarks of the Secretary General, the State Counsellor underscored that the issue of Rakhine is a most complex one and that the UN and its agencies which have been present in the region for ten times longer than the present Government has been in office, must have some idea of the extent of the complexities. She stressed that the Government will not shirk its responsibility to take care of the security and rights of all those who it must protect. She added that the Government of Myanmar was fully committed to take back the verified returnees based on the bilateral agreement signed with Bangladesh and the trilateral agreement signed with UNHCR and UNDP. She expressed appreciation to ASEAN, the ASEAN Secretariat and the AHA Centre for their constructive contribution to our efforts in creating the most suitable environment to which the displaced people can return in peace and security and voluntarily. She reaffirmed Myanmar’s intension to continue its work with the help of our friends who approach the problems in Rakhine in a practical and balanced way.....ထိုင်းနိုင်ငံ၊ ဗန်ကောက်မြို့၌ ၃-၁၁-၂၀၁၉ ရက်တွင် ကျင်းပသည့် (၁၀) ကြိမ်မြောက် အာဆီယံ-ကုလသမဂ္ဂ ထိပ်သီးအစည်းအဝေး၌ ကုလသမဂ္ဂ အတွင်းရေးမှူးချုပ် Antonio Guterres က ရခိုင်ပြည်နယ် အရေးကိစ္စအပေါ် စိုးရိမ်ပူပန်ကြောင်း၊ ပြဿနာအရင်းအမြစ်ကို ဖြေရှင်းရေးနှင့် နေရပ်စွန့်ခွာသူများ မိမိဆန္ဒအလျောက် ဘေးကင်းလုံခြုံစွာ ဂုဏ်သိက္ခာရှိရှိ ပြန်လာနိုင်ရေးမှာ မြန်မာအစိုးရ၏ တာဝန်ဖြစ်ကြောင်း၊ မြန်မာနှင့် အာဆီယံတို့အကြား ပူးပေါင်းဆောင်ရွက်မှုကို ကြိုဆိုကြောင်းနှင့် ဆက်လက် ပူးပေါင်းဆောင်ရွက်သွားရန် တိုက်တွန်းကြောင်း ထည့်သွင်းပြောကြားခဲ့သည်။ အဆိုပါကိစ္စနှင့်ပတ်သက်၍ နိုင်ငံတော်၏ အတိုင်ပင်ခံပုဂ္ဂိုလ်က ရခိုင်ပြည်နယ် အရေးကိစ္စမှာ အလွန်သိမ်မွေ့ ရှုပ်ထွေးသည့် ကိစ္စတစ်ခုဖြစ်ကြောင်း၊ မိမိတို့ လက်ရှိအစိုးရသက်တမ်းထက် ဆယ်ဆမက ကာလရှည်လျားစွာ ယင်းဒေသ၌ ရောက်ရှိနေကြသည့် ကုလသမဂ္ဂ အဖွဲ့အစည်းများအနေဖြင့် ပြဿနာ၏ သိမ်မွေ့ရှုပ်ထွေးမှု အတိုင်းအတာကို အနည်းအကျဉ်းမျှ သိထားရန် လိုအပ်ကြောင်း၊ မိမိတို့ ကာကွယ်စောင့်ရှောက် ပေးရမည့်သူများအားလုံး၏ လုံခြုံရေးနှင့် အခွင့်အရေးများအား ကာကွယ်ပေးရန် တာဝန်ကို မိမိတို့ အစိုးရအနေဖြင့် ရှောင်လွှဲမည် မဟုတ်ကြောင်း၊ ဘင်္ဂလားဒေ့ရှ်နိုင်ငံနှင့် လက်မှတ်ရေးထိုးထားသည့် နှစ်နိုင်ငံ သဘောတူညီချက်၊ UNHCR ၊ UNDP တို့နှင့် လက်မှတ်ရေးထိုးထားသည့် သုံးပွင့်ဆိုင် သဘောတူညီချက်တို့နှင့်အညီ စိစစ်အတည်ပြုပြီးဖြစ်သည့် နေရပ်စွန့်ခွာသူများကို ပြန်လည်လက်ခံရန် အပြည့်အဝ ကတိပြုထားပြီးဖြစ်ကြောင်း၊ နေရပ်စွန့်ခွာသူများ မိမိဆန္ဒအလျောက် အေးချမ်းလုံခြုံစွာဖြင့် ပြန်လာနိုင်မည့် အသင့်လျော်ဆုံး ပတ်ဝန်းကျင် ဖြစ်စေရေးအတွက် မိမိတို့၏ ကြိုးပမ်းဆောင်ရွက်နေမှုကို ကူညီပံ့ပိုးပေးကြသည့် အာဆီယံ၊ အာဆီယံအတွင်းရေးမှူးချုပ်ရုံးနှင့် AHA Centre တို့အပေါ် ကျေးဇူးတင်ရှိကြောင်း၊ ပြဿနာအပေါ် လက်တွေ့ကျပြီး ဘက်လိုက်မှုမရှိဘဲ မျှတသည့် ချဉ်းကပ်မှုဖြင့် အကူအညီပေးနေကြသော မိတ်ဆွေများ၏ အကူအညီဖြင့် ဆက်လက် ကြိုးပမ်းဆောင်ရွက်သွားမည်ဖြစ်ကြောင်း ပြန်လည်တုံ့ပြန်ပြောကြားခဲ့ကြောင်း သိရှိရပါသည်။..."
