Plight of Rohingyas might worsen after Myanmar military coup

United Nations' fear that the recent coup in Myanmar will worsen the plight of around 600,000 Rohingyas staying in the country must be taken seriously by the world. The Rohingyas in Myanmar have been living in constant fear as their basic rights are not ensured. Reportedly, among the 600,000 Rohingyas who remain in the Rakhine State, 120,000 are confined in camps. They have very limited access to basic healthcare and education and cannot even move freely. The 750,000 Rohingyas who fled to Bangladesh after having faced genocidal violence by the Myanmar army in 2017 have still been living in our refugee camps as the repatriation process could not be started. And now, with the Myanmar army taking control of the country and declaring a state of emergency, the future of the repatriation process seems very uncertain.

Amid such a situation, it is unfortunate that the United Nations Security Council members could not agree on a statement on the Myanmar coup although they should have sent a clear signal in support of democracy there. This has happened as China and Russia, Myanmar's two close allies, sought more time to give their opinion regarding the situation. During the Rohingya crisis in 2017, China always prevented the UNSC from issuing joint statements insisting that the brutal military crackdown on the Rohingyas was an internal issue of Myanmar. We hope China will stop doing the same now and act to solve the present crisis in the country.

We are more concerned about the changed situation in Myanmar because the coup might have a serious negative impact on the Rohingya repatriation process. Although not much progress was made in repatriating the Rohingyas while a civilian government was in power, with the military in power now, it might get worse. At this point, Bangladesh should request China to play its role in starting the repatriation process.

Most importantly, during this uncertain time in Myanmar, the safety and security of the Rohingyas living in the country must be ensured at all costs. Only last month, the Human Rights Watch (HRW) in its report described how the Rohingyas remaining in the Rakhine state were subjected to government persecution and violence. They are already suffering having been cut off from access to adequate food, healthcare, education, and livelihoods, and must be protected from facing further risk of violence. The world should do everything to protect their rights.