UN court’s punishment will bring closure to violence against Rohingya in Myanmar
International Red Cross chief Peter Maurer raised a red flag on the repatriation of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees to their homeland in Myanmar, I was not in the least surprised.
Following his week-long trip to Rakhine State and Rohingya camps in Bangladesh earlier this month, to determine the ground situation first hand, Maurer was convinced that the situation was not conducive for the repatriation of the Rohingya.
And United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein made no secret of the distressing fact that Rohingya are willing to risk dying at sea than endure persecution in Rakhine, while many have testified to the brutality committed against the Muslim population.
A senior Rohingya rights told me about how not only Rohingya, but other ethnic minorities, are being targeted by nationalists in Myanmar.
They are livid about the fact that Myanmar de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been reluctant to speak out against the crimes committed against Rohingya for fear of alienating the Buddhist nationalist constituency.
Notwithstanding the establishment of an advisory commission on ethnic strife led by former United Nations secretary-general Kofi Annan, the hapless Rohingya feel Suu Kyi has compromised her ideals for the sake of power.
The distrust is so deep that the minorities have no faith in Myanmar’s justice system and believe that only punitive legal punishment meted out by the United Nations’ International Court of Justice can bring real closure. The international community may not be enthusiastic about creating a UN safe zone for the Rohingya in Myanmar due to sovereignty issues and the danger of opening a Pandora’s box.
Perhaps the leadership in Myanmar is not in a position to recognise the fact that the country’s march towards democracy, peace and economic integration with the outside world will have no meaning without internal peace.
Many believe a return to normalcy in Rakhine hinges on Suu Kyi’s ability to create a framework based on the recommendation of the Annan commission.
In fact, Rohingya rights organisations have provided Suu Kyi manoeuvring space by welcoming the government’s intent to establish an independent inquiry commission to delve into human rights violations in Rakhine. But is it enough to bring solace to the victims of violence?