UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES (UNHCR) THE QUESTION OF THE ROHINGYA REFUGEE CRISIS SELIN LARA EREKUL - RESEARCH REPORT
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RESEARCH REPORT
UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR
REFUGEES (UNHCR)
THE QUESTION OF THE ROHINGYA REFUGEE
CRISIS
SELIN LARA EREKUL
MUNDP 2021 – Commitment to Development – Research Report
Committee: United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
Agenda Item: The question of the Rohingya refugee crisis
Student Officer & Role: Selin Lara Erekul, Deputy Chair
Basic Overview of the Issue
In often references to the East in news reports, one can almost see daily references to
the multitude of conflicts, and the consequential refugee crisis. Many with no livestock,
shelter, nutrition, or any type of basic humane essential flee out of or across borders with the
hope of finding better living standards. When there is a mention of the East or crises as a
whole, most often cases such as Iraq and Syria come to mind.
However, one of the largest, controversial, and catastrophic crises of the decade is
the ongoing refugee crisis in Rakhine State, located on Myanmar’s western coast. The
Rohingya refugee crisis has impacted Myanmar, the readily politically and socially unstable
country (since the fall of the military junta) by serving to inflict further scars on South-Eastern
Asia. This multifaced crisis has many levels of inhumane controversy, primarily the
dislocation of millions from their lands and the systematic killing of the Rohingya people who
claim the Rakhine State. The ethnic and religious cleansing besides the discrimination of the
Rohingya people has been led on increasingly for years by the government of Myanmar. The
notable humanitarian crisis with the lack of resources increasingly amplifies day by day in the
largest refugee camp in the world today: Cox’s Bazaar in Southeast Bangladesh in which
more than 730,000 mainly Muslim Rohingya people fled two years ago, added to the 250,000
Rohingya already living there after their residents in their homeland were violated.
One of the most notable features of the
Rohingya persecution is that it is not a
phenomenon only limited to and confined to
Myanmar since it has been practiced by many
states withholding the region for hundreds of
years. The consistency and ongoing
controversy have many layers, many that are
fueled by sponsoring states, which makes the
matter extremely difficult for the International
Community and the United Nations to mediate
Figure 1: A map of Myanmar
as a third party.
The Rohingya Refugee Crisis is overall an issue of immense relevance and
importance. Thus, immediate and defining action is necessary to resolve the crisis and
restore the urgent humanitarian deficiencies of the refugees.
MUNDP 2021 – Commitment to Development 1Committee: United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Agenda Item: The question of the Rohingya refugee crisis Student Officer & Role: Selin Lara Erekul, Deputy Chair Explanation of Important Terms Ethnic Cleansing Ethnic cleansing is the massive expulsion or killing of one religious group in an area by those of another external force. In this case, the Burmese Buddhists are cleansing the ethnic of the Myanmar Muslims. Internally Displaced Person (IDP) An IDP is someone who is forced to flee out of their home but is a remnant within the country’s borders. They are similar to refugees but are not recognized as them. In Myanmar, tens of thousands of Rohingyas identify as internally displaced people. Extrajudicial Killings Extrajudicial execution is the killing of a person by governmental authorities with no sanction of any judicial proceeding or legal processes, which in this case is the local killings of the refugees committed by the official police of Myanmar. Refoulement Refoulement is the action of sending refugees or asylum seekers back into their country or another country where they are likely to suffer bad treatment, according to the Cambridge Dictionary. The Rohingya were refouled by many states; they were sent back to the location of crisis and danger. Genocide The deliberate killing of a large number of people from a particular nation or group to destroy the respective nation or group, according to the Oxford Languages Dictionary. Due to the number of death tolls in the respective region, the Rohingya Refugee Crisis is identified as genocide by many sources. Refugee The 1951 Refugee Convention is a key legal document, and it defines a refugee as someone unable or unwilling to return to their country of origin owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion. Detailed Background of the Issue The Rakhine State, which is the source of the conflict was subject to many kingdoms in the past, mostly Hindu kingdoms. Eventually, during the late 1700s, the Burmese kingdom MUNDP 2021 – Commitment to Development 2
Committee: United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
Agenda Item: The question of the Rohingya refugee crisis
Student Officer & Role: Selin Lara Erekul, Deputy Chair
conquered Myanmar, which was named “Burma” at the time. The Burmese kingdom was
subject to the British Empire during the 1800s. In the Rohingya’s defense, they were settled
into the area long before any other society by Arab traders. Thus, the specific region is
considered holy, according to their beliefs.
