蜜桃交友

By Francesca Merlo

鈥淭he gravest crimes under international law鈥�, this is how the UN describes the human rights violations committed in Rakhine State. Myanmar military began instigating violence upon Rohingya people in Myanmar, just over a year ago. Since then almost one million men, women and children have fled the country seeking refuge in bordering Bangladesh. Noor Alom is one of them. He fled Myanmar just ten days ago with his wife.

Harrassment

鈥淚 had no income鈥� he says. He was not allowed to move 鈥渄owntown to another area鈥�, he was stuck in a village in which he was not recognised, a village in which he was not allowed to work. 鈥淚 feared starvation鈥� he says. With incessant controls at checkpoints stationed everywhere, his movements instigated questions: 鈥淒o you have approval?鈥�, 鈥淒o you have a document鈥�, 鈥淲here are you going?鈥�. According to Noor, the government is doing nothing to support them. 鈥淓xtremists will attack again and again鈥� he says.

Statelessness

Higher education has not been accessible for Rohingya people since 2012, when, according to the UN report, their enrolment at Sittwe University was prohibited. Three years later Rohingya people鈥檚 right to vote was revoked. Prior to the 2017 鈥渃learance operations鈥�, the UN report quotes a Rohingya saying 鈥淢y Rakhine neighbour warned me: 鈥榶ou cannot stay here and we cannot control the bad behavior of our own people. The government is planning to drive away your people.鈥欌��

Myanmar, a predominantly Buddhist country, does not recognise Rohingyas as people, calling them 鈥淏angladeshi immigrants鈥�, a term which legitimizes the systematic erasure of the Rohingya as an identity.

A crisis far from being over

Despite Myanmar鈥檚 government consistently saying that its operations only target militant or insurgent threats,  the UN report has defined the Rohingya refugee crisisas a 鈥淗uman rights catastrophe鈥�, and considers it to be the 鈥渇astest growing refugee crisis鈥�, one which is far from being over.

One year after the attempts to remove Rohingyas from Myanmar鈥檚 Rakhine State commenced, the UN have investigated whether this military coordination can be considered a genocide, defined as 鈥渢he murder of a whole group of people, especially a whole nation, race or religious group鈥�. Their answer: yes. The UN now says that Myanmar military leaders must face charges for genocide and crimes against humanity.