Over 600,000 Muslims and 500 Hindus have fled to Bangladesh from the Rakhine state of Myanmar, and it is reported more are waiting to\u00a0flee. The influx started 25 August 2017 and such a\u00a0sudden inflow of people has\u00a0put Bangladesh under huge pressure, which could cause massive\u00a0social and economic disorder. The situation is\u00a0too devastating\u00a0and is beyond manageable.<\/p>\n
The world’s humanity has\u00a0been shaken by violence that has killed more\u00a0than 400 people,\u00a0burned 2,600 houses,\u00a0raped and assaulted\u00a0hundreds of women, and drowned more than 80\u00a0people who were fleeing the violence.<\/p>\n
The UN Security Council expressed\u00a0concern about excessive\u00a0force used by Myanmar\u00a0during its security\u00a0operation in Rakhine state\u00a0and called for “immediate\u00a0steps” to end the violence.\u00a0UN Secretary General\u00a0Antonio Guterres has warned of the risk of ethnic cleansing, while Myanmar’s de facto head of state is denying\u00a0the facts calling it “fake\u00a0news” and blaming the atrocities on the Arakan Rohingya\u00a0Salvation Army (ARSA). Whatever\u00a0the causes of the\u00a0aggression, the current situation of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh is beyond explanation.\u00a0<\/p>\n
We do not think comments and concerns are enough to resolve the situation.\u00a0For the last 30 years this episodic fleeing\u00a0has been going on and nearly 400,000 Rohingyas took shelter in\u00a0Bangladesh prior to this most recent event. Bangladesh has yet to solve the issue and, in the meantime, Myanmar has developed\u00a0economic and political ties with\u00a0neighboring countries like\u00a0China and India, who have\u00a0economic interests in Rakhine state due to large-scale development efforts, which also has a role in the persecution.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Without international\u00a0pressure and\u00a0systematic\u00a0diplomatic efforts, the current crisis will not\u00a0be solved. But the fate\u00a0of the displaced\u00a0people is\u00a0uncertain now.\u00a0Whatever the ethnic\u00a0differences, people\u00a0should not suffer in such a brutal\u00a0manner. The Rohingya\u00a0have roots that date back\u00a0centuries in\u00a0Rakhine state and\u00a0Myanmar cannot\u00a0deny that history\u00a0and make them a landless and stateless people. It is\u00a0absolutely a gross\u00a0violation of basic\u00a0human rights.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The situation is\u00a0growing hostile to\u00a0the Rohingya in\u00a0Bangladesh, as the\u00a0country has limited resources to sustain those arriving. Bangladeshi’s feel the increased burden and feel the social and economic problems growing in the areas where Rohingya have fled.<\/p>\n
The UN General Assembly has shown its concern as well as many individual dignitaries. They called for an immediate solution of the crisis by repatriation of the fled people, but it seems uncertain to be solved as the UN Security Council has failed to come together to take a resolution towards that goal.<\/p>\n
UN member states urged Myanmar authorities to end the military campaign against the\u00a0Rohingya\u00a0in a resolution adopted despite opposition from China, Russia and some regional neighbors.\u00a0The General Assembly’s human rights committee overwhelmingly endorsed the measure presented by Muslim countries by a vote of 135 to 10, with 26 countries abstaining. UN member states said they were “highly alarmed” by the violence and “further alarmed by the disproportionate use of force by the Myanmar forces” against the\u00a0Rohingya.<\/p>\n
Myanmar\u2019s Union Minister for the Office of the State, Counsellor Kyaw Tint Swe, and Bangladesh Foreign Minister, Abdul Hassan Mahmud Ali, signed the Arrangement on Return of Displaced Persons from Rakhine State in Naypyitaw on November 23, 2017. Under the deal, the repatriation process is expected to begin in two months. Also, the two countries agreed to form a joint working group at the foreign-secretary level to start the repatriation process.<\/p>\n
Pope Francis visited Bangladesh, the fourth most populous Muslim country in the world, from Nov. 30 to Dec. 2, 2017 after he made a visit to Myanmar in the midst of Rohingya refugee crisis between two countries.<\/p>\n
Bangladesh’s Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina, visited the Rohingya refugees and expressed her deep concern and care for the refugees. She pledged to do whatever she can, although Bangladesh is a poor country. Almost all humanitarian agencies have visited the Rohingya refugees and strongly urged the parties to solve the issue immediately, regardless of politics, considering humanitarian needs and rights.<\/p>\n
Prime Minister Hasina also laid out a five point proposal to the situation in a speech to the UN General Assembly:<\/p>\n
The Church of Bangladesh feels called to stand on the side of the victims. The situation is too disruptive, messy, and has led to extreme misery. In particular, for the women and children who have been forced to live in an inhumane state with no certainty of food and other essentials and becoming prone to human trafficking. We strongly believe no one should be stateless in God\u2019s world.\u00a0<\/p>\n