Rohingya Treatment in the Rakhine State
After the 2017 Burmese Security Briefing, the topic became more important in the current
day status. In context to the historical timeline, the Rohingya, after being expelled from
citizenship and the region as a whole, set a destination to Bangladesh in the hope to find
safer living standards. Despite the dangerous travel route, lack of resources, and climate
conditions, they were turned down by neighboring states’ borders who had previously agreed
to grant refuge to a certain number of people. After returning to the Rakhine State, the
villages and homes were violated, burned. The people were attacked by the official forces of
Myanmar. Under usual standards, the people of the Rohingya must be able to legitimize their
existence, but there are no resources in the region to do so. Many are not recognized
because they bear no citizenship in any country.
World War II
At the time where World War II was persistent, the Rohingya were allied with the
British Empire and wanted to succeed their area into Eastern Pakistan (modern-day
Bangladesh), while Burma was allied with the Japanese. After Burma gained independence,
the Burma government foresaw that the Rohingya would probably flee to Bangladesh. In the
existent case that the Rohingyas claimed the territory as their own, Burma backlashed with
racial discrimination against the Rohingya people, as they were looked upon as “illegal
Bangladeshi immigrants”. However, in actuality, the Rohingya have their own language,
rituals, and traditions.
To this day, there is an estimated number of 135 ethnic groups recognized in
Myanmar, and the largest minority groups were given their states according to the Panglong
Agreement. The Rohingya, on the other hand, which have increased over a million in the
population before the conflict, is not recognized by the Burmese government and has
correspondingly been denied citizenship. In Section 3 of the Citizenship Law, which is the
official judicial law system including requirements of becoming an official citizen, it is stated
that “Only members of ethnic groups that settled within Myanmar prior to 1823 are
automatically eligible for Myanmar citizenship.” And that if they have “descendants that have
MUNDP 2021 – Commitment to Development 3Committee: United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Agenda Item: The question of the Rohingya refugee crisis Student Officer & Role: Selin Lara Erekul, Deputy Chair entered prior to 1948, they can apply for neutralization if they can submit strong and conclusive evidence of their status.” In conclusion, Myanmar sees the Rohingyas as the remnants of the British colonialist past, hence ineligible for citizenship or rights. Mujahideen Islamic Forces The tight political and military tension have led on and off for 24 years after World War II when the Rohingya Mujahideen Islamic Jihadist Forces fought against Burmese government soldiers in an attempt to have the Mayu peninsula in Northern Arakan, Burma (modern-day Rakhine State, Myanmar) so it could be Figure 2: Image of the Mujahideen Islamic Forces annexed by East-Pakistan (modern-day Bangladesh). Because of the illegitimacy of these armed forces, the international community is hardly able to legitimize and officialize the Rohingya. Around the world, ungoverned forces like the Mujahideen are considered terrorists. It is important to note that this concern is confirmed to an extent since it is known that they do have relations with other terrorist organizations close to the area. If the Rohingya could settle in a region and bear an officially recognized army, the international media would not react in an adverse manner. Operation Dragon King In the early 1970s, the Rohingya separatist movements emerged from the remnants of the Mujahideen, and the clashes against the Burmese government led to the launching of the massive Dragon King Operation, which carried the objective to register citizens in northern Arakan and expel the so-called “foreigners” (the Rohingyas) from the area. This lead of action was intended to specifically leave out the Arakan-Rohingya population, and thereby giving the Myanmar Government an official effort to discriminate against the people who are not counted as “citizens”. Considering the strict policies of becoming a citizen in Myanmar, the Rohingya were especially not given any rights. Rohingya Solidarity Organization Later in the 1980s, the Rohingya Solidarity Organization was formed, which was essentially the largest scaled military group led by the Rohingya Separatists. It carried an insurgent aspect on the Rohingya side, empowering the controversy. Due to the fact that the R.S.O. MUNDP 2021 – Commitment to Development 4
Committee: United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
Agenda Item: The question of the Rohingya refugee crisis
Student Officer & Role: Selin Lara Erekul, Deputy Chair
(Rohingya Solidarity Organization) merged with other groups and eventually created the
Rohingya nationalist army. It served to the internal sense of the Rohingyas being illegitimate
and external forces within Burma, which is allegedly supported by terrorist organizations like
the Taliban and Al-Qaeda. Consequently, the Rohingya paramilitary groups collectively
pushed forward with the systematic national policies being against them as non-citizens in
their hometowns went on the offensive side.
