3The Rohingya refugees
Introduction
96.We have published two reports on the Rohingya crisis and discussed Burma’s role and responsibilities extensively in Chapter 2.
97.In our previous work we concluded that the horrific campaign of violence that led to the expulsion of the Rohingya was the culmination of decades of marginalisation and abuse and a textbook example of ethnic cleansing perpetrated by the Burmese military and security forces. This caused a humanitarian crisis of staggering size and complexity for Bangladesh and the international community to cope with. We acknowledged the immediate challenge of providing shelter, water, food, security, health and education services for an enormous, displaced and traumatised population. We recognised the further intractable challenges around the Rohingya’s longer term future, especially their accommodation and location; constitutional status, security and access to fundamental legal and human rights; as well as the likelihood that establishing satisfactory conditions for repatriation would be a protracted process.
First report and reply
98.We received and published the Government’s reply to our initial report on the crisis. In that reply, the Government demonstrated a broad measure of agreement with our analysis of the situation, with the exception of our conclusions that: evidence of discrimination and abuse of the Rohingya had been ignored; or that UK policy towards Burma had been unduly optimistic about the potential for full transition to democratic rule. We believe the key strategic sentiments in the Government’s reply are:
- “… it is only in a democratic, peaceful and developing Burma that the Rohingya are likely to find a long-term future. The Government will continue to support the democratic transition and look for ways to strengthen civilian rule.”
- “We assess that there is credible evidence of widespread abuses, directed overwhelmingly against Rohingya civilians and carried out by the Burmese military and ethnic Rakhine militias. The acts of ethnic cleansing taking place in Burma may amount to crimes against humanity as defined by the Rome Statute of the ICC”.
- “DFID is aware that further discussions with the Government of Bangladesh will now be needed in order to manage what will be a protracted crisis over the medium and longer term.”
- “We also recognise that large-scale returns are unlikely to be possible in the near term and that some, possibly many, Rohingya may no longer wish to return.”
- “There needs to be a full investigation into what happened in Rakhine, but without the cooperation of the Burmese authorities and full access, only partial evidence collection will be possible.”
- “ … the 5-point plan remains a valid framework for addressing the current crisis.” … “It is unfortunately true that limited progress has been made on these objectives.”123
Second report and reply
99.Our further report on the crisis was, essentially, an urgent call for action in the light of the compelling pleas we heard in Cox’s Bazar for measures to be facilitated to protect the Rohingya from the expected heavy rainfall of the monsoon season. The key request was for more land to be found and prepared to enable those most vulnerable to move to safer ground. Since this second report on the crisis published in March after our visit to the refugee camps there have been a few developments but no emerging clarity about the longer term.
Recent developments
100.Recent key developments have been:
- In the “Report of the Secretary-General on conflict-related sexual violence” for 2017 (dated 23 March 2018) Burma’s military forces, the ‘Tatmadaw’, were named and added to the list of armies known to commit sexual violence in armed conflict.124
- Over nine months since the expulsion of the Rohingya by Burma, Save the Children, amongst others, highlight “a child protection crisis on the doorstep” as babies begin to be born–and some abandoned–arising out of the multiple cases of rape of Rohingya women and girls by Burmese military personnel.125 In addition to this further human tragedy and trauma, the UN Envoy for Sexual Violence in Conflict, Pramila Patten, and UN Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights, Andrew Gilmour, have jointly pointed out the grave risks of inadequate access to midwifery and medical assistance due to the heavy stigmatisation of pregnancy in such circumstances as well as the imminent onset of the monsoon season.126
- The Burmese military have punished seven soldiers for the murder of 10 Rohingya in the village of Inn Din in Rakhine. A statement from the Burmese army said: “Four officers were denounced and permanently dismissed from the military and sentenced to 10 years with hard labour at a prison in a remote area. Three soldiers of other rank were demoted to the rank of ‘private’, permanently dismissed from the military and sentenced to 10 years with hard labour at a prison in a remote area”. Subsequently, on 18 April, there were conflicting media reports of these men being released under a prisoner amnesty.127
