Myanmar must accept the Rohingya Muslims as its own
Syed Munir Khasru says it is unrealistic for the Myanmar government to insist, in spite of the historical evidence to the contrary, that the Rohingya have no ancestral ties to Myanmar
An unprecedented 400,000 Rohingya have crossed into Bangladesh since August 25 to flee persecution and death in Myanmar. Bangladesh, itself densely populated and mired in rural poverty, is struggling to manage the massive influx. Most of the refugees are encamped in Cox’s Bazar, a resource-strapped district in southern Bangladesh.
With the country already hosting tens of thousands of Rohingya who have fled Myanmar over the years, this latest wave poses significant risks not only to Bangladesh, but to the region as a whole.
So far, Bangladesh has responded to the humanitarian crisis with compassion. Some 810 hectares of land have been provided to house the arrivals in makeshift camps, though the ultimate goal is repatriation.
By contrast, the regional powers in South and Southeast Asia are either acting like an idle bystander or waiting for things to play out.
Thousands of Rohingya trapped on beaches or hiding in the jungle
In Europe, the EU committed billions of dollars to help Turkey accommodate the flow of Syrian refugees. Bangladesh has not received anything close to that from its neighbours.
