File Photo: Myanmar police officer stands guard in Maungdaw, Rakhine July 9, 2019. Photo taken on July 9, 2019 Reuters
Coronavirus has recently surged in Sittwe with new cases
There is no sign of peace and stability returning to Arakan any time soon, according to a report.
The Arakan Rohingya Union (ARU) Report to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on the situation on the ground in Arakan state, Myanmar, was submitted by ARU Director General Dr Wakar Uddin on Saturday.
Last Sunday, Myanmar submitted its first report to the International Court of Justice, elaborating on the measures it has taken to protect the Rohingya ethnic minority from genocide. The ICJ had issued a provisional order on Myanmar in January following a call to action made by The Gambia, urging Myanmar to take all necessary means to prevent genocide acts and incitement from happening.
In 2017, Myanmar’s military launched a clearance operation in the Rakhine state in response to an offensive attack by an armed Rohingya group. The violent aftermath that followed this crackdown has forced more than 750,000 Rohingya minority to flee to Bangladesh, languishing in squalid conditions in the world’s largest refugee camp. Another 600,000 Rohingya citizens still reside in the Southern area of Myanmar.
In the wake of the ruling from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ordering Myanmar to prevent genocide against the Rohingya going forward, the initial excitement was tempered by pragmatics—how this important court order can be enforced so that it actually protects the 600,000 Rohingya who remain in Rakhine State.