The 800,000-strong Rohingya are pariahs: they are stateless, and pejoratively called “Bengalis” by the Burmese, who consider them to be refugees from neighbouring Bangladesh. But those who have tried to flee by boat to Bangladesh, where they are equally despised, have been turned back.
“The Rohingya are the Roma of Asia, nobody respects their human rights,” David Camroux told FRANCE 24.In a country where 89% of the population embraces Buddhism and only 4% Islam, anti-Muslim sentiment is rampant. “British colonisation left its mark on Burma. Britain’s strategy was to divide and conquer, pitting the various ethnic groups against each other. After independence (in 1948) the Burmese became more nationalist, and nowadays xenophobia is common,” said David Camroux.
The Rohingya, who were stripped of their Burmese citizenship in 1982 by military dictator Ne Win, are not represented in parliament, whereas other ethnic minorities such as the Karen, the Shan and the Kachin are. The Burmese government, which has renamed the country Myanmar, officially recognises 135 distinct ethnic groups – but the Rohingya are among them. “They have no political leader and they live in poverty,” said David Camroux. “The Rohingya have been forgotten by the international community.”
Meanwhile, the situation on the ground remains unclear, especially as much of northern Rakhine state is a no-go area for journalists and independent observers, making it difficult to verify conflicting versions of events. While local authorities say calm has returned to the area, a statement on Thursday by the Myanmar Ethnic Rohingya Human Rights Organizations Malaysia (Merhrom) said the situation was becoming “worse day by day”.
2012.06.22 France24 Rohingya minority are the Roma of Asia
2012.06.12 Human Rights Watch. Bangladesh should open Borders for Refugees Fleeing Burma