Highlights
– The Rohingya are the victims of abuse and prosecution inflicted by Myanmar’s repressive military junta for decades
– In recent years, thousands of Rohingya have taken the risky journey out into the Andaman Seat by boat in hopes of finding a better life in neighboring countries
– Despite the international outcry over their alleged mistreatment, little is likely to be done to address the underlying conditions of the Rohingya
In recent weeks, Thailand’s authorities have been the object of public scrutiny for allegedly beating starved and dehydrated Rohingya refugees, only to later force the illegal migrants back out to sea. The recent allegations against Thai authorities have thrust the underlying repression by the Myanmar military junta into the forefront of international concerns in the region.
Background
The Rohingya are a Muslim minority group that have inhabited the Rakhine State in northwest Myanmar since the 7th century. While there is little historical evidence on the Rohingya, they are believed to be descendents of Arab traders that stopped in Burma’s Arakan State and established settlements there more than 1,000 years ago. Despite their long residency the military government of the predominantly Buddhist Myanmar does not recognize the Rohingya as one of the country’s over 130 ethnic minorities – under Burma’s 1982 citizenship law, the Rohingya are not officially recognized by the state. Rather, the Burmese military views the group as illegal migrants from Bangladesh.
While the northern Rakhine state remains one of the poorest and most isolated in the country, the constraints imposed by Burma’s military junta have made life for the group exceedingly difficult. Since the late 1970s, the Rohingya in Myanmar have experienced continuous human rights abuses under the junta. Rohingya are subject to forced labor, working on military and government projects and reducing the time they have to earn a living for their families. Additionally, the Rohingya are unable to travel freely and the military demands they obtain official permits even to travel to the next town. These restrictions make it almost impossible to travel outside northern Rakhine. Since the late 1970s, hundreds of thousands of the Rohingya have fled to bordering Bangladesh to escape persecution. However, in recent years the Rohingya have headed out into the Andaman Sea by boat to escape the repressive military junta.
Rohingyas Flee to Thailand
Human rights groups have claimed that in December 2008 the Thai navy intercepted two boats filled with hundreds of Rohingyas destined for Thai shores. The allegation was that the Thai navy detained the occupants, identified them as Rohingyas, and dragged the group miles offshore only to abandon their vessel deep in open water, with neither food, water, or an engine to power the boat.
Migrants told investigators that they were originally detained in Thailand as illegal workers, but were later beaten and forced back to sea on motorless boats. Hundreds of migrants are believed to have drowned in the incidents. In response to the allegation, the Thai military admitted to towing hundreds of Rohingya out to sea and cutting them adrift. In its defense, the army insists that the Rohingya had adequate food and water. Additionally, the Thai military denied reports that it had sabotaged the boat’s engines.
In response to the criticism of the alleged abusive military treatment, the most recent group of migrants that arrived in Thailand in late January was placed into police custody, rather than being held by the army. Additionally, many of the sickened migrants were provided medical care.
Outlook
In the coming months, Thailand plans to propose a meeting with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and representatives from India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Burma, and Bangladesh to address the problem of Rohingya migrants. The regional conference, addressing the prevention of mass migration and resulting suffering, will likely be held in Thailand in the near to medium-term.
Despite the upcoming conference, the Thai government has stated that it would continue to regard the Rohingya arriving on boats as illegal economic migrants, and consequently not entitled to refugee status and protections. Though increasingly marginalized, we do not expect a large international outcry over the status of the Rohingya in the coming months, particularly given the mistreatment of so many disparate groups within Burma. In the near-term, we expect ethnic groups like the Rohingya to continue to flee Burma’s repressive military regime despite the dangers and lack of refugee status.
