World voices concern, urges Dhaka to accept Rohingyas

Human Rights Watch has insisted that Bangladesh should accept the Rohingya people who are fleeing the Myanmar state of Rakhine in the wake of persecution by the army there.

However, Dhaka has called on the international community to exert pressure on the Myanmar government to address the humanitarian crisis in the neighbouring country.

Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) expressed grave concern at the deteriorating situation in Myanmar following the ongoing security operation in Rakhine state.

Also, Western nations are increasingly concerned at how Aung San Suu Kyi's government is dealing with violence in Myanmar.

The global concerns have come against the backdrop of what The Washington Post newspaper called as a scorched-earth campaign that led more Rohingya Muslims to flee Myanmar and enter neighbouring Bangladesh this week.

According to Reuters, some are feared to have drowned after a boat sank during a bid to flee violence that has killed at least 86 people and displaced 30,000.

John McKissick, head of the UN high commissioner for refugees office in the Bangladeshi coastal resort town of Cox's Bazar, termed it difficult for the Bangladesh government to absorb large numbers, saying, "It seems to me there is no other choice, because the only other choice is death and suffering."

"For now, the only thing that can be done is to assist and protect them."

The government of Bangladesh has in the meantime ordered the border guards, navy, and coast guard to secure sea and land access. “Rohingya infiltration is an uncomfortable issue for Bangladesh,” said home minister Asaduzzaman Khan. “We don’t want illegal Rohingya immigration.”

An HRW article, written by Meenakshi Ganguly, mentioned that the UN high commissioner for refugees has pressed the Myanmar government to provide immediate humanitarian access to provide aid to the Rohingya in accordance with international law and has asked Bangladesh to keep its border open to any civilians fleeing the violence.

"Under customary international law, Bangladesh may not summarily reject at the border asylum seekers fleeing widespread human rights abuses or generalised violence. It is obligated to allow them to enter the country and seek protection," added the article.

The OIC expressed further its concern that the destruction of homes and mosques has forced tens of thousands to flee their villages and the subsequent blockade in the region has also left many in the area facing acute shortages of food, water and essentials.

The OIC secretary general, Yousef A Al-Othaimeen, called for an immediate cessation of violence and urged the authorities of Myanmar to ensure that the security services act in full compliance with the rule of law and to allow humanitarian aid agencies access to the affected region to provide needed relief to the victims.

He further called upon the Myanmar government to abide by its obligations under international law and human rights covenants and take concrete steps to prevent the further deterioration of the crisis in Rakhine state.

A Reuters Foundation report said the US envoy to the United Nations privately warned fellow diplomats the country could not handle the crisis on its own.

Samantha Power, Washington's ambassador to the UN, outlined the level of concern at a closed meeting of the United Nations Security Council, held at the United States' request at the body's headquarters in New York last Thursday, diplomats said.

The current crisis, the most serious bloodshed in Rakhine since hundreds were killed in communal clashes in 2012, has renewed international criticism that Suu Kyi has done too little to alleviate the plight of the Rohingya minority, who are denied citizenship and access to basic services.

Source: Prothom Alo