Thai opinion: How to save the Rohingya, AND OURSELVES

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How to save the Rohingya, AND OURSELVES

BANGKOK: -- There's something ironic about the current uproar over the Rohingya. The controversy seems to have all the ingredients of what made those people become refugees in the first place.

The similarities between "now" and "then" are stark: Blind passion, a superiority complex, and clashing political ideologies. Finally, there's the attitude that "our god" (or "morality" or "goodness") is better than the others'.

Biases are reigning supreme, even though the last thing we need is for the plight of refugees to be blurred by history, politics or simply the will to win an argument. Although the ongoing controversy won't lead to a war anytime soon, it contains enough hatred, egotism and prejudice to tip the moral scale. Evil starts this way, after all: with people thinking they are 100 per cent morally right and the others are 100 per cent morally wrong.

The Rohingya have been through all this before. And make no mistake, their ancestors were themselves partly to blame.

The juxtaposition that led to the Rohingya becoming racial outcasts was marked by misguided patriotism, foreign interference and a false sense of pride. Whether or not the Rohingya of old really had any choice is debatable, but it's a no-brainer when their children are concerned. The boat people, by-products of "moral" politics gone awry, don't have another option.

People viewing the refugees' ordeal have their choices, though. For one thing, they can choose to end the blame game, be open-minded and see moral conflict as capable of snowballing into something very immoral. Balanced perspectives have been lacking, however. The whole Rohingya episode has generated a black-and-white debate. One side seems to be directed by raw compassion. The other cites practicality. There is very little in between.

What's worse is that the clash between raw compassion and practicality has been compounded by different political ideologies. Some people are arguing for or against the Rohingya simply because those whom they don't like are on the other side. All these have led to an unrealistic, over-the-top and very emotional showdown. One side is calling the other "heartless". Hitting back, the latter is asking the former if they would pick up every stray cat and pet it. And complicated international diplomacy doesn't help at all.

The truth is that no one man, organisation or country is equipped the help the Rohingya alone, that condemnation and cynicism will only make helping them a lot harder, and that the country where they come from needs to be seriously engaged. Last but not least, assistance must come from the heart and not be politically motivated.

There is still time for everyone to step back and study the other side's reasoning. Extreme opinions can only be good if they help forge a compromise. Exaggerated sentiment can be useful because, without people shedding tears for fellow human's sufferings, we may not have been aware of the ordeals in the first place. On the other hand, without people asking those who are crying for the Rohingya whether they would also hire a refugee as a maid, the burden facing a potential host could easily be overlooked.

Everyone agrees that the Rohingya should be helped. But when it comes to "how?", all hell breaks loose. Coming into play are history, the Thai political divide along with its international ramifications, individual governments' policies, as well as problems related to the Rohingya themselves. The social media, meanwhile, are helping spread both sympathy and rigid prejudice. It's hard to argue with either side of the debate because people tend to omit their side's weak points when presenting their cases.

When it comes to hungry, homeless people needing shelters, water and food, we humans can't be that different, can we? That is to say we first have to take away politics, religion and some self-interest out of the equation. Nothing blinds us like politics and so-called "ideology". The Rohingya are waiting for pure compassion to materialise, and hatred, anger and false pride to go away. Their hardships are challenging us to find a genuine solution that won't sow the seeds of similar hardships in the future, however distant.

The good news is that debate on issues like the Rohingya is no longer left to the policymakers and opinion leaders. For the first time, the world is searching its soul regarding the fate of a group of suffering humans.

That is a good start in itself, but we also need a clear goal. The ultimate objective is not just to save the Rohingya or prevent other people falling into the same predicament. The real aim should include ridding ourselves of all the traits that led to the Rohingya becoming homeless and hounded in the very beginning.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/opinion/How-to-save-the-Rohingya-AND-OURSELVES-30261001.html


-- The Nation 2015-05-27

[FangFerang]

Nice article, but it obliquely does not discuss in any way the Thai involvement in human trafficking.

[steven100]

Thailand is giving food, water & medicines and taking care of the sick and weary. Then provide enough fuel to return to their birth place either Bangladesh, Myanmar or India or wherever.

It is not up to the international community to accept illegal boat people wherever they decided they want to settle. Thailand didn't force them to pay a boat people smuggler. Thailand or the international community didn't say you get on that boat ...

Why should other countries pay for the relocation of thousands when it's their plight and choice to go elsewhere. ?

Thailand is correct in the firm stance they are taking and most don't want them here. Imagine them resettling in the south and in two years wanting autonomy from Thailand. Killings and bombings etc ... all because the doo gooders want to force countries to accept them.

No thanks. Check the survey results ...

[DM07]

Thailand is giving food, water & medicines and taking care of the sick and weary. Then provide enough fuel to return to their birth place either Bangladesh, Myanmar or India or wherever.

