Geopolitical challenges in resolving Rohingya crisis

Alaul Alam :

Six years have passed since Bangladesh faced the largest Rohingya influx which is posing a big concern as repatriation process is yet to be initiated.

Sources estimate that around 1.2 million Rohingya people entered the country as refugees being forcefully displaced from Myanmar following the military aggression in the Rakhine State.

Bangladesh opened its border to extend a helping hand to the Rohingya people with a humanitarian ground.

The global community has appreciated Bangladesh for its continuous support to the helpless Rohingyas.

However, international agencies have come up with their frequent promises over the years to solve the Rohingya crisis peacefully. But still the Rohingya crisis is going unaddressedbearing a heavy brunt on Bangladesh.

The hosting country made attempts in 2018 and 2019 to repatriate Rohingya to Myanmar but they failed as the Rohingya people did not feel safe going back reminiscing the atrocities inflicted upon them by the Myanmar military.

The prolonged process of repatriation is putting a heavy pressure on public life in Bangladesh.

It is obvious that Bangladesh government continues its all efforts focusing on their safe repatriation.

But some countries and international organizations are continuously pressurizing the host country for Rohingyas’ integration in the mainstream population.

Their unlawful appeal to the host country raises the bleak scenario of global geopolitics.

It is no denial that over the years Bangladesh as an emerging country of South Asia has become prominent in the global geopolitics.

Despite their frequent promises to support Bangladesh to repatriate the Rohingyas to Myanmar, neighboring countries are technically shrinking their supports and trying almost nothing to ease Bangladesh from Rohingya burden. In the South Asian geopolitics both India and China confront each other from opposite direction.

However, they are expressing concern over the ethnic conflict in Myanmar but how far they are proactive in resolving the Rohingya crisis is raising a question.

Despite showing their friendliness to settle down the Rohingya crisis peacefully, they are supplying weapons to the military junta that led the country to a civil war.

However, it has been so obvious that international community has hardly done enough for Rohingya repatriation.

Even the initiative of the International Court of Justice on the Rohingya genocide is mostlyunrevealed.

Not only that, The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has failed in many cases to address the peaceful fixation of the Rohingya issue.

Certainly, the US and other powerful countries are playing regional power politics, essentially driven by economic and strategic interests.

However, in many cases these countries and their alliances are reluctant to condemn the Myanmar junta and side with the Rohingya.

Motivated by the geopolitical stakes China has refrained from criticizing Myanmar government who ran genocidal actions against the Rohingya people.

To gain access to the Indian ocean China is keen to use Myanmar shore of the Bay of Bengal. China’s construction of the Kyauk Phyu deep sea port on Myanmar´s west coast will serve as a base for an oil and gas pipeline and a road link between the Bay of Bengal and Yunnan province.

It will not only help China diversify supply routes but also reduce their dependence on the middle east. Mounting western criticism to Myanmar over Rohingya issue has provided China a scope to boost up relationship with Myanmar.

At the very onset India offered some assistance to Rohingya refugees but now the country has refrained from actively promoting repatriation.

On a bilateral basis India supports Myanmar on the Rohingya issue and at the same time it says that to find out a sustainable solution of Rohingya crisis the country is giving its best efforts taking stand beside Bangladesh, a close ally of the country.

In the same vein, Russia raises some concern about the Rohingya problem but in the geopolitical stakes it requires the cooperation of Myanmar to establish a recognizable presence in the Indian Ocean for which Myanmar has become important to Russia.

Over the last some years the bilateral relationship between Russia and Myanmar has strengthened significantly. On Rohingya issue Moscow’s stance has frustrated its some allies among Muslim countries.

Despite the diplomatic discussions lie ahead between Myanmar and China, the Rohingyas still seem to be lacking in confidence and trust in the Myanmar junta.

Political analysts opine that the involvement of the ASEAN and UN in the repatriation efforts may boost Rohingya’s confidence in Myanmar authorities.

Due to bearing the brunt of sheltering more than one million Rohingya Bangladesh is expecting the repatriation to start at the soonest with sustainable, safe, and voluntary initiatives.

The country calls for urgent international collaboration to resolve this burdening issue.

(The writer is also a research
scholar at the IBS).