By: Sandy Arifin)*
The conflict in Myanmar has captured the attention community of the world. The massacre occurred against the muslim ethnic, Rohingya who were not recognized as citizens. Various criticism delivered by community in the world, not least Indonesia.
Before speaking and arguing, the public should know the truth and the background to the ethnic Rohingya issue in Myanmar. This is because in social media increasingly heavily people submit comments even condemnation without understanding the real problem.
The Rohingya Muslim group claims that they have settled in a territory in Myanmar from hundreds of years ago, during the British colonial era in Southeast Asia. When the British occupied the Arakan area (Rakhine) in 1825, hundreds of thousands of Bangali Muslims (Bengali) were brought to Rakhine to work.
This then triggered ethnic tensions in Rakhine and tapered after the British armed the Rohingyas to fight the Japanese troops during World War II. The troops, named Chittagonian V Force, terrorize more indigenous Buddhists who tend as supporting Japan. The peak occurred in 1942, when Buddhists were involved in killing each other with the Rohingya Muslim guerrillas.
After independence, in 1948, Myanmar passed a Citizenship Act that did not list Rohingyas as a nationally recognized ethnic group. As a result, ethnic minorities do not get citizenship and are more vulnerable to discrimination.
The situation in Rakhine state has getiing worse following the 1971 Bangladesh Independence War, which has prompted the exodus of refugees to Myanmar. In 1975, the Bangladesh Embassy in Myanmar, admitted there were about 500 thousand Bangladesh refugees fleeing to Rakhine. The repatriation negotiations of Bangladesh refugees are tough between two governments. In the end, Bangladesh refuses to acknowledge about 200,000 refugees repatriated by Myanmar. After a long negotiation, Myanmar agreed to accommodate the refugees. Furthermore, the process of returning refugees in the 1990s under UN supervision, took place brutally.
With these facts, people can understand the situation and status of citizens of the Rohingyas. In fact, all citizens are indeed immigrants, but have lived and settled for generations in the territory of Myanmar. Religious sentiments are not the cause of non-recognition of the Muslim group by Myanmar, but the long history of the alignments of the colonial era is what makes the complexity of the problem more complicated. Moreover, Myanmar feels the freedom they gained is the result of their efforts in helping Japan fight the British colonialism supported by the Rohingyas.
Apart from all the historical and religious aspects, the Myanmar government’s actions that have committed genocide are extraordinary crimes that cannot be tolerated. All the international community from any religious background criticized the ethnic slaughter. The UN even issued a resolution for Myanmar to stop and account for all its military actions. The terrorist issue that used by the Myanmar government is not worth the huge number of innocent victims killed by Myanmar’s military atrocities.
The notion that the Burmese government is designing ethnic slaughter is increasingly prevalent in society, as the Burmese government ignores pressures from Islamic countries, even ignoring UN resolutions. Added to the issue of Israel’s involvement as a supplier of Myanmar’s arms, causing Muslim society in all parts of the world to grow angry and some people perceive the conflict as a result of religious sentiment.
However, the complexity of the issue is not necessarily a matter of debate. Currently the government’s move to support and provide assistance is right to be a temporary solution to the handling of the Rohingyas.
For the long term, the Indonesian government also needs to contribute to the survival of the victimized Muslim group. One of them is by encouraging Bangladesh to accommodate and recognize some citizens of Rohingya who are historically indeed citizens. In the short term, Indonesia can provide food and medicines and help accommodate Rohingya victims according to the government’s ability.
Indonesia as part of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), need to give inputs to the OIC member countries to contribute by providing a place for Rohingya Muslims in the midst of their respective country’s society. Judging from the complexity of the problem and the high sentiment towards the Muslim group, it is not impossible that the massacre or action.
)* The author is CIDISS junior researcher
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