http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/insidestory/2012/08/201281542835204365.html
The Rohingya: A humanitarian crisis
Does a solution to the persecution and discrimination of one of Myanmar's
ethnic minorities lie within its own borders?
Inside Story Last Modified: 15 Aug 2012 09:54
The UN calls Myanmar's Rohingya community one of the world's most persecuted
minorities. It has made an appeal for more than $30m to get aid to displaced
Rohingya in Myanmar's western Rakhine state.
More than a million Rohingya are currently caught in a cycle of violence and
poverty. They are without a country to call their own after being denied
citizenship in Myanmar under a law that was passed 30 years ago.
Tens of thousands of them, mostly Muslims, are now living in makeshift camps in
Myanmar after clashes with Buddhist locals.
Hundreds of thousands more are being denied access to aid in neighbouring
Bangladesh, where an estimated 30,000 registered Rohingya refugees are living
in UN camps.
In June, dozens of people were killed in ethnic clashes sparked by reports of a
Buddhist Rakhine woman allegedly being raped and murdered by three Rohingya
Muslim men. The ensuing violence forced around 80,000 Rohingya to flee their
homes.
Both sides have been accused of committing atrocities but the latest clashes
appear to have deepened long-held prejudices against the Rohingya.
Al Jazeera recently gained exclusive access to camps around Sittwe, the capital
of Rakhine state.
Oo Ku Maar Ka, the head of Gade Chay monastery, told our correspondent Florence
Looi: "They [the Rohingya] are very cruel, very scary. They have a bad
character like a devil. These devils come from another country, Bangladesh."
Meanwhile Saudi Arabia is hosting an extraordinary meeting of the Organisation
of Islamic Cooperation to discuss, among other things, the Rohingya issue.
The Saudi cabinet last week condemned the violence against Rohingya Muslims,
and King Abdullah ordered $50m in aid to be sent to the community.
Inside Story asks: Why is this community such a pariah group? And why is the
world staying silent about it?
Joining presenter Laura Kyle for the discussion are guests: Muhammad Noor, a
Rohingya political activist; Tridib Deb, the co-chair of the Banga Bandhu
Lawyers Council in the UK; and Benjamin Zawacki, a Myanmar researcher for
Amnesty International Bangkok.
"This [Rohingya persecution] is truly systemic. It's part of Myanmar's legal
and social system to discriminate against the Rohingya on the basis of their
ethnicity
all the facets of life are affected by a system that codifies and
makes lawful their persecution and discrimination."
Benjamin Zawacki, a Myanmar researcher for Amnesty International
THE PLIGHT OF THE ROHINGYA:
Myanmar has long faced tensions with many of its ethnic minorities, with
the new government agreeing to a ceasefire with many of them
Many in Myanmar do not recognise the Rohingya as legitimate settlers
The Rohingya are not recognised by either Myanmar and Bangladesh
Myanmar's President Thein Sein says refugee camps or deportation is the
"solution"
Bangladesh recently ordered three charities to stop providing aid to
Rohingya
Source:
Al Jazeera
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