The Nowhere People of Myanmar are the Rohingyas

They are the folks from nowhere. The Muslim Rohingyas of Myanmar are among the most oppressed ethnic groups in the world and have nowhere to call home. The Rohingya people were expelled from their ancestral homeland in the Rakhine region after being killed, beaten, and tortured, as well as having their women raped and their homes burned down. They fled their house out of fear for their life in order to avoid the state-enacted pogroms that sometimes occurred.

Because they are Muslims and speak a Bengali dialect, the majority Buddhists of Myanmar are unable to accept them as their own. The Rohingya people have been residing in the Arakan highlands for generations and have a unique culture and customs of their own. When people were required to provide proof that their ancestors resided in Myanmar before 1948—the cutoff date set by the government’s newly enacted citizenship law—they were deprived of their citizenship. This happened in 1982. Due to their poverty and lack of education, the majority of households lacked any documentation proving their ownership of real estate. There were just 40,000 Rohingyas who received citizenship. The remainder were categorised as Bangladeshi illegal immigrants.

Rohingyas have been slowly leaving the nation since the early 1970s, but when riots broke out, their numbers grew. Following two significant assaults in 2012 and 2017, there was a mass migration from Myanmar.

However, the bulk have been in Bangladesh since 2017—some escaped to Thailand, some to India, Indonesia, or Nepal, and a fortunate few made it to the US and Europe. In Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, the biggest refugee camp in the world is home to almost a million Rohingya refugees.

Most Rohingyas fled Myanmar in the early years and settled in India, a nation known for its accommodating refugee populations. But since the BJP took over in 2014, Rohingyas have struggled. Since the home ministry is worried about Islamic extremists and worries that hard-core militants may infiltrate among regular migrants and pose significant security issues, they are no longer accepted. Approximately 16,000 Rohingyas who have been officially registered with the UNHCR are now residing in India. They get a little monthly stipend from the UNHCR. Around 40,000 Rohingya are said to be residing in camps and settlements in Jammu, Haryana, Hyderabad, Delhi, and Noida.

Most Rohingyas who reside in India are in appalling conditions. Additionally, because society as a whole has altered, there is little compassion for them. Few decades ago, this was not the case. Tamil Nadu and Karnataka residents in both states were quite welcoming to Sri Lankan Tamils who were escaping the violence in the northern Jaffna region. Their comfort was a priority for both the federal and provincial administrations. In the 1990s, when President Najibullah was assassinated and Mujahideen forces seized power in Afghanistan, thousands of Afghan refugees poured into Delhi. They were also warmly welcomed. They established well-known eateries in the city, particularly in the Lajpat Nagar area, and interacted openly with the populace.

For the Rohingyas, however, the situation is completely different. The way that the general public views refugees has evolved with the times.

After a violent mob invaded his town, Mohammad Salim fled to India in 2012 with the intention of starting again.

He has two young sons and is 35 years old, yet his life is still terrible. He sometimes questions if leaving for India was the best move. Salim lives a km away from the Kalindi Kunj metro station in a temporary refugee community. It is a filthy wooden and tarpaulin structure. Salim opens a filthy curtain to reveal the inside of his small, dark shack and declares, “We have no access to water or lavatory facilities. “We cook, clean, take baths, and pee here (yep, all of it there)…My sons’ future is dismal since this institution resembles a prison.

When it rains, Salim explains as he wipes sweat from his forehead, “Water from the road reaches our basti (which is about 4 feet below the road level). Snakes sometimes enter as well, making us fearful. When there are severe storms, the canvas is torn apart, and water seeps in from the top, making it hard to live in our filthy shacks.This is the situation facing Mohammad Salim and the other 250 residents of this filthy, substandard hamlet. The administration has now added a new regulation, saying that no matter the situation, we cannot leave this location. If we do, the cops arrive and start interrogating each household. We all experience suffocation. For us, this location resembles a prison. Salim claims, “We are leading a miserable existence here.

There are several horror tales. In addition to all of this, the Indian government often threatens to send Rohingyas back to Myanmar.

“The Rohingyas are the most despised refugees in India who are not receiving any protection. Since India’s attitude on Rohingya refugees is merely refoulment, they practically have to live clandestinely in the most appalling conditions due to the persecution. Their numbers in India are unclear, but they are undoubtedly lower than those of the Chin and other ethnic Myanmarese refugees, whose presence is accepted by India, said Suhas Chakma, director of the New Delhi-based Rights and Risks Analysis Group (RRAG). The word “refoulement” refers to the forceful repatriation of refugees to a nation where they may face persecution.

Despite the fact that New Delhi ethically cannot defend sending Rohingyas back to a place where their lives are in danger, India has not ratified the Refugee Convention.

Chakma said that since India lacks a framework for submitting applications for consideration of refugees, “refugees have no legal rights, and the instant you enter the nation without a visa, you are charged with violating Section 14 of the Foreigners Act. There isn’t a mechanism in this whole legal system where someone may apply for refugee status.

“Due to the country’s ad hoc approach, not all refugees are treated equally. The state and national governments base their judgements on geographical and political reasons, according to Chakma. “It also depends on the person who is being deported,” he continues. However, if you’re a Rohingya refugee in this climate of Hindu-Muslim hostility, you’ll be labelled a possible security danger and expelled. He has always supported India having a well-thought-out refugee policy.