Rohingya refugees mark the anniversary of their exodus and demand a safe return to Myanmar

Sub: IR

Sec: Places in news

Context:

Rohingya refugees living in camps in Bangladesh demanded a safe return to Rakhine state on the seventh anniversary of their mass exodus.

Who are Rohingyas?

Rohingya are an ethnic group, largely comprising Muslims, who predominantly live in the Western Myanmar province of Rakhine.
The Rohingya are culturally and religiously distinct from the majority Buddhist population in Myanmar.
They speak a dialect of Bengali, as opposed to the commonly spoken Burmese language.
They have suffered decades of violence, discrimination and persecution in Myanmar.

Citizenship issue:

Though Rohingyas have been living in Myanmar for generations, Myanmar considers them as persons who migrated to their land during the colonial rule and has not granted Rohingyas full citizenship.
According the 1982 Burmese citizenship law, a Rohingya (or any ethnic minority) is eligible for citizenship only if he/she provides proof that his/her ancestors have lived in the country prior to 1823.
Else, they are classified as “resident foreigners” or as “associate citizens”.
Since they are not citizens, they are not entitled to be part of civil service and their movements are also restricted within the Rakhine state.

What happened on 25^th August 2017?

The Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), a militant group staged a coordinated attack on 30 police posts and an army base in Rakhine state on August 25, 2017.
Myanmar launched a brutal crackdown following the attacks.
The scale, organization and ferocity of the operation led to accusations from the international community, including the UN, of ethnic cleansing and genocide.
Thousands of Rohingyas fled their homes and sought refuge in neighbouring Bangladesh, a Muslim-majority nation.
Some of them sought asylum in Thailand, The Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia etc.

Current scenario:

In the recent past, the situation in Rakhine state has become more volatile increased fighting between Myanmar’s military junta and the Arakan Army over the past year has both caught Rohingya in the middle and seen them targeted.
UNICEF said that the agency received alarming reports that civilians, particularly children and families, were being targeted or caught in the crossfire, resulting in deaths and severe injuries, making humanitarian access in Rakhine extremely challenging.

Bangladesh’s problem:

In 2017, Bangladesh opened its borders to Rohingyas leaving Myanmar, eventually allowing more than 700,000 refugees to take shelter in the Muslim-majority nation.
This was in addition to the more than 300,000 refugees who had already been living in Bangladesh for decades in the wake of waves of previous violences by Myanmar’s military.
Since 2017, Bangladesh has attempted multiple times to send the refugees back, but with little success.