Regional cooperation more important than ever
At the 27th ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), which was recently held online, foreign minister AK Abdul Momen expressed his worries over the resolution of the Rohingya refugee crisis, saying the delay in a diplomatic situation can frustrate the hope for regional peace and stability. He also mentioned that Bangladesh signed three instruments with Myanmar for Rohingya repatriation, where Myanmar agreed to take the refugees back and create a conducive environment for their voluntary repatriation, safety and security. Yet this "conducive environment" is a far cry from reality.
The minister is right to be concerned, especially as violence continues to escalate in the state of Rakhine in Myanmar. While the majority of the 1.1 million refugees trapped in Bangladesh have expressed their desire to return to their homeland, we must also remember that repatriation will not be possible while the threat of genocide continues to hang over the heads of this persecuted minority. In such a situation, it is not just the responsibility of Bangladesh but of all countries in the region, as well as the nations that consider themselves global leaders, to protect the Rohingya and other minority communities who are facing great risks in Myanmar.
This is where the ASEAN countries can play an important role. Dhaka has already suggested that major regional powers like China, Russia and India, as well as organisations like ASEAN, can play a role by sending non-military civilian observers to Myanmar to assess the situation. However, simply observing is not enough. The entire international community has so far played a shameful role in failing to condemn the continuous human rights abuses in Myanmar. The onus is not just on Bangladesh—every single country in the region and across the world, especially those who claim to uphold the universal tenets of basic human rights and justice, must pressurise Myanmar to set their human rights record straight and put a stop to the continuous conflict within this nation.
The pandemic has shown us how now more than ever, we need to work together to collectively come up with solutions to our problems. Myanmar cannot continue to do as it pleases without a second thought on the impacts on its neighbours. The ASEAN countries must stay united and work with the international community to address the long-term causes of the civil conflict in Rakhine and create conditions for the safe, voluntary, sustainable, and dignified return of refugees.
Comments