Burma Refugees Essay

Introduction

Burma is faced with the worst migration crises in the world. The migration crisis culminated from more than fifty years of conflict and human rights violations. This has led to a widespread migration of about one million refugees to the neighboring countries of Malaysia, China, Bangladesh, and Thailand (Alexabder, 2008). The ethnic minority groups in Burma have been forcefully evicted and displaced in the country. The government of Burma is the sole perpetrator of these human rights violations. Areas that consist of ethnic minorities have experienced frequent incidences of armed conflict, persecution, torture, extrajudicial killings, and forced displacement. The continued refugee situation results in adverse consequences such as ethnic conflict and armed forces abuse, abuse against human rights, and various types of discrimination.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Save 25%

Forced Relocation

One of the long-term consequences of a protracted refugee crisis is forced relocation. In the period 1958 to 1960, the caretaker government allowed Burma's armed forces to take control over Yangon, Burma's largest city. The government established three townships where over 167,000 people were forcefully relocated. The government supported its action by stating that those who are fleeing from the insurgency in the countryside have become squatters in the city; thus, had to be relocated to other regions because they pose a threat to public health and security (Seekins, 2008). The refugees were resentful for losing their homes, and they put up stiff resistance against the government. The government responded by settling ten new satellite towns where they relocated the refugees as a punishment for supporting the demonstrations. The satellite towns were crowded, and poverty was at its highest levels in these regions. According to Brees (2008), the 2007 ICRC report claimed that the armed forces in Burma had forced a significant number of people to join the internally displaced people or flee to other countries for safety. A majority of the ethnic communities from Burma have been forced to migrate to Thailand, which holds up to two million refugees who are trying to start a new life. The exact number of Burmese refugees in other regions is unknown, but Thailand holds a majority of them.

Persecution by the Government

Thousands of ethnic communities such as the Rohingya have fled to countries such as Bangladesh in for fear of persecution by the government in Burma. The Rohingya are an ethnic and religious minority group living in North Arakan. Since independence, the government of Burma has neglected the Rohingya to participate in nation-building activities. In 1982, the government of Burma enacted the Citizenship Law, which deprived most people the right of citizenship (Lewa, 2009). The Law comprises a list of 135 races that are eligible for citizenship. The Rohingya community does not appear in that list, and the government does not recognize their existence. According to the Citizenship Law, naturalized citizens were those who spoke the national language fluently, born and raised their children in Burma, and those who showed evidence of entry and residence before Burma attained independence in 1948. Very few Rohingyas could meet such requirements. The Burmese government recognizes the Rohingya as neither citizens nor foreigners. Some government officials have described them as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh (Lewa, 2009).

The Burmese government has persecuted the Rohingyas by imposing restrictions on movement, marriage authorizations, education, and healthcare (Lewa, 2009). The Rohingyas are virtually confined to their village tracts. The Rohingya community is required to apply for travel passes even when visiting their neighboring friends. The lack of mobility has resulted in the Rohingyas to have limited access to the markets, employment, and education and health facilities. When an individual overstayed the time stated in the travel pass, they are prevented from returning to their villages, and their names are deleted from their family list. The government then forces the individual to leave Burma. Besides, some Rohingyas are even persecuted for traveling without permission. Marriage authorizations have become a difficult task to achieve in Burma. Corruption has increased, and Rohingyas pregnant women without marriage authorizations underwent severe challenges. A majority of the women resulted in backstreet abortions, which has resulted in many maternal deaths. Some women deliver their babies in Bangladesh and leave them there. Some registered the names of their babies with other married couples to hide their identity. Equally important, the Rohingya are also excluded from government employment in the health and education sector. Burmese and Rakhine are the ones who are employed in the hospitals, and they Rohingyas with contempt. Their lack of status in Burma and Bangladesh puts the Rohingya at risk of detention. A significant number of them await their trials in jail while others have already completed their sentences but still cannot be released. All these restrictions on the Rohingyas is a consequence of the protracted refugee situation.