Burmese Security Briefing
The above situation led to the 2017 Burmese Government Security Briefing, resulting in the
mass killings of many Rohingya people, which the Myanmar Government does not take
accountability for. This prompted an attack from Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (A.R.S.A)
on over 30 Burmese police posts, which was, unfortunately, right before the presentation
from the International Community on the Rohingya crisis. After the piled set of events, the
desperate people of Rohingya had to escape their homelands with no shelter, poor living
conditions, and challenging hot climate circumstances.
The Rohingya Perspective of Events
Although it is difficult for the people of
Rohingya to give concrete proof to this claim,
as they were not provided with recognition or
documentation in the first place, they claim to
be descended from Arab traders who settled
into the area over a thousand years ago.
According to their claim, they are not illicit
Figure 3: Kutupalong Refugee Camp
refugees from Bangladesh but actually have
been settled in the lands for thousands of years”
Major Parties Involved
Myanmar
Myanmar’s defense of the issue is approachable in two main ways. The primary defense is
considered the rooted racism and discrimination towards the Rohingya due to both their past
alliance with the Brits and their request of soil that Myanmar claims to own. Also, the
MUNDP 2021 – Commitment to Development 5Committee: United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Agenda Item: The question of the Rohingya refugee crisis Student Officer & Role: Selin Lara Erekul, Deputy Chair religious diversion and the reality of Rohingyas being a minority imposes a threat to the country itself. If Rohingya gain power and force within the region as the most predominant minority, the minorities, in general, will have some authority in the region, reflecting authority threat against the Myanmar Government. Another reason for Myanmar’s defense is about the illegitimate groups and organizations that the Rohingya gather under. Because they were given no official source beforehand, the people in these armed groups strengthen Myanmar’s defense of the Rohingya being “terrorists” or “foreigners” in the region. Bangladesh Relations between Myanmar and Bangladesh have been good throughout history as a result of the economic trade ties and diplomacies between the two governments. However, recently, relations have worsened due to the conflicting exodus of the Rohingya. Both sides do not take full responsibility for the refugees. Prior to the most recent refugee influx in 2018, Bangladesh has accepted more than 200,000 refugees by providing temporary shelter and leading humanitarian response on the matter. However, this openness has cost inevitably to political, economic, social, environmental, and security impact within borders. Bangladesh has thus become more passive in accepting refugees recently. United States of America The United States of America has imposed sanctions upon Myanmar, condemning Myanmar’s top general and three senior officers by accusing them of human rights violations against Rohingya Muslims. The generals and their families are banned from entering U.S. borders. Furthermore, during the Cold War Era, Myanmar was the milestone to covert operations that aimed to prevent the spread of Communism in the Eastern right-wing actors in communication and relation with the United States at the time. Additionally, the fact that the Arakan region was once supported by the British Empire, which is allied to the United States currently as the United Kingdom, provokes further controversy. Malaysia and Thailand Malaysia and Thailand have both agreed to assist the resettlement programs of refugees into their respective countries. They have further pledged to grant financial assistance. Therefore, both countries can be taken as a temporary refuge for the Rohingya to stay in until the issue MUNDP 2021 – Commitment to Development 6
Committee: United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Agenda Item: The question of the Rohingya refugee crisis Student Officer & Role: Selin Lara Erekul, Deputy Chair is settled to some degree or fully resolved. Considering the urgent need for sheltering for the Rohingya people, Malaysia and Thailand have important roles in the issue. It is important to mention that this does not mean a definitive solution should not be found for the issue. People’s Republic of China China has been involved in Myanmar's state affairs ever since the refugee crisis. There was raised concern upon the matter in the Chinese government about the refugee crisis expanding, however, Myanmar and China are seemingly on good terms. China commented on Myanmar's handling of the issue as “safeguarding the stability of its national environment”. China’s stance on the issue had a great impact on the Asian region, which to some extent protects Myanmar’s policies. As a country that also reportedly has conflict regarding minorities, China’s approach is important to be acknowledged by the international community. Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) The issue as a whole is currently ongoing in the Asian Southeast region, in which states such as Laos, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand reside. ASEAN encourages and empowers collaboration upon these countries with an effort to support the development in the area. Many have commented that ASEAN must take more concentration upon the Rohingya Crisis and interfere with the issue firsthand. However, there has not been a serious attempt done by ASEAN to help and solve the issue permanently. India India is another refuge country for Rohingya refugees, as it is another border nation. An estimated 40,000 Rohingya Refugees are in India, of whom at least 16,500 have been recognized and legalized by the UN agencies. Chronology of Important Events Date Description of Event World War II The Rohingya allied with the MUNDP 2021 – Commitment to Development 7
Committee: United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
Agenda Item: The question of the Rohingya refugee crisis
Student Officer & Role: Selin Lara Erekul, Deputy Chair
British Empire
1977 Myanmar launches
Operation Dragon King
1977-1978 Operation Dragon King
includes persecution, mass
arrests, and horrific violence
1989 Burma is renamed Myanmar
after a military crackdown
and the following
suppression of a popular
uprising. Military intervention
is amplified in Rohingya
State and habitants
reportedly subject to forced
relocation, torture, rape, and
compulsory labor. An
estimated 250,000 have fled
to Bangladesh.