Source/publisher: Government of Myanmar via Reliefweb (USA)
2019-11-04
Date of entry/update: 2019-11-05
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Sub-title: At the opening session of the 10th Asean-UN Summit in Bangkok on November 3, UN Secretary General António Guterres said Myanmar was responsible for ensuring a conducive environment for the safe
Description: "Responding to the UN secretary general’s remarks on the Rohingya issue, Myanmar State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said the Myanmar government will not shrink from its responsibility and reaffirmed that it will work with friends who approach the issue in a "practical and balanced way." At the opening session of the 10th Asean-UN Summit in Bangkok on November 3, UN Secretary General António Guterres said Myanmar was responsible for ensuring a conducive environment for the safe, voluntary, and dignified return of Rohingya refugees currently residing in Bangladesh, reports The Irrawaddy. "The [Myanmar] government will not shirk its responsibility to take care of the security and rights of all those who it must protect," Daw Aung San Suu Kyi told the audience during the same event..."
Source/publisher: "Dhaka Tribune" (Bangladesh)
2019-11-04
Date of entry/update: 2019-11-05
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Description: "Life in the world’s largest refugee camp has grown harder in the past few months. Mohammad, a Rohingya farmer who lost his leg fleeing violence in Myanmar, does not understand why. “We got a lot more before in terms of food and help, but now it feels like we are not getting enough support from the government and NGOs. We are also more restricted in our movement,” he says, sitting on a bench outside his house, surrounded by discarded plastic bottles and rotting food. The Bangladeshi government has launched a crackdown in the camp, shutting shops run by refugees, blocking internet services, confiscating mobile phones, putting up fencing and setting an 8pm curfew, meaning people can’t leave their homes at night. Bangladesh appears to be getting frustrated with its more than 1 million guests. Politics is turning and it has been reported that locals in Cox’s Bazar are running out of patience. The government is finalising plans to move 100,000 refugees to an island in the Bay of Bengal and refugees wonder if it is all connected..."
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Source/publisher: "The Guardian" (UK)
2019-11-04
Date of entry/update: 2019-11-04
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Sub-title: Guterres addresses ASEAN summit, where leaders try to salvage progress towards what could be world's biggest trade bloc.
Description: "United Nations chief Antonio Guterres has expressed "deep" concern over the plight of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees, urging Myanmar to assume responsibility by dealing with the "root causes" of their flight and work towards their safe repatriation. A brutal army campaign in August 2017 forced more than 740,000 members of the mostly-Muslim minority to flee Myanmar's Rakhine state, most seeking refuge in overcrowded camps across the border in Bangladesh. During its crackdown, which was launched in response to attacks by an armed group, the military carried out mass killings and gang rapes with "genocidal intent", according to United Nations-mandated investigators..."
Source/publisher: "Al Jazeera" (Qatar)
2019-11-04
Date of entry/update: 2019-11-04
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Sub-title: Myanmar Embassy in Dhaka claimed 46 displaced persons returned to Myanmar from Bangladesh
Description: "Bangladesh will verify Myanmar’s claim over voluntary nature of some Rohingyas to Myanmar as Myanmar keeps spreading misleading information to the international community to avoid repatriation. "We will issue a press statement after verifying the claim," Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen told reporters on Thursday, reports UNB. The Myanmar Embassy in Dhaka in a Facebook post claimed 46 displaced persons returned to Myanmar from Bangladesh on their own volition through TaungPyoLetwe and NgaKhuYa Reception Centers on Thursday. Myanmar claimed that the returnees were warmly received by the officials from Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement, and Ministry of Labour, Population and Immigration, and other officials concerned. Myanmar also claimed that a total of 397 displaced persons have voluntarily returned from Bangladesh to Myanmar till date and they were duly provided with rice, cooking oil and foodstuff monthly by the Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement. A diplomatic source said the UNHCR and the officials at the RRRC are not aware of such voluntary return..."