Increased Ethnic Conflict and Armed Forces Abuse

The increased refugee situation in Burma has led to continuous conflict between ethnic communities and the armed forces. The National League for Democracy (NLD), which is the new government of Burma, had made significant promises to the citizens that it will bring democratic institutions in the country (Roth, 2017). The new government has however failed to capitalize on its obligations to the citizens of Burma. Fighting between Burmese armed forces and ethnic groups intensified. Some of the regions where the fighting worsened over the years include Kachin, Karen, Rakhine, and the Northern Shan States. The government forces have conducted various abuses among these ethnic communities such as extrajudicial killings, sexual violence, destruction of property, and the deployment of airstrikes on some of the villages. The Burmese military introduced the divide and rule approach to control the resistance displayed by the ethnic communities. In August, the government held the Union Peace Conference-21st Century Panglong whose target was to preach and spread peace across the country. Despite the efforts of the by the Union Peace Conference, fighting continued between the ethnic groups and the Burmese military. The struggle between the Myanmar army and the Kachin Independence army led to the deployment of airstrikes, destruction of property, and the killing of civilians (Amnesty Report, 2017). Violations of human rights and humanitarian laws escalated in areas that were affected by the conflict.

Restriction of Various Human Rights

The increased refugee situation led to the restriction of the freedom of expression and assembly. Thein Sein's government arrested political activists using politically motivated charges (Roth, 2017). Freedom of speech was highly discouraged in Burma. Ta'ang Women's Organization was once forced to cancel a press conference in Rangoon that was supposed to air their grievances on the abuses committed by the military. According to the Amnesty Report (2017), the new government formulated some repressive laws to remove the Acts that were used to imprison activists who critiqued the previous government. However, their efforts have been fatal since there still exists some laws that leave human rights defenders at the helm of being arrested for demonstrating against human rights abuse. Women human rights activists were prone to sexual humiliation and intimidation by the local authorities. Equally important, the Burmese government barred humanitarian agencies from assisting the displaced communities in Burma. In Rakhine, international humanitarian agencies were required to undergo through some series of tiresome procedures while attempting to help the displaced populations. The October attacks in the state of Rakhine led to the suspension of the humanitarian services. The lack of humanitarian access affected more than 150,000 people (Amnesty Report, 2017).

Attempts to bring Restitution, Repatriation, and Reconciliation

The refugee crisis in Burma requires a lot of attention by the international bodies and the local authorities since it is causing a high influx of refugees who are stateless into Bangladesh. Prompt strategies are required to bring about restitution, reparation, and reconciliation in Burma to ensure the refugees returned to their country and guaranteed on their safety and well-being in the nation.

Before the government and other interested bodies ensure repatriation of the refugees, it is essential to consider the wellbeing of the refugees in the settlement camps. Humanitarian needs should be met in the refugee camps. Firstly, education should be provided to the little children. The government in collaboration with the humanitarian agencies should create temporary learning spaces and recruit teachers who will emphasis on the teaching of life-saving information and essential psychosocial support (Humanitarian Resource Plan, 2017). Moreover, the refugees in the makeshift settlement require ample supply of food. In this case, humanitarian agencies and the government should work together to provide sufficient food supply through the timely provision, distribution, and target the vulnerable members. The donation of adequate health services is also vital for the reduction of disease spreading in the overcrowded camps.

The uncontrolled movements in the temporary settlement areas have raised various security issues such as gender-based violence. The Protection Sector and the government of Bangladesh work together to mainstream protection into services and assistance. Strengthening of the camp security is a priority for the humanitarian community and the government of Bangladesh. Restitution and repatriation in this refugee crisis will only be initiated when the government engages in communication with some of the international bodies that focus on human rights. Through continuous consultations, the humanitarian agencies should convince the government to repeal some of the laws that restrict ethnic communities from enjoying their stay in Burma. Peacebuilding through education should be emphasized tom minimize instances of conflict between the communities. The communities should engage in two-way communication where they all table their grievances and research ways to alleviate themselves from those problems. Through education, the ethnic communities should be taught conflict resolution and its importance to the society. The existence of privileges and differences between the communities has aggravated the refugee situation in Burma. The government should implement laws that allow equality in the whole region. On the ground, the communities should come together by engaging in communal activities, which will build mutual relationships and understanding, and create cultural competence among the divided ethnic groups.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it is evident that the protracted refugee situation has caused much implication to the minority groups such as increased ethnic conflict, forced relocation, persecution by the government, and restriction of various human rights. The minority communities have suffered a lot both in Burma and in neighboring Bangladesh. For this case, multiple strategies should be implemented such as education, access to health facilities, communication between the communities, and the inclusion of peacebuilding and conflict resolution aspects to bring about restoration and reconciliation among the affected communities.

Refugees

Amnesty Report (2017). The state of the world's human rights. Retrieved from https://www.amnesty.org/download/Documents/POL1048002017ENGLISH.PDF

Alexander, D. (2008). Burma: in urgent need of change. Forced Migration Review...