Staff Reporter :
As the Rohingya crisis reaches its eighth year, the situation for over one million Muslim Rohingyas sheltered in Bangladesh remains as dire as ever, with no clear prospects for repatriation.
The crisis has been exacerbated by renewed violence in Myanmar, further dimming hopes for a peaceful return to their homeland.
Seven years ago, the Rohingya community faced a brutal campaign of massacres, rape, and arson at the hands of the Myanmar Army, which forced them to flee en masse from the Rakhine State to Bangladesh.
This Sunday (25 August), the Rohingya community will commemorate the brutal persecution they endured in 2017. However, the prospects for their repatriation remain bleak as fresh violence escalates between Myanmar’s military and the Arakan Army.
Recently, the Chief Adviser of Bangladesh’s interim government, Dr Muhammad Yunus, addressed the issue during a diplomatic briefing in Dhaka.
Yunus stated, “Our government will continue to support the million-plus Rohingya people sheltered in Bangladesh. We need sustained efforts from the international community for Rohingya humanitarian operations and their eventual repatriation to their homeland, Myanmar, with safety, dignity, and full rights.” Meanwhile, after a brief three-day lull, fresh clashes between Myanmar’s government forces and the Arakan Army have resumed in Rakhine State. Fighting broke out again on Thursday night and has continued through Saturday.
As of noon, residents in various areas of Teknaf, Bangladesh, which borders Myanmar, reported hearing gunfire and explosions from mortar shells and grenades. Sources along the border have observed smoke and flames rising from within Myanmar’s Mungdu Township, along with the presence of warplanes.
From Teknaf’s Netong Hill at around 10 a.m., repeated explosions were audible from Mungdu Township across the river, causing noticeable tremors on the Bangladeshi side.
In response to the escalating situation, members of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and the Coast Guard have been seen patrolling the Naf River. BGB personnel stationed at various border points are closely monitoring developments across the border.
A crisis with no end in sight
In 2017, Myanmar’s military launched a brutal crackdown in Rakhine State, triggering an exodus of over 700,000 Rohingya into neighboring Bangladesh.
The United Nations and other international bodies had described the atrocities committed against the Rohingya as textbook example of “ethnic cleansing.”
Despite global condemnation and calls for accountability, the Myanmar government has shown little willingness to address the root causes of the crisis or to facilitate the safe and dignified return of the Rohingya to their homeland.
The repatriation process has been stalled repeatedly, with the Myanmar military not only refusing to take back the displaced Rohingya but also continuing its violent campaigns in Rakhine State.
Recent reports suggest that the situation in Rakhine has further deteriorated, with new waves of violence exacerbating the already tense environment. The Rohingya, who once called Rakhine home, now see little hope of returning to a peaceful life there.
According to Human Rights Watch, on August 5, nearly 200 people were reportedly killed following drone strikes and shelling on civilians fleeing fighting in Maungdaw town near the Bangladesh border, according to Rohingya witnesses. About 630,000 Rohingya remain in Myanmar under a system of apartheid that leaves them exceptionally vulnerable to renewed fighting.
“Rohingya in Rakhine State are enduring abuses tragically reminiscent of the military’s atrocities in 2017,” said Elaine Pearson, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “Once again, armed forces are driving thousands of Rohingya from their homes with killings and arson, leaving them nowhere safe to turn.”
Bangladesh bearing the brunt of the crisis
Bangladesh has been shouldering an immense humanitarian burden since the influx of Rohingya refugees. The refugees are primarily housed in the Cox’s Bazar district, where they occupy makeshift settlements on hilly terrain prone to landslides and other natural disasters. These camps, originally intended as temporary shelters, have evolved into sprawling, overcrowded settlements.
With the delay of repatriation, the environment and other resources of Bangladesh are being damaged with the increasing number of Rohigya children every year.
Challenges within the camps
Life in the refugee camps is fraught with challenges as the Rohingya face a myriad of problems, ranging from inadequate access to healthcare and education to limited livelihood opportunities.
Natural disasters are a constant threat in the camps, with the monsoon season bringing heavy rains that often result in landslides and flooding.
In addition to these environmental hazards, fires have become an all-too-common occurrence, devastating homes and claiming lives.
Growing security concerns
As the crisis drags on, security concerns within the camps have escalated. Criminal activities, including drug trafficking, human trafficking, and violent clashes between rival groups, have increased, posing a significant threat to the stability of the region.
The rise in crime has also strained relations between the refugees and the local Bangladeshi community, leading to tensions that could further complicate the situation.
The Bangladesh government has deployed additional security forces to the camps in an attempt to curb the violence, but these measures have been only partially effective.
As the Rohingya crisis enters its eighth year, the need for a comprehensive solution has never been more urgent. Bangladesh cannot continue to bear the burden of this humanitarian crisis alone.
The international community must step up its efforts to hold the Myanmar military accountable and to push for the safe and voluntary repatriation of the Rohingya.
Human Rights Watch stated that while the international response to the 2017 violence was meager and no one has yet been held to account for the crimes against the Rohingya, there have been some important steps toward justice.
In July, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) accepted the interventions of seven governments in Gambia’s case against Myanmar under the Genocide Convention. Hearings on the merits of the case will most likely take place in 2025.
At the same time, the International Criminal Court (ICC) has an ongoing investigation into the situation, although its jurisdiction is limited to alleged crimes committed at least in part in Bangladesh, an ICC member country.
The UN Security Council should expand the ICC’s jurisdiction in the case by referring the situation in Myanmar to the court, Human Rights Watch said.
Council members have so far not followed up on the December 2022 resolution with tangible measures, fearing vetoes by China and Russia.
“Over the past seven years, UN bodies and governments haven’t done enough to end the system of apartheid and persecution that has exposed Rohingya to further suffering,” said Elaine Pearson, Asia director at Human Rights Watch,
“Ending the ongoing cycles of abuses, destruction, and displacement requires international efforts to hold those responsible to account,” he added.