We should be vigilant…

Bangladesh seeks help to repatriate Myanmar migrants

Full Article in Reuters: http://www.reuters.com/article/homepageCrisis/idUSDHA452639._CH_.2400

Often international pressure is placed on countries to move toward a more democratic state and possess the associated qualities like freedom and liberty. Two weeks ago, Bangladesh celebrated a new milestone, the return to democratic rule. After election preparations in 2006 were shut down and emergency rule imposed, many on-lookers cast doubt on the future of Bangladesh to protect its citizens’ rights and the rule of law, but the general elections on December 29th proved to be free and fair according to the Bangladesh Election Commission and 20,000 international observers. The peaceful return to democratic rule is certainly something to celebrate on its own, but taken into historical context, this is an even more amazing feat. Just 37 years ago, Bangladesh became its own country; seceding from Pakistan after a bloody battle. Since that time, Bangladesh has undergone numerous governmental and institutional changes, and in addition to these transitions, Bangladesh has simultaneously been faced with the steep challenges of many other developing countries. In parallel, America at it’s 37th birthday was engaged in the War of 1812 and numerous battles across the U.S. waging war with Native American tribes. Although this is certainly not an exact comparison, it provides an interesting perspective to look at the progress of nations in relation to their place in history. Hopefully, this milestone in Bangladeshi history will be the first of many that improve the lives of those in Bangladesh and the rest of the globe.

Video: Bangladesh Restores Democracy

Recently, I had the opportunity to conduct research in the Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh. While many know about the plight of the impoverished in Bangladesh, the presence of the Rohingya refugees has received much less attention. The Rohingya are a minority Muslim ethnic group from the Rakhine state of Myanmar, which borders Bangladesh. Although their roots in Myanmar date back several centuries, the Government of Myanmar does not recognize them as citizens, denying them basic human rights and engaging in systemic persecution of the Rohingya. However, the plight of the Rohingya being “warehoused” in refugee camps in Bangladesh for over 17 years is a common outcome for refugees from protracted conflicts. Around the world there are approximately eight million refugees in similar situations of prolonged displacement. Termed “protracted refugee situations,” prolonged displacement has many negative effects on refugees, host countries, and on the stability of the region.

Two weeks ago, Gary Troeller, former senior executives with the Office for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, unveiled a new book addressing these challenges. Although much has been written about displacement, forced migration, and the practice of “warehousing,” this book is unique in its approach. Instead of looking at protracted refugee situations from an academic perspective, the chapters in the book focus on practical politics, addressing these challenges for an audience of policy-makers. By linking protracted refugee situations to human security, and recognizing the lack of political will, the authors come to the conclusion that to address these issues in an effective way there “needs to be political solutions to political problems.”

For the global population affected by the 33 protracted refugee situations around the world, policy-makers can see throughout the book that these situations are the result of failed states and political impasses from political problems. One of the preliminary steps to addressing this issue the process of sensitization, and Gary Troeller’s book aptly titled, Protracted Refugee Situations, and other documents like the High Commisioner’s Dialogue on Protracted Situations are fitting starting points.

The Rohingya have been subject to this dilemma for decades; the choice between languishing inside the confines of a camp, living without documentation or legal protection in a foreign country, or living under a regime that not only refuses to recognize the Rohingya as citizens but systematically persecutes them. Jhora likened the choice between living in Bangladesh or Myanmar as a choice between jumping into the “river or the sea;” and fellow refugees have echoed this sentiment as well. Conditions in the unregistered refugee camp are far below the minimal international standards for protection, and those living in the registered camps are only recently starting to see improvements after living in dismal conditions for 17 years.

Ultimately, this has forced the Rohingya to live in a state of uncertainty – without hope for any real solution to their displacement and without the tools to become self-reliant. Perhaps the remarks of the Rohingya themselves are the best evidence of this gap in protection. Abu Khatul, a registered refugee in UNHCR’s Kutupalong camp, lamented to me, “I tried to go back once [to Myanmar] and it was the same as before, but here, in Bangladesh we are just passing time. This is life? We have no soil under our feet. Nothing is ours- it’s an uncertain life. We can’t go back there, but here we’re not living, not working, we have no resources, and not all our needs are met. I am hopeful in another future for another country.” While other persecuted groups from Burma, like the Chin and the Karen have been resettled in the U.S. in large numbers, the plight of the Rohingya has largely been ignored.