From 8f74e537aa0484a0bdcf6562b6b53a9b4715f6e5 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Holden Rohrer Date: Thu, 26 Mar 2020 14:51:45 -0400 Subject: rohingya --- wroblewski-world/rohingya-ss.txt | 80 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 80 insertions(+) create mode 100644 wroblewski-world/rohingya-ss.txt (limited to 'wroblewski-world') diff --git a/wroblewski-world/rohingya-ss.txt b/wroblewski-world/rohingya-ss.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..16b9442 --- /dev/null +++ b/wroblewski-world/rohingya-ss.txt @@ -0,0 +1,80 @@ +What's going on in Myanmar? +------------------ +The Rohingya Muslims are a Muslim sect numbering a few million. About +one million resided in the Rakhine state in Myanmar, comprising nearly +a third of the population and retaining their historic residence which +traces its origins to pre-colonial Arakan Kingdom. The majority Buddhist +population, primarily after Rakhine became Burmese (originally a British +India colony), often leads anti-Rohingya sectarian violence and the +government is complacent---the Rohingya's identification is not +considered legitimate and the group was considered "Bengali" in the last +census, reflecting the government's belief that Rohingya are illegal +immigrants. They also do not have full documentation of their presence +in Myanmar or in surrounding countries (like Bangladesh). + Murder, rape, dehumanization, and cultural erasure (requiring +Muslims to not wear headscarfs or to shave in wedding photos) are all +occurring as precursors to a genocide which has already started. Eight +hundred thousand Rohingya have already fled to nearby nations, including +Bangladesh where overcrowded refugee camps compound upon the military +oppression in their native Rakhine, which is claimed to be a response +to incredulous terrorist attacks by Rohingya. + +Why are the Rohingya being targeted? +------------------ +The Buddhist nationalist majority/government claims that the ARSA is a +Rohingya terror group intending to revolt against the population, and +continues to lead "security campaigns" because of explicit distrust +between the two groups. However, the Western community widely regards +these actions as ethnic cleansing because of cultural erasure, +unprompted attacks on civilians and their rights, and propaganda +claiming that the Rohingya are to blame for economic woes of the state. +The Myanmarese government continues to look the other way and is +supported by the regimes of China and Russia asking for "stability." + +What are the similarities and differences between this genocide and +previous ones we've talked about? +------------------ +This genocide, like the Rwandan genocide, has occurred mostly without +international interference, despite media outcry and extensive warning +signs: a strong military attacking a minority group, sectarian violence, +and "security campaigns." Also, like the German Kristallnacht, it +mounted into a single regional attack against a minority group, with +thousands of Rohingya killed in a month. Concentration camps designed +to isolate the Rohingya from the majority population and create "million +deaths is a statistic" thinking already exist and are likely leading to +extermination of the Rohingya. Unlike the German or Crimean genocides, +Western powers are avoiding stepping in because of undue timidity and +unreasonable belief that the government will do better soon. + +What is the UN doing to help the Rohingya Muslims? +------------------ +The UN signed a deal requiring the Myanmar government to reinstate the +Rohingya Muslims as full citizens, but this has holes: the Myanmarese +don't want to return to Myanmar because of the deplorable violence they +have to face, and there is no system of accountability. The government's +peace officer has stopped relations with UN officials, effectively +ending the deal. The deal also doesn't incorporate any Rohingya judg- +-ment, so it's a step in the right direction but insufficient to end the +concentration camp situation or allow for foreign intervention within +Myanmar because it's just a UNGA resolution since the UNSC would be +vetoed. + +To what extent has inaction by the international community contributed +to the persecution of the Rohingya? +------------------ +The Myanmar military has required the removal of Rohingya fences, the +limitation of Rohingya fertility, and insufficient medical care within +nearby states for refugees. The "easier" issue for the West to face is +the refugee crisis; relieving nearby countries, especially Bangladesh of +the Burden of thousands of refugees is amenable by the government and +would allow for fleeing of Myanmarese to be a reasonable decision and +reduce the holding power of the government. The other issue, preventing +persecution within the country itself, is much harder since the gov't +has overall improved: democratic elections are regularly held, human +rights are strengthening in general, and economic growth is occurring. +But the Rohingya aren't seeing any of that benefit; they can't par- +-ticipate in elections as full members of society because they are +treated as illegal immigrants, and they remain in the poorest region of +the country. The international community refuses to intervene, believing +that Buddhist nationalists will destabilize the state, and ignoring the +punishable acts which already happened. -- cgit