The media, print as well as electronic, using the principles of Freedom of Information and Right to Information, have been playing a significant role in exposing the crimes of targeted violence in different parts of the world. They have been highlighting over the last three years the trauma that has overtaken the population of Palestinian origin in Gaza. Now, for the last few weeks they have been focusing on the cruel ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya Muslims in the Rakhine State in Myanmar.
The world has watched with horror as more than 500,000 Rohingya refugees have trudged across the border into Bangladesh. International organizations and members of the civil society have condemned the evolving scenario in Rakhine State as genocide and called upon the Myanmar government to take necessary steps to restore a peaceful and secure climate in the troubled region so that the refugees can return to Myanmar with dignity.
The media in general have played a very positive role in drawing attention to the on-going humanitarian crisis:
- Nearly 60 per cent of the Rohingya refugees, who have entered Bangladesh over the last one month, are children.
- Tens of thousands of women refugees are pregnant and have barely managed to escape arson, rape and murder.
- Nearly 3,000 Rohingya children have crossed the Myanmar border into Bangladesh without their parents.
The media of Bangladesh and the foreign electronic media (including the BBC, CNN and Al Jazeera), over the last month, have been able to successfully focus on the tragedy and also the serious psychological scars that have been imprinted on the minds of the younger section of the Rohingya refugees. Health workers are pointing out that children in particular and the elderly are in need of psycho-social support.
Many amongst them, who have witnessed murder and arson, are suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in the form of headaches, pain in the abdomen and joints, as well as the illusion of weakness, without any real organic causes. This is also causing a sense of insecurity, anxiety, fear and pessimism among them. Many of them, when questioned, have responded by asking the journalists: 'Why was I targeted when I really haven't hurt anyone?'
The UNICEF, in collaboration with local government authorities and local aid agencies, has initiated an important initiative - creating 42 Child-Friendly Space (CFS) in Kutupalong refugee camp in Cox's Bazar and also in temporary refugee camps in Ukhiya and Teknaf. These CFS centres are becoming sanctuaries for children with trauma. The CFS at Kutupalong is an enclosed space made of bamboo and hay sticks. Currently holding 562 children, it is focusing on psychosocial and recreational support, life skills based on education, protection and safety issues and health and hygiene. It is providing recreational items: learning toys, pens and pencils, colour pencils and also sports material. By focusing on this positively, the media has encouraged replication of such efforts.
UN SECURITY COUNCIL: The international media has sensitized some important countries about how the Myanmar government is trying to mislead the world about ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya and then implementing plans to grab the vacated space. This facilitated the holding of a public meeting of the United Nations Security Council on the Rohingya issue on September 28 on the request of USA, UK, France, Sweden, Egypt, Kazakhstan and Senegal. The meeting enabled UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres to initiate discussion on the violence and the crisis in Myanmar.
The UN Secretary General has briefed UN Security Council members and the UN members about the world's fastest developing refugee emergency and the serious violations of human rights, including indiscriminate firing of weapons, the use of landmines against civilians and sexual violence. He has demanded that Myanmar allow access of humanitarian aid to areas affected by violence, take back the Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh, and give them benefits associated with citizenship.
On the other hand, Hau Do Suan, Myanmar's Permanent Representative and Ambassador to the United Nations, not only dismissed reports of ethnic cleansing as "unsubstantiated allegations" but also claimed that Myanmar is striving for freedom and human rights and will do everything to prevent ethnic cleansing and genocide. But he had no satisfactory answer to the question why nearly half a million Rohingya Muslims from the Myanmar Rakhine State have crossed over to a relatively low-income developing country like Bangladesh and sought sanctuary over the last month.
China and Russia, permanent members of the UN Security Council, have unfortunately upheld in their Statements measures taken by the Myanmar government and overlooked the humanitarian aspects of the situation. The Bangladesh Permanent Representative has reiterated the demands put forward earlier by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in her Statement in the UN General Assembly.
It was no surprise that there was a lot of talk but was no concrete result- either in the form of a Resolution or a Communique.
In Dhaka, on September 27, Foreign Minister A.H. Mahmood Ali briefed certain Heads of diplomatic Missions based in Dhaka about the evolving tragedy. The group included representatives from USA, UK, China, France, Russia, Sweden, Japan, Egypt and Italy.
Meanwhile, the Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and the International Crisis Group have repeatedly alleged that Myanmar is committing crimes against humanity in the name of its campaign against Muslim insurgents in Rakhine State. James Rose, legal and policy Director of Human Rights Watch, has Stated that "the Burmese military is brutally expelling the Rohingya from northern Rakhine State …and the massacres of villagers and mass arson driving people from their homes are all crimes against humanity". The Human Rights Watch has called upon the United Nations Security Council to impose sanctions and arms embargo on Myanmar.
Seven UN experts, including Yanghee Lee, Special Rapporteur on rights in Myanmar, have called upon Suu Kyi to meet the Rohingya Muslims to hear for herself the reasons for their exodus. They have carefully stated that "No one chooses, especially not in the hundreds of thousands, to leave their homes and their ancestral land, no matter how poor the conditions, to flee to a strange land to live under plastic sheets, and in dire circumstances, except in life-threatening situations."
The media, while being critical, has acknowledged that Suu Kyi has little, if any, control over the Myanmar security forces under the military-drafted constitution that also bars her from the Presidency and gives the military veto power over political reform.
Myanmar is trying to escape the culpability factor by relying on continued support from Russia and China and who have the ability to oppose any resolution in the UN Security Council through the use of Veto. They are overlooking the other actors on the international stage. Myanmar needs to understand that upholding human rights is an important element within the European Union (EU) matrix. Its Parliament as well as the British Parliament has been severely critical of Myanmar's actions. Canada, Turkey, Malaysia and many other important Islamic states have condemned Myanmar. A mock international tribunal held in Kuala Lumpur has already found Myanmar and its leadership culpable of perpetrating humanitarian crime.
Myanmar has proposed talks and suggested that they are willing to take back those who are of Myanmar origin. This will be based on their interpretation of Myanmar regulations which will be very subjective and not objective. Myanmar needs to understand that stability and peace will help and foster economic development and generate investment in the region, particularly the sub-region. Equal opportunities for all ethnic communities will also help Myanmar access its potential.
Consequently, it should ensure stability and security; agree to the repatriation of all the Rohingya citizens from Bangladesh and also from India. As mentioned by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Myanmar should also agree to receive a UN Fact-finding Mission, give them access to the troubled region, sit down across the table with the relevant Bangladesh and United Nations authorities to arrange speedy repatriation of the refugees, ensure their rehabilitation, if necessary with international assistance and take steps for the implementation of the recommendations of the Kofi Annan report.
Thanks to the media, the ball is no longer in Bangladesh's court. The world today knows that instability and violence creates vulnerability that helps to generate terrorism and inter-communal conflict.
The writer, a former Ambassador and Chief Information Commissioner of the Information Commission, is an analyst specialised in foreignaffairs, right to informationand good governance.
