25th marks five years since the conflict that prompted more than 700,000 Rohingya, Myanmar's Muslim minority, to flee to neighboring Bangladesh.
In Myanmar, the Rohingya are forced to live as refugees with an uncertain future because the military forces of the parties are in control of the situation and their safety has not been ensured.
Five years ago, on August 25, in Rakhine State in western Myanmar, Rohingya militants attacked police and military facilities one after another. were killed and more than 700,000 fled to neighboring Bangladesh.
According to UNHCR = United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, about 936,000 people are living as refugees in 33 camps in the country, including those who were evacuated before the conflict as of the end of last month.
In Myanmar, the military seized power in a coup d'état in February last year, and the human rights situation has deteriorated further, such as continued oppression of citizens.
For this reason, the return of the Rohingya has not progressed due to the lack of security in Myanmar, and they are forced to live as refugees with an uncertain future.
According to UNHCR, as of the 23rd, only about half of the funds necessary for assistance in Bangladesh had been collected, and as the international community focused on the situation in Ukraine, there was concern that the assistance would taper off, leading to evacuations. The problem is how to support them.
Expert "Thorough support to protect life"
The Myanmar military has shown a positive attitude towards the return of the Rohingya people and is holding discussions with the Bangladesh government toward their return.
Regarding this, Naonori Kusakabe, an associate professor at the Faculty of Intercultural Communication at Rikkyo University, who studies the Rohingya issue, said, "If the Rohingya people are sent out without being guaranteed a decent life in Myanmar, the international community will criticize Bangladesh. There is a risk of gathering," he said, pointing out that the Bangladesh government has been forced to be cautious.
In addition, as the evacuation life is prolonged, the financial burden on the Bangladesh side is increasing, and there are concerns that security will deteriorate due to friction between the Rohingya people and the local residents around the refugee camps. I point out that there are
He expressed concern that interest from the international community would be waning due to the situation in Ukraine and other factors, and support would be dwindling. It has become clear that it will be difficult to bring them back early, so it is necessary to provide thorough support to protect the lives of the Rohingya people living in Bangladesh.”