The Rohingya, an ethnic group consisting of mostly Muslims from Myanmar, is “the most persecuted minority in the world,” as stated by National Geographic. Since August of 2017, the Rohingya have been targets of ethnic cleansing by the government, forcing 730,000 refugees to flee to Bangladesh, and more than 40,000 to be presumed dead. What built up to such a catastrophe that so little of the world seems to acknowledge?
What is currently unfolding in Myanmar can be traced back to 1824, when the British gained control of what was then known as Burma. Aside from the Muslims that already lived in Arakan, Bengali Muslims came to Burma for work, greatly increasing their population in Burma. However, even after Burma became independent in 1948 and was renamed to Myanmar, the Rohingya ethnicity wasn’t properly recognized by the government, despite it recognizing 135 other ethnic groups.
Educated Arakan Muslims began calling themselves Rohingya in the 1950s. When the Burma Socialist Programme Party gained control of the government in 1962, the Rohingya were denied citizenship and basic rights given to the rest of the nation. In 1978, Operation Nagamin, also known as Operation Dragon King, divided everyone in Myanmar into two groups: citizens or so-called “illegal immigrants”. This tactic was deployed by the military in order to force the Rohingya out of Myanmar.
Under Operation Nagamin, the Rohingya people were labeled as illegal immigrants, and many of them were arrested, raped, tortured, and killed. Mosques and villages were destroyed, and land that was previously owned by the Rohingya was taken away. A large fraction of those that fled to Bangladesh in hopes of escaping persecution were sent back to Myanmar, where they faced the same fate as those that stayed.
The first military campaign would not be the last. Operation Pyi Thaya, also known as Operation Clean and Beautiful Nation, followed Operation Nagamin in 1991 with a shared purpose. The Rohingya once again received treatment worse than that of criminals.
To this day, the Rohingya face poor circumstances. Among other restrictions, they are prevented from leaving the Rakhine state, receiving an education, and having more than two children.
Despite a lack of international support, the Rohingya wouldn’t succumb to Myanmar’s oppressive military forces. Rohingya militants attacked Myanmar’s border police in August 2017, leaving 71 people dead. Consequently, Rohingya persecution resumed, which forced another wave of refugees to go to Bangladesh. Since August 2017, more than 700,000 out of about 1 million Rohingya people have migrated.
While the Rohingya in Bangladesh don’t face any threats from Myanmar, they are still susceptible to dangerous natural phenomenon. The Kutupalong refugee settlement in Cox’s Bazar, the largest in the world, is vulnerable to dangers from flooding caused by monsoon rains.
The Bangladesh government plans to move refugees that are living in camps in Cox’s Bazar to the island of Bhasan Char in an attempt to “give the refugees a better shelter,” as stated by the Bangladeshi minister of foreign affairs Shahriar Alam. However, due to Bhasar Char being isolated from the mainland, the dangers of flooding and cyclones are magnified. Alam responds to these claims by saying that a cyclone shelter and grid based homes will provide the Rohingya living on Bhasar Chan with adequate safety.
Some of the Rohingya are seen as being potentially dangerous to other groups. Counterterrorism police in Malaysia arrested four Rohingyas, one of which is believed to be linked to an ISIS cell which is planning to attack a Hindu temple. A group of Rohingya militants is raising funds from refugees and devoting it towards the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army.
Yanghee Lee, a special reporter on Myanmar from the UN, says that the Rohingya in Myanmar have had “a lot of progress in terms of economic development and infrastructure,” but in regards to Myanmar functioning as a full-blown democracy, “there is no progress.” For those seeking improvements in the situation of the Rohingya people, they will have to persevere for some more time.