12/21/2016

OfflistRohingyasmustbetreatedsamewayasthelisted

Off-list Rohingyas must be

treated same way as the
listed
Published: 22:10, Dec 21,2016

THE governments initiative to create a database of the Rohingyas, staying in

Bangladesh since 1978 after fleeing persecution in Myanmar, along with their
photographs and addresses in Myanmar through a census is welcome. Under a
government project, as New Age reported on Tuesday, about 4000 enumerators
have already collected information going door-to-door simultaneously in
Chittagong, Coxs Bazar, Rangamati, Khagrachari, Bandarban and Patuakhali
where most Rohingyas live. Only 33,000 Rohingyas are now registered with the
two official refugee camps in Coxs Bazar while, according to the Planning
Commission estimates, three to five lakh Rohingyas live unregistered in
Bangladesh. According to a Brussels-based International Crisis Group report
published on December 15, meanwhile, about 27,000 Rohingyas have entered
Bangladesh since the fresh military crackdown on the community in Myanmar
started on October 9. It is also estimated that, on an average, at least eight to 10
Rohingyas enter Bangladesh every day. All this led to a humanitarian crisis for
all the Rohingyas living inside and outside the refugee camps, facing which has,
indeed, become an uphill task for the government as there is little international
help when it comes especially to dealing with the undocumented Rohingyas.
Against this backdrop, the government can allow all undocumented Rohingyas
refugee status as this may make it easy for it now to single-handedly handle the
situation to seek more international help. More importantly, it will embolden
the government to mobilise international support to pressure Myanmar to
resolve the problem once and for all, not to mention take back the poor
Myanmar people. It cannot be denied that the influx of Rohingyas has
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12/21/2016

OfflistRohingyasmustbetreatedsamewayasthelisted

implications for the countrys demography as, with physical features and
language almost similar to those of Bengalis, Rohingyas are able to mix well
with local people. Reports have it that most of the undocumented Rohingyas live
in reserved forests, on government land and allong the sea beach and work as
agriculture workers, fishing workers and rickshaw-pullers, leaving a negative
impact on the environment and giving rise to conflicts with Bangladeshis
depending on the jobs. There are also concerns about their role in law and
order slide in relevant areas. There are reasons to believe that addressing all
these concerns may be easier for the government once it grants refugee status
to undocumented Rohingyas as such a provision will help it establish legal
control on the community members.
The government needs to realise that there are international conventions and
norms that require a government to provide refugee status for people entering
the land to escape persecution in their homeland for political, religious and
other reasons. It is expected to complete the census without any delay and
decide the matter of undocumented Rohingyas who have no citizenship in their
homeland and are recognised by international human rights organisations as one
of the most persecuted groups in history, respecting the conventions and norms.
Conscious sections of society also need to raise their voice about the issue.

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