Source/publisher: "Dhaka Tribune" (Bangladesh)
2019-10-31
Date of entry/update: 2019-11-03
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Sub-title: Bangladeshi official says potential returnees fear for their safety in Rakhine state
Description: "A second attempt to repatriate the thousands of Rohingya Muslims who fled from Myanmar to Bangladesh has failed after the authorities failed to convince the refugees it would be safe to return. The Myanmar government had approved more than 3,000 Rohingya to be brought back to the country beginning on Thursday but, as during the first repatriation attempt in November, no refugees agreed to voluntarily board the buses to Myanmar. A Bangladeshi government official confirmed that four families, or about 18 people, from Shalbagan camp 26 in Cox’s Bazar had initially expressed interest in going back. They had almost boarded a vehicle to cross the border, but were dissuaded by fellow refugees who told them they would not be able to return to their original villages or have a pathway to citizenship. A statement from the UN refugee agency said: “So far none of those interviewed have indicated a willingness to repatriate at this time. UNHCR will continue assisting the government of Bangladesh in this process to ensure that all those cleared for return are interviewed.”..."
Source/publisher: "The Guardian" (UK)
2019-08-22
Date of entry/update: 2019-11-03
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Description: "Bangladesh wants a strong and effective role of the Asean in the Rohingya repatriation as the regional bloc begins its four-day summit in Bangkok today. Dhaka says the problem, created by Myanmar, is now turning into a regional crisis, with the Rohingyas spreading across the member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean). The crisis will aggravate in future if it is not resolved. “As a member of Asean, Myanmar’s role is more important now than ever before,” Col (retd) Faruk Khan, chair of the parliamentary standing committee on the foreign ministry, told The Daily Star yesterday. He led a parliamentary delegation to Thailand, the current chair of Asean, and Singapore, with the specific objective of convincing those countries to come forward with a stronger role in making sure that Myanmar creates conducive conditions in Rakhine for the return of the Rohingyas. The delegation highlighted the negative consequences of the Rohingyas’ prolonged stay in Bangladesh and some other Asean countries, and requested them to strongly raise the Rohingya issue at the summit with due importance..."
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Source/publisher: "The Daily Star" (Bangladesh)
2019-11-02
Date of entry/update: 2019-11-03
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Description: "'We are hungry for sustainable solutions. Four times we have been refugees. We need to stop being refugees", said a Rohingya man at Kutupalong camp in Bangladesh. Southeast Asia's leaders are expected to discuss the issue of Rohingya refugees and ways of enhancing Asean's role in facilitating the voluntary repatriation process at their regional summit in Bangkok later this week. As this year's Asean chair, Thailand has a critical leadership role to play in supporting durable solutions for Rohingya displaced in Myanmar as well as for those living in exile as refugees in Bangladesh and across the region. This must include prioritising refugee participation in decision-making. Days before the second anniversary of the Rohingya refugee crisis in August, the governments of Myanmar and Bangladesh agreed to start repatriation. This announcement was a surprise to many, including Rohingya refugees. So far, no refugees have volunteered to go back. The refugees have sent a message and Asean must pay heed: Without meaningful progress in realising equal rights, citizenship and justice for Rohingya, one of the world's largest refugee crises will continue..."
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Source/publisher: "Bangkok Post" (Thailand)
2019-10-30
Date of entry/update: 2019-10-31
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "The present essay contributes to the investigation of the historical background of the Rakhine State crisis which, since 2012, has attracted wide international attention for the Muslim Rohingyas. Arguing that the changes in names used by and for Muslims in the frontier region of Bengal/Bangladesh and Burma/Myanmar reflect the political, social and demographic development, the essay calls for an archive of naming practices as a pool of references and information to be included in the ongoing debate..."
