malaysia
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The Rohingya is one of the most deprived and exploited minority groups in the world today. While there is much emotional frenzy about their tragic plight, the Malaysian government has not taken any concrete step to address their issue at the international forums. The least that the government can do is to press home the point that the present government in Myanmar should restore their citizenship status that was deprived many years back.
The Rohingya is one of the most deprived and exploited minority groups in the world today. While there is much emotional frenzy about their tragic plight, the Malaysian government has not taken any concrete step to address their issue at the international forums. The least that the government can do is to press home the point that the present government in Myanmar should restore their citizenship status that was deprived many years back.
The BBC once described the Rohingya as one of the most exploited minorities in the world. Despite the concerns expressed in international circles about the sad plight of 1.1 million Rohingya in Myanmar’s northern state of Rakhine, nothing has been done in concrete terms to alleviate their long years of suffering at the hands of the Buddhist majority.
Even Myanmar's popular elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi is yet to condemn the violence unleashed by both the army and the Buddhists against the Rohingya in the state of Rakhine.
In the recent clashes in Rakhine, a number of Rohingya were killed, their homes burnt and hundreds were left homeless. In fact, the violence against Rohingya is not something of a recent phenomenon, but has been going on for very long time, even during the time of the British colonial occupation.
Rohingya who are Muslims are not considered by the Myanmar government as citizens, even though have been settled in the Rahkine area for hundreds of years. The Myanmar government regards them as recent migrants from Bangladesh and hence they not considered as one of Myanmar’s minorities.
This fact has made the situation intolerable for the Rohingya. Since they are not accepted in the country, thousands have fled army crackdown to countries that are willing to accept them. A few hundred thousands have come into Malaysia in recent years.
Malaysia has its own share of illegal immigrants and refugees. While Malaysia is willing to accept the Rohingya, the government is not prepared to give them refugee status. The situation is similar to refugees from other countries. While the exact number of refugees is not precisely known, there is a feeling that a larger number exists, posing a financial burden to the Malaysian state.
The recent attacks against Rohingya in Rakhine sparked a recent protest against Myanmar in Kuala Lumpur in which three Rohingya were arrested for aggressive behaviour.
Muslim groups in Malaysia have voiced their concerns about their plight and some have suggested the following: that Malaysia should cease its diplomatic relations with Myanmar, that Malaysia should pull out of regional football tournaments that involve Myanmar and even expel non-Muslim Myanmarese from Malaysia.
I doubt that the Malaysian government would go to the extent of breaking ties with Mynamar’s government. Remember Malaysia was one of the parties that brought Myanmar into the fold of Asean on the pretext of ‘constructive engagement’ even though the human rights record of the regime was horrendous.
Similarly, there are no indications that the country would pull out from regional football tournaments and neither is the country going to expel the non-Muslims Mynamerese already in the country.
‘Other non-Muslim minorities have suffered’
It also be remembered that other non-Muslim minorities have suffered at the hands of the Myanmar’s Buddhist majority over long periods of time. In the 1940s and 1960s, thousands of Tamils who were brought into the country by the British were virtually expelled from the country and their properties seized.
There are other ethnic minorities who have suffered and continued to suffer because of regional and ethnic differences at the hands of the Myanmar’s majority.
While other ethnic minorities are considered citizens, this has not been extended to Rohingya, rendering the situation terrible. As non-citizens and without any help from the international community, they are resigned to the fate of stateless persons.
While it is doubtful that the Malaysian government would take extreme measures to address the sad and inhuman plight of the Rohingya, there are other measures it could adopt through international bodies. Most importantly, either through bilateral or multilateral ways, the government should press on the need to restore full citizenship status on the Rohingya. To date, I am not sure whether Malaysia has done this.
The issue about Rohingya is not about over-emphasing the fact that they are Muslims or non-Muslims but about a grave and horrific human rights tragedy that is fast unfolding in Myanmar. It would be the duty of all Malaysians to ensure that not just the Rohingya but other ethnic minorities are not subject the whims and fancies of the majoritarianism whether in Myanmar or in other countries.
P RAMASAMY is Deputy Chief Minister II of Penang and the state assemblyperson for Perai.
Link Here
Even Myanmar's popular elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi is yet to condemn the violence unleashed by both the army and the Buddhists against the Rohingya in the state of Rakhine.
In the recent clashes in Rakhine, a number of Rohingya were killed, their homes burnt and hundreds were left homeless. In fact, the violence against Rohingya is not something of a recent phenomenon, but has been going on for very long time, even during the time of the British colonial occupation.
Rohingya who are Muslims are not considered by the Myanmar government as citizens, even though have been settled in the Rahkine area for hundreds of years. The Myanmar government regards them as recent migrants from Bangladesh and hence they not considered as one of Myanmar’s minorities.
This fact has made the situation intolerable for the Rohingya. Since they are not accepted in the country, thousands have fled army crackdown to countries that are willing to accept them. A few hundred thousands have come into Malaysia in recent years.
Malaysia has its own share of illegal immigrants and refugees. While Malaysia is willing to accept the Rohingya, the government is not prepared to give them refugee status. The situation is similar to refugees from other countries. While the exact number of refugees is not precisely known, there is a feeling that a larger number exists, posing a financial burden to the Malaysian state.
The recent attacks against Rohingya in Rakhine sparked a recent protest against Myanmar in Kuala Lumpur in which three Rohingya were arrested for aggressive behaviour.
Muslim groups in Malaysia have voiced their concerns about their plight and some have suggested the following: that Malaysia should cease its diplomatic relations with Myanmar, that Malaysia should pull out of regional football tournaments that involve Myanmar and even expel non-Muslim Myanmarese from Malaysia.
I doubt that the Malaysian government would go to the extent of breaking ties with Mynamar’s government. Remember Malaysia was one of the parties that brought Myanmar into the fold of Asean on the pretext of ‘constructive engagement’ even though the human rights record of the regime was horrendous.
Similarly, there are no indications that the country would pull out from regional football tournaments and neither is the country going to expel the non-Muslims Mynamerese already in the country.
‘Other non-Muslim minorities have suffered’
It also be remembered that other non-Muslim minorities have suffered at the hands of the Myanmar’s Buddhist majority over long periods of time. In the 1940s and 1960s, thousands of Tamils who were brought into the country by the British were virtually expelled from the country and their properties seized.
There are other ethnic minorities who have suffered and continued to suffer because of regional and ethnic differences at the hands of the Myanmar’s majority.
While other ethnic minorities are considered citizens, this has not been extended to Rohingya, rendering the situation terrible. As non-citizens and without any help from the international community, they are resigned to the fate of stateless persons.
While it is doubtful that the Malaysian government would take extreme measures to address the sad and inhuman plight of the Rohingya, there are other measures it could adopt through international bodies. Most importantly, either through bilateral or multilateral ways, the government should press on the need to restore full citizenship status on the Rohingya. To date, I am not sure whether Malaysia has done this.
The issue about Rohingya is not about over-emphasing the fact that they are Muslims or non-Muslims but about a grave and horrific human rights tragedy that is fast unfolding in Myanmar. It would be the duty of all Malaysians to ensure that not just the Rohingya but other ethnic minorities are not subject the whims and fancies of the majoritarianism whether in Myanmar or in other countries.
P RAMASAMY is Deputy Chief Minister II of Penang and the state assemblyperson for Perai.
Link Here
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