FRESH PERSECUTION IN MYANMAR: Rohingya repatriation remains uncertain
Staff Reporter :
As the seventh anniversary of the Rohingya influx into Bangladesh from Myanmar approaches, the crisis shows no signs of resolution.
Despite the passage of seven years, fresh persecution continues in Myanmar, with no prospect of Rohingya repatriation in sight.
Transparency International has expressed concern over these renewed attacks, highlighting their disturbing resemblance to the mass violence of 2017. Amnesty International echoed these sentiments, pointing out that the escalating violence in Myanmar’s Rakhine State bears a terrifying similarity to the atrocities committed in August 2017.
“As the seven-year anniversary of the Rohingya crisis nears, the horrific situation in Rakhine State looks disturbingly familiar.
Rohingya men, women, and children are being killed, towns are emptying out, and vestiges of Rohingya history and identity are being eroded. Many are once again seeking shelter in refugee camps across the border in Bangladesh, where economic, security, and livelihood conditions have deteriorated,” stated Joe Freeman, Amnesty International’s Myanmar Researcher, on Wednesday.
Following the brutal and systematic campaign of violence in August 2017, after decades of state-backed persecution, Rohingya civilians are now caught in the middle of an intensifying conflict in Rakhine State between the Arakan Army (AA) and the Myanmar military.
The military has forcibly conscripted Rohingya to fight on its side, responding to battlefield losses with devastating aerial attacks that have claimed the lives of both Rohingya and ethnic Rakhine civilians. These attacks have targeted civilian areas, destroying homes, marketplaces, and other essential infrastructure.
“The Myanmar military must immediately end their renewed campaign of violence and refrain from unlawful attacks on civilians, who are bearing the brunt of the conflict not only in Rakhine State but across the country, with millions displaced,” Freeman urged.
The Arakan Army, as it advances through Rakhine State and captures more territory, has also faced mounting allegations of atrocities. Freeman emphasised the need for the international community to apply more pressure on the Arakan Army to adhere to international humanitarian law.
“All allegations of war crimes perpetrated by the Myanmar military or by any armed groups in the country should be effectively investigated,” he added.
On 17 May of this year, Arakan Army advances on the northern Rakhine town of Buthidaung reportedly led to large-scale arson, displacing thousands of Rohingya residents. On 5 August, an attack that survivors blamed on the Arakan Army resulted in an unknown number of Rohingya civilian deaths as they fled the town of Maungdaw near the Bangladesh border. The Arakan Army has denied these accusations.
Freeman called for urgent action from the United Nations Security Council, urging them to refer the situation in Myanmar to the International Criminal Court.
“There can be no progress without accountability. The future of Myanmar hinges on protecting, promoting, and upholding the human rights of all people in the country,” he stated.
Freeman also called for the abolition of discriminatory laws and policies that perpetuate the apartheid system against Rohingya men, women, and children in Rakhine, and for the restoration of their rights to health, education, and freedom of movement.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh continues to host nearly one million Rohingya refugees in camps under poor conditions for the seventh consecutive year.
Last year alone, at least 12,000 refugees were rendered homeless due to devastating fires and the impact of Cyclone Mocha. Acute funding shortfalls have led to food insecurity in the camps, as well as significant deficiencies in healthcare and education.
“Bangladesh’s new interim government should prioritise the protection of Rohingya refugees’ human rights and their safety in camps, uphold the principle of non-refoulement, and adopt a rights-respecting policy towards the Rohingya,” Freeman concluded.