- On Tuesday 8 May, in response to the UN coordinated Joint Response Plan, the Secretary of State announced a further package of humanitarian aid for Bangladesh and the Rohingya of £70 million (bringing the running total up to £129 million). The aid was described as aiming to deliver: materials to strengthen shelters; food and clean water; nutrition for pregnant and new mothers; access to midwifery care; bathing facilities; and access to healthcare services.128
- A UN Security Council mission (with the UK represented by Karen Pierce, UK Ambassador to the UN), has visited the Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh and Burmese leaders (including Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, Commander-in-Chief) and had some access to Rakhine state, overflying it and visiting some repatriation facilities. The resulting bland UNSC press statement, and subsequent US criticism of the process,129 leaves us in no doubt that the UN Security Council remains hamstrung by the refusal of, at least, China’s refusal to support action against Burma.130
Conclusions
101.We stand by our two previous reports and the conclusions and recommendations we set out there. Alongside many other members of both Houses, we are increasingly horrified as more and more evidence and testimony emerges about the violent expulsion of the Rohingya by Burmese military forces. Yet, this is almost eclipsed by the threat to the Rohingya’s fraught and fragile foothold in Bangladesh as the monsoon season comes ever closer. At the same time, we would urge that the grave concerns we have identified over the longer term future of the Rohingya are not ignored in seeking solutions to this more imminent further chapter in the crisis.
102.We very much welcome the £70 million of new aid allocated by the UK to bolster the on-going work in Cox’s Bazar to prepare for the monsoon season. These resources will make a substantial difference and we trust that further donors will be inspired to follow suit.
103.We can only interpret the UNSC press statement of 9 May, issued following the visit by UN Security Council representatives to Bangladesh and Burma, as meaning that China, at least, threatens to veto any proposal for collective action in response to the Rohingya crisis.
104.In addition, to our previous work, there are two points to repeat and one to make at this juncture:
- The Bangladesh Prime Minister, government, other services, and the people and authorities of Cox’s Bazar, must be thanked and commended for the way sanctuary was provided to the Rohingya.
- While in Bangladesh (in March), we heard grave and convincing concerns from many quarters that a substantial proportion of the Rohingya refugees’ accommodation (and services) was extremely vulnerable to the heavy rainfall that the imminent monsoon season would bring. Without decisions and action being taken very quickly to enable relocation to begin -- and to facilitate other mitigations -- people were going to die.
- The threat of monsoon or cyclone only reinforces the need to persuade the Bangladesh government to seize the nettle and start laying the foundations for a plan to provide for the longer term, including registration.
123 Bangladesh and Burma: the Rohingya crisis—monsoon preparedness in Cox’s Bazar: Government response to the Committee’s Third Report, Fifth Special Report, 2017–19, HC 1055, 22 May 2018
124 Report of the Secretary-General on conflict-related sexual violence, paragraphs 10, 12, 17, 55–60 and Annex - List of parties credibly suspected of committing or being responsible for patterns of rape or other forms of sexual violence in situations of armed conflict on the agenda of the Security Council, p34, “Parties in Myanmar, State actors: (a) Myanmar Armed Forces (Tatmadaw).” (Http://undocs.org/s/2018/250) But see
125 Nine months on, a race against time to find pregnant Rohingya rape survivors, IRIN news, 16 April 2018
126 Pregnant Rohingya Refugees Are in Desperate Need, Joint article by UN Envoy for Sexual Violence in Conflict, Pramila Patten, and UN Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights, Andrew Gilmour, Bloomberg, 9 May 2018
127 ‘Did Soldiers Jailed for Killings Go Free? Myanmar TV Says Yes (Briefly)’ The New York Times, 18 April 2018
128 This contribution will see the UK providing 10.5% of the total budget set out in the JRP of March 2018.
129 U.S. criticises China for shielding Myanmar from U.N. action, Reuters, 15 May 2018
130 UN Security Press Statement, 9 May 2018, SC/13331
Published: 22 May 2018