For Riya, life in the refugee camps in Bangladesh isn't much better than Burma. Her shelter rests on the side of a hill pieced together with scraps of tarp and chunks of mud, and she only has access to water for one hour a day. Since being born, her son has been inflicted with numerous illnesses.
He suffers from continuous bouts of diarrhea, his belly is distended from malnourishment, his scrotum enlarged, and his thighs and lower belly covered in red pustules. Riya scrounges for food from relatives, collects and sells firewood from the local forest, and begs for money outside the
camp just to avoid hunger. Under these conditions, she cannot seek medical care for her son because of the constant need to find food to avoid starvation. Riya shares the common sentiment in the refugee camp that the choice between living in Burma or fleeing to refugee camps in Bangladesh, is "like a choice between a crocodile and a snake."
For many Rohingya refugees, like Riya, they sought sanctuary in Bangladesh after being subject to state-sponsored persecution in Burma. Many have experienced property seizures, forced labor, military conscription, and have been prohibited from practicing their faith, or freely traveling,
marrying or having children without permission from Burmese authorities. The Rohingya are an ethnic, Muslim minority from Burma who have no legal recourse and no protection from human rights violations. This is because of a 1982 law denying the Rohingya citizenship in their country of origin. This lack of nationality is the root of their persecution in Burma and the reason why the Rohingya cannot return home.
With no prospects for change in Burma, and a deplorable reception in Bangladesh, the Rohingya refugees are essentially being "warehoused." As defined by the US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants, this means they are kept in a "protracted situation of restricted mobility, enforced
idleness, and dependency." They are denied basic human rights such as the right to wage-earning employment, freedom of movement, access to courts, and public education. Although many Rohingya have been languishing in Bangladesh refugee camps for 19 years, this group is little known outside of Southern Asia. Yet, the Rohingya are a population deserving of
international attention and advocacy on their behalf.
As a stateless group, the Rohingya are stuck in between a country that denies them citizenship and a country that denies them refugee status. To ensure their humane treatment, the conditions and outlook facing the Rohingya must be changed. First and foremost, their forcible repatriation
to Burma must stop. Protection from forced return to a county of persecution is a widely practiced custom known as non-refoulement. Yet despite being accepted by some as customary international law, the principal of non-refoulement goes unrecognized in Bangladesh. Rohingya
refugees have recently come under threat from an unprecedented campaign by Bangladesh authorities to forcibly return them to Burma. Because persecution of Rohingya persists in Burma, their repatriation must stop.
Second, international humanitarian organizations must be permitted to enter the camps and offer basic needs services to the Rohingya to ensure their survival. This is especially important in light of the inadequate levels of aid. In the past, the government of Bangladesh has tacitly allowed a few non-governmental organizations to provide services to the Rohingya, but recently rescinded their approval for some. Now, organizations like Islamic Relief are forced to end their operations in Bangladesh due to lack of government approval. Islamic Relief had provided primary support for 13,000 Rohingya refugees in a makeshift camp. Their exit increases the already overwhelming need for basic survival services.
Riya's experience is just one example that illustrates the need for durable solutions for refugees in the midst of protracted conflict. Unfortunately, Riya's story is not uncommon. There are 39,000 other Rohingya refugees living in refugee camps and an estimated 200,000 undocumented Rohingya living in Bangladesh.
As we approach March 17th, there is special occasion to raise awareness about the Rohingya and advocate on their behalf. This date marks the thirtieth anniversary of the signing of the U.S. Refugee Act by President Carter. The Refugee Act demonstrates U.S. recognition of the ongoing
refugee phenomenon, and the need to provide a haven and overseas assistance for the persecuted.
On this anniversary, the law that demonstrates our desire to provide refuge should be commemorated, but this anniversary should also draw policymakers' attention to the continuing need to provide assistance to those fleeing persecution. There needs to be recognition of the continued displacement of the Rohingya and progress on policies that ensure their humane treatment. As Americans, we need to recognize our ability to act on behalf of those we have not met, our responsibility to choose empathy over apathy, and our power to affect change by placing pressure on our government. This is a population that cannot wait 19 more years for a
solution to their displacement.
