The Muslim world is passing through turmoil. Whether the phenomenon is driven by design or a local desire for a change, the fact is that major Islamic centres, be it Syria, Libya, Egypt or Iraq, are struggling for their survival. The West has termed the phenomenon as ‘Arab Spring.’
The Rohingya Muslims, a minority in Myanmar, are concentrated in Rakhine state in western Myanmar. The majority status therein is enjoyed by Hindus and Theravada Buddhists. They have been denied citizenship by the Myanmar authorities since long despite living there for generations. The government officials claim that their ancestors did not reside in the country at the start of the British rule and as such do not fulfil the requirements stipulated in Myanmar’s 1982 rules on citizenship. The Buddhist monks have been accused of fuelling ethnic tensions by calling on their followers to shun the Muslim community living in Myanmar. These Monks have issued pamphlets warning people not to associate themselves with the Muslims.
The president of the country, who just won international accolades on his democratic reforms in Myanmar, has strangely asked Bangladesh to take them over as its political leadership gears up to segregate and expel 800,000 strong minority out of Myanmar since the Rohingyas are known to have migrated from neighbouring Bangladesh and have a Bengali dialect.
Historically, the Rohingya Muslims living in Myanmar have been subjected to state oppression since decades. Dr Mohamed Elmasry, a professor at the University of Waterloo while writing for ‘The Egyptian Gazette’ has revealed the many hardships the Rohingya Muslims have historically undergone. Extortions, arbitrary taxations, lands confiscation, financial limitations on marriages and deprivations of their human rights are some of the daily hardships that Rohingyas are routinely forced to undergo.
International organisations have been consistently raising their voices on maltreatment of Rohingya Muslim minority by Myanmar authorities. Human Rights watch has more than once compelled Asean to take up the maltreatment issue of Rohingyas at its various forums but to no avail. Even the Muslim countries that form part of Asean have strangely been silent on the subject.
According to a group of the UK based NGOs, 650 Rohingyas were massacred from June 10 to 28. The UN has estimated that between 50,000 to 90,000 Rohingyas were displaced since the eruption of violence against the Muslims since early June. The ‘Amnesty International’ in its report of July 20 has termed the attacks on Rohingyas a ‘step-back’ in the country’s recent progress on human rights.
The Organisation of Islamic Conference has raised its voice on merciless killings of Muslims wherein the state troopers watched from sidelines on many occasions. Aung San Suu Kyi, the Noble Prize winner, internationally renowned activist and democratic symbol in Myanmar has criminally failed to speak out on the most burning issue in her country and is being criticised accordingly for following in the government steps.
The OIC has expressed its disappointment over the insensitivity of the international community on human rights violations being meted out to Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar for its nostalgia over democratic reforms carried out therein Myanmar. The US, while turning a blind eye to human massacre in Myanmar, is working on provision of financial assistance to the government and a special GSP status.
The OIC has proposed sending its mission to probe the massacres of Rohingyas. The Organization has also directed its offices at the UN to urge the council to look into the sufferings of Myanmar’s Rohingya minority. However, the most surprising is the silence of the Western media on the issue that otherwise boasts its stance on human rights violations.
Barring France, none of the civilized world has come forward to speak on the atrocities being cast upon Muslims in Myanmar. It is the moral duty of international community to press the Myanmar regime to cease the killings of the Muslim minority and grant them the citizenship for they have been forming part and parcel of Myanmar for the last 188 years.
SOURCE: INTERNATIONAL NEWS
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