Rohingya persecution
No one can take issue with the statement of the Deputy Head of the Chinese Communist Party's International Department that foreign interference in the internal affairs of a country is counterproductive. The Chinese government's support for Myanmar's efforts to maintain stability in the country is understood. But how can China overlook the consequences of more than half a million new refugees in Bangladesh? It must be stated that non-interference in others' internal affair is also our stated policy to which we steadfastly adhere. However, it would be remiss to consider whatever is obtaining today in Rakhine as entirely an internal problem of Myanmar.
Certainly, Myanmar's internal policy, manifested in the planned violence against an ethnic minority, has had the most serious impact on this country. The pressure of the exodus from Myanmar on Bangladesh has been constant, over the last decade in particular. Thus, it was only too natural for Bangladesh to expect its very good friend, which China certainly is, to display equal empathy for the sufferings Bangladesh has had to endure in this regard. Is it not expected that equal concerns would be expressed by China for the security and safety of Bangladesh? We have already expressed our concerns in this regard, and the entire world has acknowledged the adverse security potential of the Rohingya crisis for Bangladesh.
More than half a million Rohingya refugees have crossed into Bangladesh since August 25, adding to the quarter million of them already here. What, may we ask, would have been China's reaction if it were to face an influx of equal proportion? Are we to be penalised for being humane? Should we have mined our borders and prevented the Rohingyas form seeking succour here? It is a matter of regret that China, by choosing to overlook reality, has in fact endorsed the killings of innocent people.
It seems an incongruous proposition to leave the resolution of a situation entirely alone on a government which is the very cause of the problem.
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