The international community has a moral duty to ensure that the Rohingya are ensured justice
It has now been close to eight years since the Rohingya crisis resulted in over a million of Myanmar’s ethnic minorities being driven out of their homeland and finding shelter within the borders of Bangladesh.
In that time, the rest of the world has seemingly forgotten the plight of the million-plus refugees who are still subsisting within camps in our nation, with the ever dwindling flow of aid and a multitude of other global events which have taken attention away from this abhorrent breach of human rights at the hands of a government harbouring genocidal intent against its own people.
We would like to believe that the recent joint statement by foreign ministers of G7 countries where they have stressed the need to create conditions for the voluntary, safe, dignified, and sustainable return of all Rohingya refugees and displaced persons from Myanmar is going to make a difference — but the truth of the matter has always been that nothing but firm action is going to get the Myanmar government to cooperate when it comes to matters of repatriation.
The active involvement of the international community, especially trade partners, who hold sway with the Myanmar government is the need of the hour. China, Myanmar’s biggest trade partner, can play a big role in facilitating the repatriation plans, but has yet to offer any concrete measures, opting for mealy-mouthed assurances and words that the country is working towards cooperation.
Words of condemnation, of cooperation, unless backed with action, will not be enough to make things right.
The Rohingya have had to suffer enormous hardships and are continuing to do so by languishing in camps here in Bangladesh. The international community has a moral duty to ensure that the Rohingya are ensured justice — and the only way to achieve that is to pressure Myanmar into recognizing its failures.
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