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Bangladesh plans to move over 80,000 people of Rohingya refugees to Bhasan Char, an isolated island in the Bay of Bengal, after reaching an agreement with the UN to assist them.
Relief organizations have expressed concerns about the migration of some 19,000 Muslim refugees from Myanmar from the mainland to Bhashan Char island despite the overcrowded camps on the mainland.
Who are the Rohingya Refugees?
The Rohingyas are a group of people from Myanmar.
Since the 15th century, Rohingyas have lived in Myanmar’s Rakhine state (also known as Arakan).
They are grouped together as Muslim Indo-Aryans, a combination of pre-colonial and colonial immigrants.
They are, however, illegal immigrants, according to the Myanmar government, who migrated to Rakhine after Burma’s independence and Bangladesh’s liberation struggle.
They are one of the world’s most oppressed minorities, having been the victims of organized genocide.
Before the 2015 crisis, the Rohingya population was estimated to be between 1.1 and 1.3 million people.
Following the Rakhine state riots in 2012, the Rohingya crisis in 2015, and the military crackdown in 2016-17, the problem drew international attention.
Currently, India is home to 40,000 Rohingya refugees.
Rohingya Refugees in India
India does not have a special law regarding refugees, despite the fact that it has the highest number of refugees in South Asia and experienced one of the world’s largest refugee crises during the country’s split. The Indian Constitution does not define who is a citizen of the country, and subsequent laws do not address refugees. A person living in India can be classified as either a citizen or a foreigner under the Foreigners Act, 1946. India has also refused to ratify the 1951 United Nations Convention on the Status of Refugees or the 1967 Protocol, both of which are incorporated in the UNHCR legislation.
India has also declined to ratify the 1951 UN Convention on the Status of Refugees or the 1967 Protocol, which are both included in UNHCR regulation. According to the UNHCR, a refugee is someone who lives in another country after being persecuted in their own country for reasons of “race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion.”
Before the current Rohingya crisis, the UNHCR reported that there were “2,07,861 persons of concern in India at the end of 2015, of whom 2,01,281 were refugees and 6,480 asylum seekers.”
In India, there are around 16,000 Rohingya refugees who have been certified by the UNHCR. According to government estimates, there are more than 40,000 Rohingya refugees in India, with the highest concentration in and near Jammu.
The Timeline of the Rohingya Crisis
2012
The conflict between Rohingya Muslims and ethnic Rakhine Buddhists began on June 10th, 2012, in northern Rakhine.
As a result, a Rakhine woman was gang-raped and murdered by Rohingyas, nearly ten Burmese Muslims were killed by Rakhines. In retaliation, Rohingyas set fire to a Buddhist temple and the homes of the Rakhine people.
According to government estimates as of August 22nd, 2012, a total of 88 people were killed, including 57 Muslims and 31 Buddhists. During the crisis, almost 90000 individuals lost their homes, and around 2500 homes were burnt.
2015
Myanmar’s government isolates ethnic minorities on a regular basis.
Thousands of Rohingyas were forced to flee to Bangladesh, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand on unsafe boats as a result of this (hence called boat people).
According to the United Nations, over 25000 people were transported by boat to various nations between January and March of 2015, with many of them dying.
2016-17
In 2016, the Myanmar military began the exploitation of Rohingyas.
Many of them were killed and arrested during the initial attack. As a result, Rohingyas have been forced to flee to Bangladesh as refugees.
Special forces torched around 1500 refugee dwellings in Myanmar’s border villages in November.
The following scenarios were even worse. Men and children were slaughtered, and many Rohingya women were gang-raped. The military opened fire on the refugee boats on the Naf River.
Women and children were among the 423 inmates arrested in March 2017.
Nearly 92000 people were forced to flee their homes as a result of the catastrophe.
Why is India Attempting to Avoid the Rohingya Crisis?
India regards the matter as Myanmar’s internal matter.
Indians believe ASEAN bears a clear responsibility for resolving the problem.
India does not want to have a conflict of interest with Myanmar’s new leadership, as Myanmar is an important part of India’s Look East Policy.
For its own people, India already has a number of challenges such as poverty, unemployment, and so on.
Conclusion
If the Rohingya problem is not resolved, it could lead to radicalization and a greater security threat for India. Even if human rights are the last thing on New Delhi’s mind, it is clearly in its best interests for the Rakhine state to return to stability and peace. To encourage Myanmar to handle the Rohingya situation, New Delhi should employ creative diplomacy.
