ED: Doing right by the Rohingya

Dhaka Tribune 

Tribune Editorial
March 21st, 2021

Photo: MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

We require allies and partners who will support Bangladesh in holding Myanmar accountable

When it comes to addressing the Rohingya crisis, particularly with respect to their repatriation, it is unfortunate that the situation remains mostly stagnant, with little to no progress.

To that end, Bangladesh’s persistence to find solutions must be admired, and the fact that recently, Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen discussed repatriating the Rohingya when he met Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa is proof that Bangladesh continues to do what is the right thing to do -- search for allies and eventually provide justice for the Rohingya and help them get back home safely.

This failure to hold Myanmar accountable for its reprehensible actions -- as the Rohingya were brutalized by their own army in Myanmar in their homeland of Rakhine state, and had to free for their lives to avoid mass genocide -- is truly discouraging, and the entirety of the international community should be ashamed that, nearly four years since the mass exodus of the Rohingya population into Bangladesh took place, we are nowhere close to a long-term solution.

Make no mistake about it, while Bangladesh has gone above and beyond the call of duty, showing a level of empathy and humanity that no other nation extended towards the Rohingya population, ultimately, these are citizens of Myanmar and it is their right to be in Myanmar, living safe, dignified lives without the fear of being killed by the army.

There is time still for the international community to rectify its errors and stop ignoring what is arguably the most significant violation of human rights on the planet.

In order to safely send the Rohingya back home, Bangladesh cannot do it alone. We require allies and partners who will support Bangladesh in holding Myanmar accountable for the crimes they have committed and continue to commit against its own people. It is high time the international community did the right thing, and helped ensure justice for the Rohingya people. They have suffered enough.

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