Source :http://www.kaladanpress.org/v3/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2462:between-a-crocodile-and-a-snake-&catid=16:rohingya-article&Itemid=27
He suffers from continuous bouts of diarrhea, his belly is distended from malnourishment, his scrotum enlarged, and his thighs and lower belly covered in red pustules. Riya scrounges for food from relatives, collects and sells firewood from the local forest, and begs for money outside the
camp just to avoid hunger. Under these conditions, she cannot seek medical care for her son because of the constant need to find food to avoid starvation. Riya shares the common sentiment in the refugee camp that the choice between living in Burma or fleeing to refugee camps in Bangladesh, is "like a choice between a crocodile and a snake."
For many Rohingya refugees, like Riya, they sought sanctuary in Bangladesh after being subject to state-sponsored persecution in Burma. Many have experienced property seizures, forced labor, military conscription, and have been prohibited from practicing their faith, or freely traveling,
marrying or having children without permission from Burmese authorities. The Rohingya are an ethnic, Muslim minority from Burma who have no legal recourse and no protection from human rights violations. This is because of a 1982 law denying the Rohingya citizenship in their country of origin. This lack of nationality is the root of their persecution in Burma and the reason why the Rohingya cannot return home.
With no prospects for change in Burma, and a deplorable reception in Bangladesh, the Rohingya refugees are essentially being "warehoused." As defined by the US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants, this means they are kept in a "protracted situation of restricted mobility, enforced
idleness, and dependency." They are denied basic human rights such as the right to wage-earning employment, freedom of movement, access to courts, and public education. Although many Rohingya have been languishing in Bangladesh refugee camps for 19 years, this group is little known outside of Southern Asia. Yet, the Rohingya are a population deserving of
international attention and advocacy on their behalf.
As a stateless group, the Rohingya are stuck in between a country that denies them citizenship and a country that denies them refugee status. To ensure their humane treatment, the conditions and outlook facing the Rohingya must be changed. First and foremost, their forcible repatriation
to Burma must stop. Protection from forced return to a county of persecution is a widely practiced custom known as non-refoulement. Yet despite being accepted by some as customary international law, the principal of non-refoulement goes unrecognized in Bangladesh. Rohingya
refugees have recently come under threat from an unprecedented campaign by Bangladesh authorities to forcibly return them to Burma. Because persecution of Rohingya persists in Burma, their repatriation must stop.
Second, international humanitarian organizations must be permitted to enter the camps and offer basic needs services to the Rohingya to ensure their survival. This is especially important in light of the inadequate levels of aid. In the past, the government of Bangladesh has tacitly allowed a few non-governmental organizations to provide services to the Rohingya, but recently rescinded their approval for some. Now, organizations like Islamic Relief are forced to end their operations in Bangladesh due to lack of government approval. Islamic Relief had provided primary support for 13,000 Rohingya refugees in a makeshift camp. Their exit increases the already overwhelming need for basic survival services.
Riya's experience is just one example that illustrates the need for durable solutions for refugees in the midst of protracted conflict. Unfortunately, Riya's story is not uncommon. There are 39,000 other Rohingya refugees living in refugee camps and an estimated 200,000 undocumented Rohingya living in Bangladesh.
As we approach March 17th, there is special occasion to raise awareness about the Rohingya and advocate on their behalf. This date marks the thirtieth anniversary of the signing of the U.S. Refugee Act by President Carter. The Refugee Act demonstrates U.S. recognition of the ongoing
refugee phenomenon, and the need to provide a haven and overseas assistance for the persecuted.
On this anniversary, the law that demonstrates our desire to provide refuge should be commemorated, but this anniversary should also draw policymakers' attention to the continuing need to provide assistance to those fleeing persecution. There needs to be recognition of the continued displacement of the Rohingya and progress on policies that ensure their humane treatment. As Americans, we need to recognize our ability to act on behalf of those we have not met, our responsibility to choose empathy over apathy, and our power to affect change by placing pressure on our government. This is a population that cannot wait 19 more years for a
solution to their displacement.
Source :http://www.kaladanpress.org/v3/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2462:between-a-crocodile-and-a-snake-&catid=16:rohingya-article&Itemid=27
Comments
Post a Comment