The Myanmar conflict – ethnic cleansing of the Muslim Rohingyas 

During the recent weeks the simmering for decades tension in the Asian country of Myanmar escalated to a massive conflict. After a clash on 25^th of August this year between representatives of the local minority Muslim community in Rakhine Province in Western Myanmar and the state security forces the things went out of control.

What happened at the end of August led to “cleansing operations” of the Rohingya from the country by the Myanmar security forces or in other words – brutal military actions against the minority. Nearly 400 Muslims were killed in an extremely cruel manner, among whom a large number of children. Several villages in the region were burnt down by the militaries. The number of people who during tee cent two weeks leave their homes and continue to leave the Rakhine Province in order to save themselves from the unprecedented violence, reached almost 150 000 people, reported The Guardian. Other nearly 400 000 Rohingya Muslim are blocked in the troubled areas in the northern part of Myanmar without food and elementary medical care.

More than 1 million Rohingyas – representatives of the minority Muslim community in the country live in the Rakhine Province. They are believed to be a part of the indigenous people in the country that has been living there for centuries. But the state and the Buddhist majority in Myanmar rejects to accept them and to give them citizenship status. They are considered as illegal refugees from neighboring Bangladesh, which however also does not accept them. All this turned the Rohingya community in an ethnical minority without state, it is deprived not only of citizenship, but from most fundamental rights and freedoms. The Muslim Rohinhya in Myanmar do not have access to education, medical care, and labor market. The increasing nationalism of the local Buddhist population over the time raises hostility towards the Rohingya minority.

It is very unfortunate and sad that in the 21^st century in front of the eyes of the entire world are allowed such crimes against humanity which in the history had already been done as huge mistakes. And although that we continue to repeat the mistakes. And we keep silent. And the smallest thing which can be done, is to give voice to what is happening no matter how far from it we are. But most of all – let us not forget our brothers and sisters in Myanmar and all oppressed people round the world in our dua (supplication)!

         “And when My servants ask you, [O Muhammad], concerning Me - indeed I am near. I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when he calls upon Me. So let them respond to Me [by obedience] and believe in Me that they may be [rightly] guided.”

(Holy Qur’an, surah Baqarah:186)

Author: L. Chausheva

Photos: Reuters