While Ne Win was bringing in Bangladeshi Rakhines into Arakan, he never forgot to either depopulate Rohingya population or expulse them. He invented and deployed a discriminatory and bigotry citizenship law in 1982. According to the law, Rohingyas need to prove their existence before 1824, which is a very difficult thing to be done. Yet, Rohingyas would be pleased if the law was and is applied to Rakhines as well. Almost three fourth of Rakhines would have already been expelled from Arakan had the law been equally applied to them! The law was specially designed for Rohingyas to expel them from the country. Consequently, it caused a mass exodus of Rohingyas into neighboring Bangladesh in 1982.
Since then, quite contrary to the accusations, Rohingyas have been leaving Arakan and there have been no such illegal Bengali settlements. Due to the racist propaganda of different Burmese regime throughout its history, general Burmese people could not have the chance to know Rohingya people and the term “Rohingya.” When they came to know the term, it was in the negative light propagated by the regime and Rakhine extremists. Rohingyas are successfully portrayed as the threats to the national sovereignty and Buddhism by the regime for its own political gains.
Ignorance of the Truth
However, I was pretty much disgusted to see a revered leader like Daw Aung San Suu Kyi (DASSK) ignore the plight of the Rohingyas. During her recent talk at Amnesty International Office, an audience asked “Who are Rohingyas and why are they persecuted?” I felt that she was paralyzed upon hearing the question. She replied “one should not use an emotional word like “PERSECUTION.” Dear DASSK, what term should one use if not PERSECUTION? The truth is that Rohingyas have not been kissed or hugged but committed atrocities against by the regime throughout historical periods. She (DASSK) continued “The border security is fragile and badly policed” and that was indirectly supporting to the accusation that there are still illegal Bengali settlements.
During her trip to Europe, she said “She doesn’t know Rohingyas.” If so, how does she know that the Arakan border is badly policed? Therefore, with due respects, her statements are contradictory and oxymoronic and not so different from Thein Sein statements!! She seems to have no clue about Arakan situation as she has spent most of her life either in foreign countries or under house arrest. She has been just listening to her bigotry racist colleagues in her party. In Arakan, there is NaSaKa, a border security force which was specially designed only for the persecutions of Roingyas. It was formulated by ex-Gen Khin Nyunt to force Rohingyas out of Arakan and to make Border ever stringent. There have been immigration checks against Rohingyas all over Maung Daw and Buthidaung twice a year. If any Rohingya accidentally happens to go to Bangladesh, there is no way for him to come back to his own land.
Why will Bengalis Come to Arakan?
Moreover, at a time when Arakan has become a hell for its own people, Rohingyas, why will Bangalis come to the land? Why will Bengalis come to a land which is ruled by the world’s most oppressive government, relatively less economic opportunity, less income (GDP per Capita in Bangladesh and Myanmar in 2011 are US$1700 and US$1300 respectively) and poorer infrastructures? When a journalist friend of mine asked Ko Ko Gyi, a so-called democratic activist in Burma, why Bengalis should come to Arakan. He replied “the poorest people from Bangladesh come to Arakan.” When asked how they settle in Arakan, he replied “by bribing the authorities because they have a lot of money.” I seriously think most of the politicians in Burma today should get themselves checked up with psychiatrists. Or tell us what you think after comparing and contrasting the two immediate statements “the poorest people from Bangladesh come to Arakan” and “by bribing the authorities because they have a lot of money.”
And not to forget a recent statement Burma’s Immigration Minister, U Khin Yee that two third of immigration officers in Arakan are Rakhine themselves. Now tell us Rakhine Immigration Officers take bribes from illegal Bengali immigrants and let them settle in their own land to create problems. If so, Burmese government has to sack these corrupted Rakhine Immigration Officials and punish them according to the law. If not, there have not been any recent Bengali settlements in Arakan. Hence, Rakhines need to stop beating around the bush.
Conclusion
Dr. Maung Zarni has given his viewpoint on why majority Burmese think Bengalis from Bangladesh emigrating into Arakan though it is practically otherwise. He said “although Burmese are practically poorer than Bangladeshis are, Burmese regime, as a part of its political strategy, has successfully portrayed Burma as the golden land with fertile soils and rich natural resources with kind people with great hospitality towards their guests, where everybody craves to come to.” He was right to point out this because despite living in a hell-like country, majority Burmese thinks that there are still people who crave to come to and live in Burma. However, the bitter truth that Rakhines are afraid of admitting is that they are not Rohingyas who are sneaking into Arakan but Rakhines themselves taking advantage of the presence of their people in the state administration, immigration, police, security forces and NaSaKa etc. Rohingyas have only been leaving Arakan for decades to the extent that it caused Rohingya Diaspora all over the world. As a result, today, there are bigger numbers of Rohingyas living in foreign countries than in Burma itself.
Mohammed Sheikh Anwar is an activist studying Bachelor of Arts in Business Studies at Westminster International College, Malaysia
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