(Mint Press) – As television newscasts remain glued to the events of the London Olympics and gaffes made by Republican presidential frontrunner Mitt Romney, the people of Myanmar are steeped in a battle that’s displacing tens of thousands, knowing that their struggle continues in the midst of a world that, frankly, doesn’t seem to care.
Widespread killing and torture carried out by Myanmar’s Rakhine (Arakan) Buddhists against the Rohingya Muslim population was reported June in the international media when the violence began, but fizzled out after the initial shock value wore. This is despite estimates that 100,000 people have been displaced and hundreds have been killed in a conflict experts are dubbing the worst incident of sectarian violence the nation has seen.
Perhaps the most appalling aspect of this conflict is that the government is seemingly backing the violence — a government which the U.S. deemed this summer to be on the right track toward a favorable human rights record. Its action, or lack thereof, naturally leads to the question: If there are economic benefits to be gained, are issues relating to human rights violations cast aside if they counter that progress? In this situation, it seems as though they are.
The U.N. has declared the Rohingyas the most persecuted people in the world, as they’re officially not recognized or welcomed in any country of the region. Their lives are rarely absent of struggle and discrimination, and they have no country to call home. They carry a story that would likely tug at the heartstrings of many, yet their story is hardly heard.
A strategy to displace
While the eruption of violence began only this summer, the conflict between the Rakhine and Rohingyas is nothing new. The ethnic divide between the two groups stems from accusations that Rohingyas are not true citizens of Burma, now called Myanmar. They’ve never been accepted, and laws do not grant them the same protection. The recent string of violence was fueled by the rape of a Rakhine girl — Rohingya men were blamed, resulting in the burning of a bus by the Rakhine, killing nearly a dozen Rohingya men.
Human Rights Watch released a report Thursday detailing grave human rights abuses against the Rohingyas, including rape, abuse, destruction of property and killings, carried out by both the Rakhine Buddhists and security forces since.
“Burmese (Myanmar) security forces failed to protect the Arakan and Rohingya from each other and then unleashed a campaign of violence and mass roundups against the Rohingya,” Brad Adams, Asia Director of Human Rights Watch said in a press release received by MintPress. “The government claims it is committed to ending ethnic strife and abuse, but recent events in the Arakan State demonstrate the state-sponsored persecution and discrimination exist.”
Other human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, are reporting the same details, claiming a systematic move to drive out the Rohingya people.
“In six weeks, Myanmar has not only added to a long litany of human rights violations against the Rohingya, but has also done an about-turn on the situation of political imprisonment,” Amnesty International Myanmar Researcher Benjamin Zawacki said.
The Rakhines have repeatedly burned the homes of Rohingyas as a tactic of intimidation, creating an atmosphere of fear and unrest, while driving out the population. According to a June Associated Press report, 1,662 homes had already been destroyed.
Amnesty is also alleging that the government is part of the problem — stating that Myanmar’s Border Security forces, army and police have “conducted massive sweeps in areas that are heavily populated by Rohingyas.”
“Hundreds of mostly men and boys have been detained, with nearly all held incommunicado, and some subjected to ill-treatment,” an Amnesty International press release states.
Phil Robertson, Deputy Director for the Asia Division, has been monitoring the situation in Myanmar, concluding the government has indeed elicited a campaign against the Rohingya people — a not so surprising move considering Myanmar continues to regard the population as illegal immigrants, even those who were born there and can trace their heritage back generations.
“Sadly, the rumor mill inside Burma is moving forward full tilt, spreading these unsubstantiated charges far and wide — and re-emphasizing the government’s point that Rohingya are somehow foreign when in fact most Rohingya have lived in Burma all their lives and the Rohingya have been present in Burma for centuries,” Robertson told MintPress.
The government has officially sided with the Rakhines, not surprisingly, and media within the country has reflected that sentiment, with many attempting to tie the Rohingyas with terrorist organizations. That’s a label Robertson said is unfounded and unfair.
“Without clear supporting evidence, the veracity of these oft-repeated accusations of ‘terrorism’ against the Rohingya should be viewed with serious suspicion,” Robertson said.
In the shadows of the world
The number of people reported killed in the conflict varies, as the government has limited the number of journalists and international organizations allowed entry. This is a clear violation of the nation’s promising future, as the U.S. had previously declared. Not allowing foreign journalists and organizations in raises the question: What does the government have to hide?
Publicly, Myanmar President Thein Sein said in June that the violence could threaten the nation’s democracy, a message that could be interpreted among the international community as a denouncement of violence. Yet based on reports, Sein doesn’t seem to be so impartial.
The other question is, “Why has the U.S. remained silent?” The U.S. sounded off on the devastating conflict when international media picked up the story in June but has since remained quiet.
“The situation in Rakhine State underscores the critical need for mutual respect among all ethnic and religious groups and for serious efforts to achieve national reconciliation in Burma,” Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said in a June statement.
Clinton had previously lifted sanctions on the nation, citing an improving human rights record, although it is yet to be seen what warranted that sentiment. The move was mirrored by the U.K.
In July, not surprisingly, a Reuters report indicated the lifting of Western sanctions opened the door for U.S. oil firms to take part in oil exploration investments in Myanmar. The nation has been touted lately as one of the last remaining untouched resources in the Asian region, said to be the home to ample sources of gold and other natural resources. An article posted April in the Guardian delves into the issue, essentially painting the picture of a nation that is, for the first time, opening its doors to foreign companies, that will no doubt benefit economically from the venture.
The issue of the conflict, on the other hand, remains out-of-sight, out-of-mind.
“The international community has to renew its push on the Burmese government to end the access blackout, permit international media and monitors into the region, and initiate a full and independent investigation of the violence, holding all responsible no matter their rank or position,” Robertson wrote in an email.
Even refugee agencies, charged with helping those being driven from homes, are seemingly being denied access. In June, the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) reported it was experiencing roadblocks to monitoring the situation in Myanmar.
“We are (also) trying — with difficulty — to monitor developments inside northern Rakhine State through people who have contacts with friends or families there,” the agency stated in a June 12 press release.
Who are the Rohingyas?
The Rohingyas are considered by human rights group to be one of the world’s most persecuted people, as they’re not recognized as having an official state. The government of Myanmar considers them to be illegal immigrants of Bangladesh — the Bangladesh government does not, however, consider them to be citizens. Despite a heavy presence in Myanmar, they are denied citizenship.
“The Rohingya have lived in the Arakan state for centuries and most know no other home —- having been born and lived there all their lives,” Robertson said.
According to the UNHCR, there were 30,000 Rohingya refugees from Myanmar living in Bangladesh camps in June — 200,000 more unregistered “persons of concern” from Myanmar were also reported to be seeking refuge in Bangladesh at that time.
Aside from having no official “home,” their rights are also compromised by the Myanmar government. According to Robertson, Rohingya residents require state permission to marry and have children, and the government does not allow the children access to education and healthcare. They are regularly forced into labor, where they also lack any rights.
Without help from the international community, especially the U.S., the violence will ensue and the struggle of the Rohingya will continue. In a world that seemingly promotes democracy and denounces government suppression, the case of the Rohingya should not be hidden in the shadows.