1991-1992 Despite the supply of food
and nutrients to about 20 of
the refugee camps, there is a
rising lack of adequate
shelter.
1992 Rohingya refugees arrive in
Bangladesh. Myanmar and
Bangladesh sign a treaty to
repatriate refugees and the
camps are closed to new
arriving refugees in spring.
MUNDP 2021 – Commitment to Development 8Committee: United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
Agenda Item: The question of the Rohingya refugee crisis
Student Officer & Role: Selin Lara Erekul, Deputy Chair
By fall, forced repatriation
begins, despite the backlash
from the international
community. Thousands of
Rohingya are sent back to
Myanmar, being rejected
from Bangladesh.
2003 Out of 20 of the camps that
were built in the ’90s, only 2
remain. A study finds that 53
percent of children are
chronically malnourished.
2006 79 percent of the shelters in
refugee camps are flooded
during the rainy season.
2009 Only a small amount of
Rohingya seeking refuge are
recognized officially as
refugees.
2016, Oct. 9th Rohingya Military attacks on
Myanmar border police,
backfiring against Rohingya
community, bringing a new
wave of refugees.
2017 Burmese Security Briefing
2018 The outbreak of Diptheria, a
deadly childhood disease
spreads rapidly through
camps.
MUNDP 2021 – Commitment to Development 9Committee: United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
Agenda Item: The question of the Rohingya refugee crisis
Student Officer & Role: Selin Lara Erekul, Deputy Chair
2019 Doctors Without Borders
provide 1 million medical
consultations to the area.
2020 COVID-19 precautions are
run by Doctors Without
Borders
Relevant International Documents
- Report of OHCHR mission to Bangladesh, Interviews with Rohingyas fleeing from Myanmar
since 9 October 2016-17
- Report of the Special Rapporteur on the Situation of human rights in Myanmar, January 3rd,
2017 (A/HRC/34/67)
- The Geneva Convention on Refugees, July 28th, 1951
- Situations of Human Rights in Myanmar, July 4, 2017 (A/HRC/RES/34/22)
- Geneva Protocol for Refugees, 31 January 1967
-UNSC Resolution on Myanmar, April 10, 1948 (S/RES/45)
- Conclusions of Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict on Myanmar,
(S/AC.51/2013/2) and (S/AC.51/2009/4)
Past Attempts to Resolve the Issue
The first solution that was come up with was to relocate the refugees to Bangladesh,
which ended up with the refoulment of the refugees. This meant that they would have to be
stuck between borders or flee back to their homeland, risking their lives in poor traveling
conditions. Both sides refuse to habit a large number of refugees because of the involvement
of radical individuals, in which the case involves grave concern within international security.
The formation of an Advisory Commission on the Rakhine State, which was led by the
former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, the creation of a Ministry of Ethnic Affairs, the
establishment of a central committee on the implementation of peace, stability development
of the Rakhine State, or the proposal of a national peace conference have all been put forth
as long-term solutions. Although they seem to take action to some extent, it is not enough to
MUNDP 2021 – Commitment to Development 10Committee: United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
Agenda Item: The question of the Rohingya refugee crisis
Student Officer & Role: Selin Lara Erekul, Deputy Chair
resolve the situation definitively.
United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has failed to pass a resolution on the
situation of Myanmar, which shows the disagreement within the international community in
terms of choosing the best course of action in an attempt to resolve the crisis. There have
been resolutions close to passing, but the issue is still debated upon. This demonstrates that
there is a diversity in country policies regarding the matter. The UNSC has called out and
condemned Myanmar for their actions upon the issue various times, calling for the
successive acts of violence to cease.