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Source/publisher: "Academia.edu" (USA)
2018-00-00
Date of entry/update: 2019-10-30
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "II n today’s world, the immediacy of humanitarian crises tends to bar a deeper interest in the complexity of the historical roots of a conflict. The deteriorating situation of the Muslim minority in the Rakhine State of Myanmar, a group now widely known as the Rohingya, is a case in point. They have been presented as one of the most persecuted minorities in the world due to a track record of human rights violations, while the local Islamic history and the emergence of Muslim nationalism at the margins of Muslim Bengal (East Pakistan/ Bangladesh) and Buddhist Burma (Myanmar) has barely begun to inform international understanding of the regional conflict. The present article argues in favor of historical research as a prerequisite both for understanding the nature of the conflict and for keeping opportunities for competing historical interpretations alive. It also contributes to the ongoing question of collective representations of “voiceless” non-Western victims as deprived of political agency.1 The article supports the argument that victimhood is a form of agency, but, as in the case of the Rohingya crisis since 2012, it bears the risk of encapsulating people and isolating them from their historical context..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: "Academia.edu" (USA)
2018-01-29
Date of entry/update: 2019-10-30
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Sub-title: They also stressed the implementation of the arrangement of Rohingya repatriation signed between Bangladesh and Myanmar in this regard, UNB reported on Sunday
Description: "The heads of state and government of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) have underscored the importance of creating “conducive conditions” in Rakhine State of Myanmar for the voluntary return of Rohingyas to their place of origin in a “safe, secure and dignified” manner. They also stressed the implementation of the arrangement of Rohingya repatriation signed between Bangladesh and Myanmar in this regard, UNB reported on Sunday. Bangladesh has been hosting over 1.1 million Rohingyas and most of them entered Cox’s Bazar since August 25, 2017 amid military crackdown on them in Rakhine State. The 18th Summit of the heads of state and government of NAM, a forum of 120 member countries, 17 observer countries and 10 observer organizations, was held on October 25-26 in Baku, Azerbaijan. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has also attended the Summit. It was preceded by the Preparatory Senior Officials Meeting on October 21-22 and the Preparatory Ministerial Meeting on October 23-24, where Azerbaijan took over the chairmanship of the Non-Aligned Movement for the next three years, said an official. On October 24, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar Yanghee Lee called for sanctions against Myanmar military-run companies and commanders responsible for serious rights violations..."
Source/publisher: "Dhaka Tribune" (Bangladesh)
2019-10-27
Date of entry/update: 2019-10-29
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Sub-title: The tripartite forum held its first meeting last week, according to Foreign Ministry sources
Description: "The joint mechanism among Bangladesh, Myanmar, and China, aiming to expedite the repatriation of Rohingya refugees to their homes in Rakhine, Myanmar, has begun its operation, with its maiden meeting held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs last week, diplomatic sources have told Dhaka Tribune. The director general of the Foreign Ministry’s Southeast Asia wing, and ambassadors of Myanmar, and China in Bangladesh are the members of the tripartite forum. Following the foreign minister-level meeting among Bangladesh, Myanmar, and China on the sidelines of the 74th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, US on September 23, the formation of such a mechanism was agreed upon to expedite the repatriation process. “Yes, we have started our activities, having held the forum’s first meeting last week,” a senior foreign ministry official told Dhaka Tribune. “At the first meeting, the director general and the two ambassadors talked about the modalities for moving forward to begin the repatriation,” he said, adding that another meeting is scheduled for next week..."
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Source/publisher: "Dhaka Tribune" (Bangladesh)
2019-10-28
Date of entry/update: 2019-10-29
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "Twenty-nine more displaced people have returned to Myanmar from Bangladesh as the second group back on their own volition, according to the immigration authorities Thursday. The displaced, made up of five families including 11 women, were received at the Taung Pyo Letwe reception center in Maungtaw, Rakhine state, on Tuesday. The Myanmar authorities managed their repatriation process, providing them with humanitarian assistance after scrutiny in accordance with the immigration and security rules. Myanmar and Bangladesh agreed in August 2018 at the two countries' ministerial meeting held in Nay Pyi Taw for early repatriation of displaced persons from the Myanmar western state who fled to Bangladesh. On June 6, 2018, Myanmar also signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the UN Development Program (UNDP) and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) on assisting Myanmar's repatriation process of displaced people from Rakhine state..."
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Source/publisher: "Xinhua" (China)
2019-10-24
Date of entry/update: 2019-10-26
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Description: "When Asean's leaders meet in Bangkok for their summit on June 22-23, they will discuss a preliminary report about Myanmar by the Asean Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on Disaster Management (AHA Centre). According to news reports and press releases, this report -- which remains confidential -- makes an initial assessment of the preparations for the voluntary repatriation of Rohingya refugees. The emphasis of Asean's efforts to support Myanmar with the Rohingya repatriation will be on "low-hanging fruit", the assumption being that practical measures will contribute to creating a conducive environment for the safe, dignified return of Rohingya refugees..."
