Rohingya minority and migrant crisis

The oppressed of the oppressed

The Rohingya, an ethnic Muslim minority in Myanmar, have been labelled the most persecuted in the world by the United Nations. When a government methodically isolates an ethnic minority, denies its members citizenship rights, sends them to refugee camps and ultimately forces them to flee the country, is a clear example of the enormous wave of violence visibly seen in this era.

Right before the eyes of the world, innocent women, children and men are persecuted, tortured to death, are denied of their citizenship rights and forced to flee their homeland in scores. The Burmese government is engaged in an ethnic cleansing campaign against the Rohingya Muslims. The government needs to halt these abuses and hold the perpetrators accountable or it will become the cause of further violence and chaos in the country.

Psychologically speaking, migration wellbeing problems arise and appear within the social society and are rampant in Burma these days

The Rohingya are violently subdued, enslaved, butchered when they stay, unwanted when they flee, destitute and stateless; they are the most oppressed of the oppressed. Legally speaking, the United Nations rallied behind the Rohingya and gave a clear message to the world stating that:

“The Myanmar government must solve the problems of Rohingya Muslims problems as a part of the democratisation process. If this problem is not resolved on the basis of equality, the whole reform process will be negatively affected. First the physical problems of these people should be solved, their security should be guaranteed and they should be allowed to return to the places they were forced to leave. The government should then make arrangements so that these two communities can live in peace arrangements. But since tensions are still high in the region, displaced persons will have to remain in camps for a while.”

Psychologically speaking, migration wellbeing problems arise and appear within the social society and are rampant in Burma these days. A forced migration (pre-migration, migration and post-migration) has its own potential negative impact that influences the wellbeing of refugees in their resettlement countries. But in the case of the Rohingya, they are denied a patch of land on the whole to stand on and are told that simply they have no place in the world. If the migration is a result of an ethical and political conflict, the risk that immigrants develop psychological and psychosocial complications is higher than immigrants who left their homeland voluntarily. Immigrants who are deliberately forced to flee develop many mental disorders and go through intense psychological trauma. Some studies state that not only post-migration stress, but also pre-migration, negative life experiences are potential sources of anxiety and depression for immigrants in resettlement countries. A very painful experiences during the migration process is leaving one’s social capital and identity in the country of origin and as the Rohingya Muslims are forcefully driven out, they undergo severe traumatic experiences.

There are international precedents for intervention when a government deliberately fails to protect the people who live within areas it controls

The Rohingya Muslims experience discrimination and they are no longer welcome in their country of origin because of their ethnic background. Feelings of insecurity have surfaced also because of the regime’s shift that has forced them to leave their homeland as well as all their emotional belongings without any choice. Fear and anxiety as well as powerlessness and helplessness are among some common mental health issues prevalent in the Rohingya Muslims.

There are international precedents for intervention when a government deliberately fails to protect the people who live within areas it controls. Intervention is rarely like an outright invasion and often involves action around its margins. The comprehensive solution may be ten or fifteen years away, but a robust set of measures with a clear outline of how to save lives will at least get the destination governments out of their present paralysis. When people are no longer dying on the seas, when we don’t have thousands more ready to set sail, we can buy time to put pressure on the government of Burma without losing any more lives.

We are equals and every human being is a valuable soul that is worthy of respect and protection. The world needs to rise up to this responsibility and erase this shameful episode once and for all by providing necessary help to the Rohingya immediately as the citizens of the world would have demanded it for themselves had the situation been reversed.