Every country’s army protects its citizens from external attacks and protects them. A rare exception in this case is the army of our neighboring country Myanmar. They pointed weapons at the citizens of their own country, dragged women and children from their homes, and even set educational institutions on fire.
Since the overthrow of the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021, the junta government of senior general Min Aung Hlaing has increased the oppression. It is as if the military junta is playing a holi game of blood to create another state within the state.
Since the military coup, 2 thousand 249 people have been killed, and senior pro-democracy leaders have been hanged. About 15 thousand people have been arrested. At least 28 thousand houses have been burnt. Among the teachers who participated in the ‘civil disobedience movement’ (non-violent peaceful movement) were arrested or killed. At least 800,000 people have been internally displaced since the coup.
It is uncertain when they will be able to return to normal life. Aid workers are being killed in order to prevent any kind of connection between resistance fighters and ordinary citizens. The military junta has no regard for international human rights law.
Myanmar is a country of various ethnic groups. Most people are Buddhist by religion. But culturally there are differences between Bamar, Kachin, Karen, Shan, Arakanese and Chin. Mainly for this and many other reasons they chose the path of secessionist movement.
That is, they want to create a separate country or they want autonomy. These groups did not spring up suddenly in Myanmar. Many of them have been in the movement since the fifties and sixties of the last century. On the contrary, the junta government has adopted a terracotta policy without entering into any kind of negotiation with them. Civil war prevented him from establishing control over the entire country. Today, only the crimson color of violence in the lush green country.
The people of different ethnic groups of that country are living like foreigners in their own land. Many people are not even able to stay in their own land. Due to the torture of the junta, many people leave the country and spend their days in small houses in neighboring countries.
Let’s talk about the Rohingya people at the beginning. In 2017, when the military junta started an ‘ethnic cleansing’ or ethnic cleansing campaign in Rakhine, western Myanmar, about 760,000 Rohingyas were forced to flee to Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. The world has seen the disaster of humanity at that time! But many people are silent. The big neighbors, who were supposed to be involved, have been surprisingly silent and have been so far.
Currently, about 1.5 million Rohingya live in Bangladesh, one of the most densely populated countries in the world. An average of 30,000 children are born in the camps here every year. What will happen in the future, the heart trembles. But there is no arrangement to take them back.
During Suu Kyi’s tenure, the Ta-O talks progressed to a point. After the arrival of the junta, everything seems to have stopped. The belief that the Rohingyas will be taken back to that country is now gone. Again, they are not good in Bangladesh refugee camps. Because people cannot live freely and with dignity in any refugee camp in the world. Little by little, all the hopes started sinking in the torrent of despair.
According to media reports, on August 16, a young Rohingya girl approached UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet in Cox’s Bazar and said how good she was in education in Rakhine. Wanted to be a doctor. But in the last five years of refugee life, his dream has been shattered. But many of his Buddhist friends in Myanmar have already become doctors. Being born as a Rohingya is his crime. It is not known how Bachelet comforted the Rohingya girl. Maybe his eyes are also wet, because of the regret of not being able to do anything.