Apathy over Rohingya plight

IN the past weeks, the world witnessed fresh waves of violence against Myanmar’s Rohingya, “the most persecuted group in the world”. The latest surge of aggression was said to have been triggered by attacks on the border guard post on Oct 9, which left nine Burmese police officers dead.

Consequently, Rohingyas were collectively declared guilty despite the lack of evidence and massive retaliation was launched as a collective punishment by the state institutions (army and police).

The BBC announced that around 130 Rohingyas were killed in the span of a month while Human Rights Watch said, based on satellite images, 430 buildings in three villages in north Maungdaw were destroyed. Some Malaysian news outlets narrated horrible accounts of massacre and torture.

What is interesting nevertheless was the lack of strong, enthusiastic condemnation by any world leader immediately following the incident.

Even more ironic, the current leader of Myanmar is a Nobel Peace Laureate and a so-called freedom fighter.

In Malaysia, Rohingyas make up the majority of the refugee population. Despite the seasonal sympathy that many Malaysians show to them, the condition of Rohingyas is extremely deplorable.

The Malaysian Government at large does not officially recognise refugees, thus making any formal, systematic effort to address this crisis very difficult.

The Rohingya refugees in this country mostly live in extreme poverty, as working is illegal. Other basic services such as affordable education and healthcare are also denied, or at least impossible without excessive fees which most cannot afford.

On top of that, there have been many accounts and allegations of exploitation and harassment of refugees due to the lack of protection of this group by the law.

Malaysians in general seem to agree that the mass killing and persecution of the Rohingya minority in Myanmar is despicable, ugly and deserves the highest degree of condemnation.

However, lack of a proper framework that should be instituted by the Government has created an atmosphere of confusion and vagueness as to how to deal with this problem.

This, to a large extent, has resulted in a lot of ambivalence among Malaysians.

While they have sympathy when reading news, uneasiness begins to build up when they see refugees entering the country in large numbers. There are various concerns pertaining to this.

First is constraint of resources. The common question – we do not have enough for ourselves, how can we accommodate for others? – is frequently repeated. The answer to this can be that we have more than enough if we know how to manage our resources well.

As the saying goes, “The world has enough for everyone’s needs, but not everyone’s greed.”

Refugees are also not necessarily an economic burden. If they are, it is mainly because we have marginalised instead of empowered them.

The “refugee-burden” equation is not completely based on evidence.

A number of studies have debunked this myth – refugees have been found to positively contribute to the economy of host states by boosting productivity, creating a new market, increasing consumption, and promoting trade and business activities.

The second concern is on the demographic effects of migration and cultural conflicts – a notion usually founded by “fear of the other” and a sense of prejudice.

Multiculturalism and diversity, in reality, creates a stronger and more mature society.

It promotes more meaningful communication, encourages sharing of ideas, widens individuals’ horizons and perspectives, fosters humanistic values and improves productivity.

Pluralism is a source of strength, creativity and innovation. Research has shown that the advantage of cultural diversity related to immigration outweighs its costs with regards to innovation and work performance.

There are many direct and indirect ways of working for this cause. We have the power to persuade our Government to take a more active role in championing this issue at the regional and international levels. Academics, field experts and policy-makers should sit together to formulate a more effective and humane approach in managing refugees.

Pressuring the Burmese government through the Myanmar embassy is another option. Raise this issue wherever we go. Initiate forums and discussions.

Write about it. Volunteer. Get involved with various organisations to help and support the Rohingya refugees in the country.

We may not always be able to create an impact at the global level by interfering directly in the conflict, but we can certainly undertake many small efforts to make things better for those who have fled.

Showing compassion to those in desperation and rebuilding broken lives is not only “the right thing to do” but also reflects who we are – whether we are being true to ourselves, and whether we uphold the values that we want our children to cherish and inherit.

Think about it – if we cannot accept the grave injustices, oppression and crimes being perpetrated against Rohingyas in Myanmar, yet we remain indifferent to their sufferings and exploitation in our country, aren’t we similarly an oppressor in a different (perhaps lesser) form?

As long as we are apathetic and half-hearted, we are guilty of complicity.