Burma- a Nation at the Crossroads by Benedict Rogers

Author:Benedict Rogers
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub
ISBN: 9781846043468
Publisher: Ebury Publishing
Published: 2012-05-31T04:00:00+00:00

6

A Stateless People

‘Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere’

Martin Luther King Jr.

THE DESPAIR WAS palpable. Their eyes spoke clearly of their sense of hopelessness, and their testimonies told of their statelessness. One man, a political leader, looked into my eyes and said with genuine fear that he belonged to ‘a people at the brink of extermination’.1

These were the Rohingyas, a Muslim group of Bengali origin who have inhabited northern Arakan State for generations. Thousands have fled intolerable conditions in their homeland, in the hope of a better life across the border in Bangladesh – only to encounter further misery. Approximately 28,000 have been officially recognised by the UNHCR, and are accommodated in two camps. But tens of thousands more live in dire circumstances in temporary, unregistered camps and settlements, or dispersed among the villages around Teknaf, Ukhiya and the southern Chittagong region. They have almost no access to education or health care, and even in the officially registered camps their shelter is poor. In the rainy season, rain drips through the roof and seeps up through the ground, creating a permanent mudbath. For those living outside the UNHCR camps conditions are even worse.

Not only are the Rohingyas oppressed and abused by the military regime, but they are also subjected to racial discrimination. Tension is particularly acute with some of the Arakan or Rakhine people, and some Burmans and other ethnic people, either as a result of their alliance with the Rakhines or because of their own religious and racial prejudice, also treat the Rohingyas badly. At the core of their plight is the fact that the regime does not recognise them as citizens of Burma.2

In Arakan State, there are believed to be approximately 1 million Rohingyas, out of a population of between 2.5 and 3 million. In northern Arakan, their primary location, there are an estimated 725,000, out of 910,000 people. In the major centres of Maungdaw and Buthidaung, they account for 96 and 88 per cent of the population respectively, while in Sittwe, previously called Akyab, the state capital, Rohingyas account for half the population. A further 1 million are living in exile, in Bangladesh, Malaysia, Thailand, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Europe and the United States.3

Without citizenship rights, the Rohingyas face restriction in almost every sphere of life. To travel from one village to another, they are required to obtain permission from at least three local authorities – the village-level chairman, the township authority, and the Na Sa Ka border security force. Such permission can be difficult to obtain and often takes up to five days. A bribe of at least 500 kyats must also be paid, and if a Rohingya wants to travel to another township, the bribe is at least 1,000 kyats. Even after having obtained a permit and paid the bribes, Rohingyas face harassment at checkpoints along the way. Engaging in any meaningful economic activity, or gaining access to education or health care, is therefore severely restricted. Rohingyas seeking treatment at the one large hospital, located in Sittwe, are often refused permission to travel.

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