The Multidimensionality of Rohingya Crisis

Why in news?

The UN Human Rights Commissioner issued a statement recently that was critical of India’s stand in the conflict.

What is the Geo-political dimension?

• Rohingya crisis is multidimensional and complex.
• It involves not just Myanmar’s internal politics but also the relationship between Myanmar and Bangladesh.
• Myanmar is sandwiched between India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh on one side and the ASEAN neighbours – Malaysia & Indonesia on the other, all of which have a large Muslim population.
• There is also the global dimension with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) having taken a very strident role in this whole issue.

What is the historical dimension?

• The Rohingyas currently under scanner are Muslims belonging to the Rakhine whose origins are believed to be from Bangladesh.
• Geography - Rakhine is province located in the north-western coast of Myanmar and is considerably isolated from the rest of the country because of a mountain range in between.
• This region has historically had close interactions with present day Bangladesh.
• Because of all this, people to people interaction was brisk.
• British Influence - After the region came under British rule and there was an increased movement of people.
• As the region was fertile, there was rice cultivation on a large scale.
• The British got workers from Chittagong to cultivate the land similar to how the poorest of Indian Tamils were made to work in plantations worldwide.
• Hence, eventually a lot of people settled down there.
• Mosques and pagodas existed side by side and there was a cordial relationship for centuries.
• The 2^nd World War saw the first fissures emerge as the Muslims supported the British and the Buddhists supported the Japanese for their respective political aspirations.

• Citizenship - Most bonded labourers who were forced to sail overseas in colonial times managed to gain the citizenship of their acquired homes on independence.
• But sadly this is not the case with the Rohingyas even now.
• The Rohingyas even petitioned Jinnah in the early 50s to let them join with East Pakistan but that were refused.

What is the security dimension?

• There has been a problem of growing Islamic radicalisation among the Rohingyas since the Afghan War of the late 90s.
• It has been established that extremist organisations like Jamaat ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh have strong networks among Rohingyas.
• The Indian intelligence has also discovered Pakistani Army & ISI connections with the ranks of “Arakan Rohingya Army” which is currently involved in an insurgency against Myanmar.  
• Also, a lot of illegal immigrants from Bangladesh have been found to be using Rakhine as a springboard to get refugee status in India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and even Europe.

Is it right to blame India?

• At least 40,000 Rohingyas have been estimated to have entered India and only 16,000 of them are documented.

• This has been flagged as a serious security threat that pressured the government to announce the deportation of Rohingya refugees.
• Although Indian has a reputation of welcoming refugees, it is not a signatory to the UN Convention on Refugees and the Protocol of 1967.
• While magnanimity is India’s character, it shouldn’t be at the cost of its own security.
• On that note, the UN Human Rights commissioner’s statement that is critical of India’s position isn’t correct.

Source: Business Standard