Ceesa MUN. Human Rights Committee Aiding the Rohingya Muslims Rahel Steinberg and Emelie Hansmann

Transcription

1 Ceesa MUN BUDAPEST 2016 Forum: Issue: Student Officer: Position: Human Rights Committee Aiding the Rohingya Muslims Rahel Steinberg and Emelie Hansmann Chair

2 I. Introduction The latest surge of refugees was brought on by a long awaited crisis: the discriminatory policies of the Myanmar government in Rakhine State. These actions have caused hundreds of thousands of Rohingya muslims to flee the country since the 1970 s. The refugees struggle has been worsened by the negative responses of their neighbouring countries, who ve been slow in taking in refugees for fear of a refugees influx too chaotic for them to handle.

3 II. Definition of Key Terms Rohingya; The Rohingya are an ethnic Muslim minority living primarily in the Rakhine State, in the majority Buddhist Myanmar. They ve faced countless years of persecution by the state, government, religious leaders, and citizens of Myanmar. They live in apartheid like conditions due to the majority Buddhist population who refuse to acknowledge the Rohingya as citizens. The Rohingya Muslims face violence and lack of basic rights such as healthcare, education, and employment. About 1.33 millions rohingya live in Burma, but they are denied citizenship status as a result of Burma s (since renamed Myanmar) 1982 citizenship law which classifies the Rohingya as foreigners and illegal immigrants in their own country. They are largely identified as Bengali immigrants, despite the fact that many Rohingya have resided in Myanmar for centuries. ( Why Is No One Helping Myanmar s Rohingya? ) Most Rohingya aren t given citizenship status by the government, as a result, a large majority of the Rohingya population have no legal documentation. Xenophobia; Having or showing an intense or irrational dislike or fear for people of other countries. Please note that calling the Rohingya Bengali is considered degrading and xenophobic because it connotes that they are illegal immigrants from Bangladesh instead of real Burmese people. In fact, Rohingya have been inhabiting the Burma region for many generations making them just as real citizens as Burmese people.

4 Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN); The association of southeast asian nations is a political and economic organization of ten southeast asian nations. It was formed on August by Indonesia, malaysia, singapore, thailand, and the philippines. Today, Brunei, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, and Myanmar are part of it as well. The organization aims to increase economic growth, sociocultural evolution, protection of regional peace and stability, and help one another resolve issues peacefully.

5 III. General Overview i. The government has prohibited those who identify as part of the Rohingya ethnic group to legally get married, plan for a family, get decent well paying jobs, have access to a standard education, and have denied them the right to be free in their own country. ii. Officially, Rohingya are stateless and without any legal documents, stripping them of their citizenship and degrading them as humans. iii. White cards classify Rohingya as temporary citizens of Myanmar, but in February 2015 the ID cards were cancelled, and those who didn t previously have cards could not vote in upcoming elections iv. Violations of international humanitarian and human rights law continue in Rohingya populated areas, such as the Rakhine State. Unlawful killings, torture, arbitrary detentions and arrests, rape and other sexual violence crimes, forced labour, often executed by Myanmar military forces, continue to be reported; however, impunity persists for these violations and perpetrators are rarely brought to justice. Between 1991 and 1992 over 200,000 rohingya fled Myanmar because of the abuse, forced work, and mental and physical torture they were experiencing from Burmese Military. v. Since the majority of Myanmar are Buddhist, they are pressuring the government not to aid or support the Rohingya population in any way because they are a minority, therefore the government has difficulties in improving the humanitarian crisis.

6 vi. Many Rohingya refugees have fled to nearby Bangladesh, which holds more than 32,000 registered refugees, and an extra of more than 200 unregistered, according to the UNHCR. In malaysia, there are about 40,000 UN registered Rohingya refugees, but roughly an equal amount walk unregistered. They are beginning to take to refuge in Indonesia, where the number of refugees remains relatively modest, with estimated 2000 Rohingya as of June Early in May, Indonesia s military chief expressed concerns of an immigrant influx if immigration restrictions were eased. Thailand is at core for human smuggling activities, as it serves as a common transit point for Rohingya leaving Myanmar. A Reuters Report proclaimed that some Thai authorities were found colluding with smuggling and trafficking networks, in the exploitation of detained refugees. In May 2015, under international pressure, Malaysia and Indonesia offered temporary shelter for thousand of migrants, along with malaysia launching new search and rescue missions for stranded migrants boats. ( Council On Foreign Relations. )

7 IV. Previous Attempts to Solve the Issue 1) United Nations and other International bodies The United Nations continues formulating resolutions, but have seen little progress by the government of ASEAN in association to these resolutions. Keeping in mind countless resolutions adopted by Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees focusing on refugees and encouraging the development of the humanitarian response, for example United Nations General Assembly Resolution 51/75. In June 2013, European Parliament and UNHCR passed a resolution of the situation of Rohingya Muslims, urging Myanmar to grant Rohingyas equal access to citizenship. In 2014 the government of Myanmar agreed to a UN backed national census. The Muslim minority group was initially to be permitted to self identify as Rohingya, but after threats and protests from Buddhist nationalists, the government decided the Rohingya could only register if they identified themselves as Bengali. 2) The ASEAN response The association of southeast asian nations have not developed an efficient and coordinated response or resolution to the deepening crisis. States in Southeast Asia are also lacking proper legal frameworks that protect the rights and safety of refugees. Indonesia, Myanmar, Thailand, and Malaysia all have yet to ratify the UN Refugee Convention and its Protocol. Council On Foreign Relations.

8 3) Others Organizations such as Human Rights Watch, The Arakan Project, and Fortify Rights, not only advocate the growing issue Rohingya refugees and their lack of basic human rights, but also stress the importance of international political pressure on the governments of Southeast Asia.

9 Bibliography Council On Foreign Relations. Council on Foreign Relations. Council on Foreign Relations, n.d. Web. 19 Nov < migrant crisis/p36651 > Graham, David A. Burma Doesn't Want The Rohingya but Insists on Keeping Them. The Atlantic. Atlantic Media Company, Dec Web. 16 Nov < rohingya migration ban /395729/ > The Independent. The Independent. Independent Digital News and Media, n.d. Web. 16 Nov < against persecution of rohingy a muslims intensify across muslim world html > The Most Persecuted People on Earth? The Economist. The Economist Newspaper, Web. 16 Nov < myanmars muslim minority have been attacked impunity stripped vote and driven > U.S. Campaign For Burma Rohingya: Ethnic Cleansing. U.S. Campaign for Burma Rohingya: Ethnic Cleansing. Web. 16 Nov < burma/conflict and human rights/rohingya ethniccleansing.html > Will Anyone Help the Rohingya People? BBC News. BBC News. Web. 16 Nov < asia >

10 Why Is No One Helping Myanmar s Rohingya? The Great Debate RSS. N.p., Web. 16 Nov