Why is no one helping Myanmar’s Rohingya?

[Jonathan Fairfield]

The Great Debate

Why is no one helping Myanmar’s Rohingya?

By Amy Tennery

Myanmar is currently in the throes of a massive humanitarian crisis. Thousands of ethnic Rohingya are fleeing persecution. Boarding overcrowded boats (and often enduring horrific conditions), they’re going to countries scarcely able to help them — or in some cases, frankly, not interested in helping them.

How did this happen?

Who are the Rohingya?

The Rohingya are an ethnic Muslim minority in the majority Buddhist Myanmar. Many of their enemies refuse to acknowledge that the Rohingya are an ethnically distinct group. They claim instead that the Rohingya are Bengali and that their presence in Myanmar is the result of illegal immigration (more on that later). The Rohingya, for their part, claim to be pre-colonial residents of Myanmar’s Rakhine state, the Middle East Institute explains, with the earliest known appearance of the term Rohingya in 1799.

Why are the Rohingya fleeing Myanmar?

The Rohingya face violence and lack basic rights such as access to healthcare, education and employment. They live in “apartheid-like conditions” due to, among other things, Myanmar’s refusal to recognize them as citizens. But this is nothing new. Between May 1991 and March 1992, more than 260,000 Rohingya fled the country over “human rights abuses committed by the Burmese military, including the confiscation of land, forced labor, rape, torture, and summary executions,” the nonprofit group Physicians for Human Rights wrote in a 2013 report.

OK, but if it’s been going on almost 25 years, why is everyone talking about it now?

While this problem isn’t new, it’s gotten demonstrably worse in recent years.

Myanmar’s 2010 transition from a military-led government to a somewhat more democratic system led to some of the worst violence against Muslims. The national government has tacitly permitted the rise of the 969 movement, a group of Buddhist monks who employ “moral justification for a wave of anti-Muslim bloodshed,” Reuters reports. Since 2012, roughly 140,000 Rohingya have fled northwestern Myanmar amid deadly fighting with the majority Buddhists.

Read more: http://blogs.reuters.com/great-debate/2015/06/17/why-is-no-one-helping-myanmars-rohingya/

-- Reuters 2015-06-19

[janpharma]

Why do the rich muslims in the Middle East don't take care of their "brothers"?...

[MockingJay]

Why do the rich muslims in the Middle East don't take care of their "brothers"?...

[spud67]

While I don't disagree with the above sentiments, failure on the part of the world's major governments as well as the regional governments of SEA to act on this issue could allow the dissaffected Rohingya's to become very fertile recruiting grounds for groups such as ISIS and al Qaeda. If i were an ISIS commander, I would buy/steal/pirate a large ship to pick up these boat people and 'inspire' them with dreams of prominent positions of honour in the new and upcoming caliphate...after they have performed their jihadi duty of course.

Turning our backs on these people could be much more than just morally wrong, it could be a military mistake too.

[djlest]

Well i think mainly its because the World is just so fed up with Muslims and Extremists, Thailand certainly has no love for them after what happens daily in the south, Poisoning monks in their Alms bowls and bombing schools.
Unfortunately if you are a peach loving muslim or not - You now have a bad rep Worldwide - And usually when the world doesn't get you, you will just retreat further into extremism.
It is true though - They should be asking for help from other Muslims and not expecting it from a Buddhist country.
If it was a boat load of Buddhists trying to get into Afghanistan - Well it may well be exactly the same, except Muslims are less forgiving if you are not with Allah, whereas Buddhists are very tolerant and peace loving. So maybe this is Karma!

Persecution is wrong, and the South Muslims persecute Thai Buddhists everyday in a violent way. Is it wrong for them to turn a blind eye?

Either a Western country or an Arab country should be the ones to step in here.

Edited June 19, 2015 by djlest

[umbanda]

I only can comment about what I saw on a video my wife got it from a friend.....A group of Rohingya burning its own old people alive....

Who will like to have it close?

[Alfred Gruetzner]

Well i think mainly its because the World is just so fed up with Muslims and Extremists, Thailand certainly has no love for them after what happens daily in the south, Poisoning monks in their Alms bowls and bombing schools.

Unfortunately if you are a peach loving muslim or not - You now have a bad rep Worldwide - And usually when the world doesn't get you, you will just retreat further into extremism.

It is true though - They should be asking for help from other Muslims and not expecting it from a Buddhist country.

If it was a boat load of Buddhists trying to get into Afghanistan - Well it may well be exactly the same, except Muslims are less forgiving if you are not with Allah, whereas Buddhists are very tolerant and peace loving. So maybe this is Karma!

Persecution is wrong, and the South Muslims persecute Thai Buddhists everyday in a violent way. Is it wrong for them to turn a blind eye?

Either a Western country or an Arab country should be the ones to step in here.

I absolutely agree with your comment. The world has enough of Islam and unfortunately even the peaceful muslims have no chance to change this attitude except they start a reformation and separate mosque and politics as the Christians have done this 200 years ago during the French Revolution and declaration of human rights.

[Srikcir]

Why is no one helping's Myanmar Rohingya?

You needn't look beyond the ASEAN nations for responsibility. The Junta's position is typical - it's not Thailand's problem, it doesn't have the resources, Rohingyans are illegal aliens, it's a global problem, it's a UN problem, etc.

[lking]

The European Union should hire the Myanmar Military to manage the EU's immigrant problem.