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Source/publisher: "Bangkok Post" (Thailand)
2019-06-11
Date of entry/update: 2019-10-26
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Description: "When the 34th ASEAN Summit concluded last month in Bangkok, Thailand, it came as no surprise that the bloc was met with heavy criticism for suggesting Rohingya refugees will repatriate back to Myanmar within two years. More than 700,000 Rohingya were forced to flee northern Rakhine state in western Myanmar during a 2017 military-led crackdown the United Nations (UN) has said included mass killings and gang-rapes executed with “genocidal intent”. Almost 400 Rohingya villages were burned to the ground during the violence. A final statement from the weekend summit said ASEAN leaders supported Myanmar’s efforts to “facilitate the voluntary return of displaced persons in a safe, secure and dignified manner”. The statement did not even include the term Rohingya. The criticism ASEAN faced in relation to the way it has been handling the Rohingya issue is nothing new. Human rights observers have often claimed that the 10-member bloc has done little to ensure the safety of the Rohingya, asserting that diplomacy between member countries, as well as its adherence to a non-interference policy, has consistently trumped human rights concerns..."
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Source/publisher: "The ASEAN Post" (Malaysia)
2019-07-28
Date of entry/update: 2019-10-25
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "Myanmar wants the Rohingya refugees to return, and preparations have been made to receive them, according to the minister in charge of the process. "We will accept them back anytime," said Dr Win Myat Aye, Myanmar's Minister for Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement. "Whoever wants to come back voluntarily, we can accept," he said. He also urged Bangladesh to immediately return the 400 or more Hindu refugees who have agreed to be repatriated, as this could help kick-start the stalled repatriation programme. The minister made his comments in an exclusive interview with the Bangkok Post, amid growing international criticism of Myanmar's repatriation efforts and Bangladesh's accusations that Myanmar is to blame for the failure of the process..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: "Bangkok Post" (Thailand)
2019-10-24
Date of entry/update: 2019-10-24
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Sub-title: The case of 30 men, women and children raise worries about the opaque treatment of the Muslim minority in Southeast Asia.
Description: "THE extended detention of dozens of Rohingya men, women and children is raising new concerns from the international community about the treatment of the Muslim minority in Myanmar, and that government’s commitment to repatriate hundreds of thousands of refugees who have fled persecution. Thirty Rohingya, including nine youths traveling in the group, were arrested on Sept. 26 in the country’s Ayeyarwady Region after arriving there by boat from Sittwe, the capital of Myanmar’s conflict-stricken Rakhine state, on their way to Yangon, the country’s commercial capital, according to local media reports. A week later, a court sentenced the adults to two years in prison for breaking immigration laws for not carrying official papers, while the same court sentenced the children to a youth detention center south of Yangon. According to Human Rights Watch, a 5-year-old child was among those arrested and is currently being held in prison with his mother..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: US News (USA)
2019-10-21
Date of entry/update: 2019-10-23
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Sub-title: The head of a U.N. fact-finding mission on Myanmar says that "there is a serious risk of genocide recurring" against the country's Rohingya Muslim minority.
Description: "The head of a U.N. fact-finding mission on Myanmar warned Tuesday that "there is a serious risk of genocide recurring" against the estimated 600,000 members of the Rohingya Muslim minority still living in the country. Marzuki Darusman told the General Assembly's human rights committee that "if anything, the situation of the Rohingya in Rakhine state has worsened," citing continued discrimination, segregation, restricted movement, insecurity and a lack of access to land, jobs, education and health care. The government of Myanmar, a Buddhist-majority nation, has refused to recognize Rohingya as citizens or even as one of its ethnic groups, rendering the vast majority stateless. Myanmar's military began a harsh counterinsurgency campaign against the Rohingya in August 2017 in response to an insurgent attack. More than 700,000 Rohingya fled to neighboring Bangladesh to escape what has been called an ethnic cleansing campaign involving mass rapes, killings and burning of their homes. The Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar, which Darusman heads, said in its final report last month that Myanmar should be held responsible in international legal forums for alleged genocide against the Rohingya..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: Associated Press (USA) via US News (USA)
2019-10-22
Date of entry/update: 2019-10-23
Grouping: Individual Documents
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