The World Food Programme supplies food and nutrients to more than 85,000 people
in the State of Rakhine, as well as the camps outside of the borders.
Solution Alternatives
As stated before, the question of the Rohingya refugee crisis bears many layers, and
therefore the solutions will have to be long-term, carefully chosen courses of well-planned
action. Even though long-term action has notable importance, there should also be
immediate short-term solutions regarding the urgent needs and basic humane necessities in
the area. Some alternative solutions may include:
- Increasing the balanced flow of humanitarian assistance from neighboring
countries that take a huge influx in Rohingya refugees, like Bangladesh. The
aforementioned alternative will not only decrease the urgent need for humanitarian
aid but also improve relations between neighboring countries.
- Inclusive diplomatic dialogue and promotion of mutual religious and racial respect
among involved parties and also, calling upon Myanmar to cooperate as well.
Finding common ground that will benefit other layers within the controversy will
help find more efficient solution alternatives.
- Giving some sort of citizenship or recognition to the people of Rohingya in order to
legitimize and officialize their existence. Also, assort citizens from terrorist
accusations by the international community.
- The immediate and short-term solutions are important because even though core
solutions are to resolve the topic at hand, the massive population in refugee camps
are constantly in need of food and health resources. Initiatives like the World Food
Programme’s attempt to help the refugees will be helpful. Additionally, a fund that
MUNDP 2021 – Commitment to Development 11Committee: United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
Agenda Item: The question of the Rohingya refugee crisis
Student Officer & Role: Selin Lara Erekul, Deputy Chair
is only for the humanitarian aspect of the issue may be beneficial since it would
ease the process of providing humanitarian aid to those in need.
At the core, increasing the legitimacy of the Rohingya is very important to introduce the
Rohingya to the media and international community as an official part of the residential ethnic
groups within Myanmar, one of which have their own international identity and opinion.
Bibliography
Blakemore, Erin. “Who Are the Rohingya People?” Culture, 14 June 2019,
www.nationalgeographic.com/culture/people/reference/rohingya-people/.
“A Complex Crisis: The Twisted Roots of Myanmar's Rohingya Conflict > Articles.” A Complex
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conflict_hyuk-kim.
Foundation, Thomson Reuters. “Life for the Rohingya in the World's Largest Refugee Camp.”
News.trust.org, news.trust.org/packages/life-for-the-rohingya-in-the-worlds-largest-refugee-
camp/.
“Myanmar: New Evidence Reveals Rohingya Armed Group Massacred Scores in Rakhine State.”
Amnesty International, www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2018/05/myanmar-new-evidence-
reveals-rohingya-armed-group-massacred-scores-in-rakhine-state/.
“Operation Dragon King.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 18 Nov. 2020,
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Dragon_King.
“REFOULEMENT: Meaning in the Cambridge English Dictionary.” Cambridge Dictionary,
dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/refoulement.
“Rohingya Crisis: US Imposes Sanctions on Top Myanmar Generals.” BBC News, BBC, 17 July 2019,
www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-49014631.
“Rohingya Refugee Crisis | UN News.” United Nations, United Nations, news.un.org/en/focus-
topic/rohingya-refugee-crisis.
“Rohingya Refugees Caught Between India and a Hard Place.” Human Rights Watch, 28 Oct. 2020,
www.hrw.org/news/2019/02/02/rohingya-refugees-caught-between-india-and-hard-place.
“Timeline: A Visual History of the Rohingya Refugee Crisis.” Doctors Without Borders - USA,
www.doctorswithoutborders.org/what-we-do/news-stories/news/timeline-visual-history-
rohingya-refugee-crisis.
MUNDP 2021 – Commitment to Development 12Committee: United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
Agenda Item: The question of the Rohingya refugee crisis
Student Officer & Role: Selin Lara Erekul, Deputy Chair
“UN Documents for Myanmar: Security Council Resolutions.” Security Council Report,
www.securitycouncilreport.org/un_documents_type/security-council-
resolutions/?ctype=Myanmar.
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. “What Is a Refugee?” UNHCR,
www.unhcr.org/what-is-a-refugee.html.
Useful Links
- UN News on the Rohingya Refugee Crisis
- Timeline of Course of Action by Doctors Without Borders
- Information on Illegitimate Armed Groups
- Further Information on the Context of the Issue
- BBC News Report on Rohingya Treatment in the Region
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