Rakhine Commission led by Annan

CONSISTING of six local and three international experts, and chaired by Kofi Annan, otherwise, the ‘Rakhine Commission’ delegation team will arrive in Bangladesh today. The team is scheduled to visit the South-Eastern district of Cox’s Bazar at the same day to assess the actual state of Rohingyas staying in different refugees’ camps. The team is also expected to hold meetings with top government officials. We expect our government to provide all forms of cooperation in order to make the delegates’ visit a success in unveiling the truth of a manmade crisis.

However, according to diplomatic sources the Commission has been tasked to find conflict-prevention measures, ensure humanitarian assistance, work on reconciliation, establish basic infrastructure besides promoting long-term development plans in the restive state of Rakhine. Moreover, the Commission has been given a one-year time-frame to conduct research and submit a report on its findings.

To study and analyse the Rohingya refugees’ condition first-hand is definitely important, but given the long list of responsibilities regarding conflict prevention, humanitarian assistance and reconciliation it is the oppressed Muslim minority in Rakhine who deserves the UN’s attention more than the refugees now sheltered in Bangladesh. The formation of the said Commission was necessitated mainly due to the protracted carnage of Muslim Rohingyas by Myanmar military and Buddhists racists in the wake of 2012 violence in Myanmar’s Rakhine State. Muslim Rohingyas were living there from the days of British Burma and they cannot be pushed into Bangladesh saying they are Bangladeshis. We saw how the UN Special Rapporteur Yanghee Lee was denied access to some of the most affected places in Rakhine barely a week ago to conceal truth about the brutalities committed on helpless Muslims.

After completing the four-day trip in Bangladesh the delegation is planned to return to Myanmar for reporting their findings to the Commission. The report will expose the truths behind the plight of a Muslim minority group, and also the various manners of torture and persecution the Muslims had to endure in the hands of Myanmar military.

We know Myanmar people have the reputation of being peace-loving and kind, what needs to be examined is the motivation of the Myanmar army in fomenting the crisis.

It is not our claim, but clearly indicated in the report issued by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein last year. It documented a wide-range of human rights violations and abuses against the minorities in Myanmar, particularly against the Rohingya Muslims community.

We feel confident that great peace-maker like Kofi Annan will get all the cooperation from the government of Myanmar so that he and other members of the Commission succeed in reaching peace and reconciliation in Myanmar for the good all. Kofi Annan may also seek help from neighbouring Muslim countries.