COLUMN-OPINION: Asean must lead in Rakhine crisis – WRITER: CHRIS LEWA
‘We are hungry for sustainable solutions. Four times we have been refugees. We need to stop being refugees”, said a Rohingya man at Kutupalong camp in Bangladesh.
Southeast Asia’s leaders are expected to discuss the issue of Rohingya refugees and ways of enhancing Asean’s role in facilitating the voluntary repatriation process at their regional summit in Bangkok later this week.
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As this year’s Asean chair, Thailand has a critical leadership role to play in supporting durable solutions for Rohingya displaced in Myanmar as well as for those living in exile as refugees in Bangladesh and across the region. This must include prioritising refugee participation in decision-making.
Days before the second anniversary of the Rohingya refugee crisis in August, the governments of Myanmar and Bangladesh agreed to start repatriation. This announcement was a surprise to many, including Rohingya refugees. So far, no refugees have volunteered to go back. The refugees have sent a message and Asean must pay heed: Without meaningful progress in realising equal rights, citizenship and justice for Rohingya, one of the world’s largest refugee crises will continue.
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In reaction to the announced repatriation, refugees did not feel safe to return. They fear that, if they return to Rakhine state, they will face the same persecution and violence from which they fled. Rohingya in Myanmar are denied citizenship and cannot move freely to go to school, seek treatment at hospitals, or do business in township markets.
More than seven years after violence rocked Rakhine state, 130,000 Rohingya are still displaced and confined inside fenced camps in Myanmar, largely dependent on humanitarian aid. Moreover, ongoing fighting between the Myanmar army and the ethnic Arakan Army in Rakhine state has left an additional 60,000 people displaced and thousands more cut off from humanitarian and development aid. An internet shutdown across nine townships in the state is entering its fifth month, hampering communications and human rights reporting. The refugees in Bangladesh are watching the situation in Rakhine; unless there is meaningful change there is no incentive for them to return.
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It is in this context that the Asia Pacific Refugee Rights Network (APRRN) welcomes Thailand’s leadership to find solutions. We must recognise that this is a complex regional crisis, and any solution must draw on the strengths of regional players. Asean has said it wants to ramp up humanitarian assistance and development to support the repatriation process. The preliminary needs assessment (PNA) prepared by the Asean Emergency Response and Assessment Team in June narrowly assessed security conditions and physical infrastructure.
By only focusing on these elements, Asean misses the key to resolving this crisis. Without progress on addressing Myanmar’s discriminatory policies and human rights violations, the vicious cycle entrapping the Rohingya over the past several decades will continue.
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In a positive step, Thailand as Asean chair has provided excellent guidance to the Asean secretary-general “to go further with the recommendations contained in the PNA”, in a statement delivered at the 34th Asean Summit held in Bangkok in June. Thailand strongly stated that ensuring safety and security for all communities in Rakhine state is essential to finding a “comprehensive and durable solution to address the root causes of the conflict and to create a conducive environment so that the affected communities can rebuild their lives”.
The Rakhine Advisory Commission recommendations constitute a blueprint for Asean’s support to Rakhine to create this conducive environment. Myanmar has committed to implementing the recommendations, which include ensuring freedom of movement and providing a clear path to citizenship. Thailand should be a key partner in supporting and monitoring this process.
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Asean representatives and Myanmar’s government had a chance to hear from refugees during their July visit to the camps in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. The commitment made there, to continue meaningful consultations with refugees over the coming months, was an excellent step. However, any trust built through this dialogue was undermined by the sudden announcement of the repatriation exercise in mid-August, with no further consultations or warning given to refugees.
Thailand’s leadership is needed to ensure Asean supports Myanmar to return to the table and continue consultations with refugees. Myanmar must also show tangible progress towards meeting basic requirements, including ensuring equal rights, that would support eventual return, in line with refugees’ priorities and international standards.
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Thailand has an opportunity to work with the rest of Asean to make their brave words a reality. Asean is in a unique position to work with the government of Myanmar to ensure the root causes of persecution and violence are addressed. This is what is needed to ensure a safe and voluntary repatriation.
An end to this refugee crisis is possible.
Thailand must seize this opportunity to demonstrate strong leadership and ensure Asean delivers on its promise as a “community of opportunities”.
Chris Lewa is deputy chair of the Rohingya Working Group, Asia Pacific Refugee Rights Network (APRRN).
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THE EDITOR
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