It is not up to the international community to accept illegal boat people wherever they decided they want to settle. Thailand didn't force them to pay a boat people smuggler. Thailand or the international community didn't say you get on that boat ...

Why should other countries pay for the relocation of thousands when it's their plight and choice to go elsewhere. ?

Thailand is correct in the firm stance they are taking and most don't want them here. Imagine them resettling in the south and in two years wanting autonomy from Thailand. Killings and bombings etc ... all because the doo gooders want to force countries to accept them.

No thanks. Check the survey results ...

The fact that you repeat your heartless, uninformed cr@p again and again, doesn't make it anymore right- morally or otherwise!

On another note: nice how the "AND OURSELVES" is the bold and obviously important part, here in the OP!

[steven100]

Thailand is giving food, water & medicines and taking care of the sick and weary. Then provide enough fuel to return to their birth place either Bangladesh, Myanmar or India or wherever.

It is not up to the international community to accept illegal boat people wherever they decided they want to settle. Thailand didn't force them to pay a boat people smuggler. Thailand or the international community didn't say you get on that boat ...

Why should other countries pay for the relocation of thousands when it's their plight and choice to go elsewhere. ?

Thailand is correct in the firm stance they are taking and most don't want them here. Imagine them resettling in the south and in two years wanting autonomy from Thailand. Killings and bombings etc ... all because the doo gooders want to force countries to accept them.

No thanks. Check the survey results ...

The fact that you repeat your heartless, uninformed cr@p again and again, doesn't make it anymore right- morally or otherwise!

On another note: nice how the "AND OURSELVES" is the bold and obviously important part, here in the OP!

It doesn't matter ... everything I have said is true ....

[khounteen]

Who the hell wants these people in their country? Take them in an a few years later they may gang up and fight for autonomy again, all you need are some instigators, dont forget they are muslims and there are plenty of them in that faith. Maybe they will join the muslims in the south to start bombing markets etc in the name of gaining freedom.

On the other hand it is pitiful to not help them out of humanity. They can only have themselves to blame, screw up in their own region and now wants to go to a so called better country. They dont have the brains to think that maybe if they adapt and live peacefully they would not have to move.

To those countries that are now making all the noises about humanity etc. I say send the refugees to them and congratulate them when the time bomb explodes in their face.

[Balance]

Thailand is giving food, water & medicines and taking care of the sick and weary. Then provide enough fuel to return to their birth place either Bangladesh, Myanmar or India or wherever.

It is not up to the international community to accept illegal boat people wherever they decided they want to settle. Thailand didn't force them to pay a boat people smuggler. Thailand or the international community didn't say you get on that boat ...

Why should other countries pay for the relocation of thousands when it's their plight and choice to go elsewhere. ?

Thailand is correct in the firm stance they are taking and most don't want them here. Imagine them resettling in the south and in two years wanting autonomy from Thailand. Killings and bombings etc ... all because the doo gooders want to force countries to accept them.

No thanks. Check the survey results ...

The fact that you repeat your heartless, uninformed cr@p again and again, doesn't make it anymore right- morally or otherwise!

On another note: nice how the "AND OURSELVES" is the bold and obviously important part, here in the OP!

It doesn't matter ... everything I have said is true ....

Oh, and we have another true believer perhaps in search of a moral compass, but then again it is most likely the case that he does not believe he is in the need of one. The problem with morally bankrupt people is that they do not think or want anyone else to think that they are in need of some sense of right and wrong and a need to feel compassion: A practical definition of nihilism.

[steven100]

Everyone wants to help these poor souls and we will help them. But we all understand that it's not the international communities problem just because these economic and illegal migrants want to relocate wherever they choose.

Everyone is against letting them in because it sends the wrong message ... letting them in will only have thousands more come .......surely you can see that as being irresponsible for any country.

Lets be humanitarians ... we provide food ... lots of it !! ... water & medicine , take care of the weak and frail.

Then when they are stronger after a few days we help them to continue back to their loved ones in Myanmar, Bangladesh or India.

We cannot force them to stay at sea ... if they don't want to go back to their loved one then thats their choice. The world will not be held accountable to these illegal migrant just because they seek a better life ... many people in the world seek a better life but they are not expecting the international community to jump up and offer and pay for everything.

These people do have a place to go back to ... you say they don't but everyone know they are economically suppressed, which I agree ... they need help to create farm land and shops and make a living. If they are persecuted in Myanmar then go to Bangladesh or wherever they were born, if they aren't safe in Bangladesh then go to another nearby country .. near where they originated from .. not Indonesia or Malaysia or Thailand , these countries have enough problems of their own to deal with.

We must take care of these poor people and send them back ... this is the humane answer and the best thing to do.

The world wants it this way and thats what will happen.. or they can go to Gambia ? but I guess thats not good enough ??