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Burmese Muslim refugees repatriatio



         Burmese Muslim refugees repatriation
  Although the world is aware of the growing human rights violations in
Burma under military dictatorship, the ruling junta has been consistently
denying the human rights violations in Burma and pleading that it    (the
human rights violation) is perfectly up to Burmese standard. Whether such
an explanation suits and is acceptable to the Burmese people is still a
question.

 On the other hand,the religious minority-Muslims have been subjected to
serious human rights abuses both etnically and religiously. The ruling
junta's policy makers imbued with racial hatred have been terming the
Rohingyas as illegal immigrants from Bengal and their rights to nationality
is overtly 
denied. Junta should realise that neither can the past be denied because of
the present nor the present 
be ignored because of the past. Muslims have a long history in Arakan and
adjoining Bangladesh and in no way it could be erased to distort the history.
 Eroding human rights situation and special extermination program for
Rohingya have created a situation in which Muslims in Arakan were willing
to risk their entire livelihood, if not their lives and a large number of
them had to pour into Bangladesh. The host country realising the grave
situation facing
the Rohingyas in Arakan officially allowed to take them refuge along the
border in Cox's Bazar district.
Subsequently,the government of Bamgladesh took steps to repatriate the
Rohingya refugees to their homeland 

and successfully sent more than 200,000 Rohingyas despite worsening human
rights record in Burma.
 Meanwhile, thousands of refugees have continued to flood the remote area
of Bangladesh unveiling the fallacy in arguing that human rights violations
and 
political repression are fast ebbing down in Arakan province. The refugees
know that the regime has been violating human rights in Muslim majority
area as a matter of policy and still stands on the position that Rohingyas
are aliens.
 0n the other hand, the Bangladesh government clearly expresses its
unwillingness to keep the refugees for a longer period and had taken
different methods to discourage their longer stay in camps.
 In order to bring a congenial atmosphere in refugee camps a three- member
team from the UNHCR headquarters visited Burma and Bangladesh at the end of
January 1998,to assess the situation facing the Rohingyas in camps and in
Arakan. In this connection,
it is to be noted that junta's militaristic solution in dealing with
pro-democracy uprising and ethnic rebel groups and increasing human rights
violations only add more distrust and fear deeply rooted in the mind of the
people. At the same time, the predicament of the Bangladesh government on
Rohingya issue should be taken into account. And there is very possibility
that the host government would take any step for quick refugee repatriation.
 Under the circumstances, the Rohingya refugees are on the horns of a
dilemma. Given the recurrent nature of exodus, Bangladesh should at least
see that Rohingyas' fundamental rights including rights to nationality in
Burma are adequately guaranteed. Until then, the refugees should have been
allowed to stay in camps and Bangladesh government should see that  the
rights and freedom of refugees are respected by its officials.
 
Therefore, instead of pursuing a short term two dimensional policies of
self-interests, the state giving sanctuary to the refugees should take a
decision that could lead to far more genuine and durable solution.

  THE MUSLIM WORLD  (15TH August 1998).
  A Weekly Review of the World Muslim Congress.