Violence against Rohingyas

We are alarmed by the recent reign of terror unleashed by the Myanmar security forces against the Rohingya population in the Rakhaine State—shooting unarmed civilians, raping women and torching homes since more than a dozen soldiers and police were killed last month by armed men whom the UN described as "ethnic armed organisations.' The security agencies have a right to find out the identities of the attackers but that does not justify violence on a group of people made stateless by a controversial 1982 law. Laws discriminate against them, infringing on their freedom of movement, education and employment and land rights and ownership.

The recent surge in hostility has sent some of them fleeing to the border of Bangladesh which already hosts thousands of Rohingyas, putting a stress on the overpopulated country and raising concerns over its security.

Everyone expected conditions of the Rohingyas and other ethnic communities to improve after Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy won a decisive majority in the November 2015 elections. That hasn't happened as the army still controls three key ministries—home affairs, defence and border affairs—allowing it to exercise power over the state's administrative apparatus, right down to the grassroots level.

The international community should put pressure on the Myanmar government to make lasting peace with the Rogingyas and other ethnic communities who comprise about 40 percent of the population of Myanmar. It is a humanitarian issue and all governments including ours should treat it as such.