The Rohingyas
Asia: Rohingya Full Script
(all standing at front of room, step forward when your turn to speak)
Slide 2:
Alexis: My name is Azara Khatun. I am 70 years old and have been living in the Northern section of the Rakhine State in Myanmar for as long as I can remember. I am a grandmother to three but almost all of my children and their kids have escaped to Bangladesh.
Savannah: My name is Komir Ahmed and I am a 40 year old man from the Rakhine State. I escaped to India last year and am living in a refugee camp.
Yujing: My name is Ismil Kamid and I am a 10 year old boy. Both of my parents were killed when Myanmar soldiers burned my village.
Lindsay: My name is Nurul Hok, and I am a 19 year old girl from the Rakhine State. I am trying to escape but my options are limited. My family was killed in the same fire that Ismil’s family was killed in.
Slide 3:
Alexis: We want to tell you guys about our lives and our stories. I am the eldest here, so I will talk a bit about the Rohingya culture.
Slide 4:
Alexis: We originated in Myanmar and occupy the Rakhine State, which we’ll get into more later. We live mostly off of agriculture, but now that the Buddhist settlers are driving us out, most of us are landless. We are also not considered citizens in Myanmar. Because of poverty and discrimination, most of us are not educated. We speak our own language. There are about 1.1 million of us throughout Asia.
Slide 5:
Yujing: We are followers of Islam, even though it seems like everyone is Buddhist.
Lindsay: Since I am a woman, I pray at home. I also wear a hijab.
Savannah: Yes, we are strict followers of Islam. The men pray in congregation at the mosques, which we have in every village.
Slide 6:
Alexis: This is Myanmar, and the orange part is where we, the Rohingya, originated in the 8th century and where some still reside today even though the troops are forcing us out.
Yujing: This is where I was born (points to orange) and where I live now, even though my parents have passed away. Some people tell me we might have to leave soon, but I don’t know where I can go.
Slide 7:
Lindsay: In the 1700s, a Burman king invaded our territory. Many fled to Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh, and many of us Rohingyas still live there. Some of us have been trying to flee there now. Similarly, in the 1970s, when the Burma Socialist Programme Party seized power, we were targeted when they began “screening the population for foreigners.” Almost 200,000 of us fled to Bangladesh.
Slide 8:
Alexis: The ethnic-cleansing is still happening. By now, as you can see, we are spread out everywhere (point out picture). Myanmar troops are continuing to use violence against us. Now let’s start talking about the conflict. Why is this happening? Listen to these 4 news reporters as they discuss the history of the conflict between Rohingya and the Myanmar state and how it manifests itself today.
(all sit around table, facing audience, set up Amnesty International sign on table)
Slide 9:
Savannah: Hello and welcome. We are all reporters here live with Amnesty International to issue an Amnesty report to you about the terrorist warfare against Rohingya in Rakhine State. First, we will show a short clip of the effects of violence and fear, and then we would like to issue a report on the history of the conflict between Rohingya and the Myanmar state. The following clip contains sensitive material. (Savannah plays video and then continues…)
Slides 10, 11, 12:
Alexis: (Slide 10) This is Amnesty’s report on the conflict: The conflict between the military and Rohingya today has a long history. For a long period, the history and ethnicity of Arakan, Rohingya ancestors, developed separately to that of the rest of Myanmar. It is not clear why the Rohingyas were singled out. (Slide 11) There was anti-Muslim sentiment arising from the British having sometimes preferred Muslims over Buddhists, and having facilitated Indian immigration into the region, which caused some locals to struggle to find employment. But other Muslim ethnicities, both in Rakhine and the rest of Myanmar, were granted full citizenship. (Slide 12) In WWII, the British recruited soldiers from among the displaced Rohingyas, and, looking for allies, promised the Muslims of northern Arakan relative independence and the creation of a Muslim National Area, in exchange for their contribution to the war effort. But, as in many other cases, they went on to commit a huge historical error and reneged on this promise once the Japanese were defeated.
Slide 13, 14:
Yujing: (Slide 13) This pattern of Rohingyas being a target of opportunity has been repeated ever since, not least because they are not armed, making them a safe and easy target for the regime. One of the preconditions to genocide is the systematic denial of standard legal rights to an identified group. (Slide 14) A key part of the persecution and discrimination against the Rohingyas is denying that they are legitimate citizens of the state they were born in and live in. In effect, persecution in Myanmar now feeds people into an economic system largely based on slave labor, which would collapse if the refugees were no longer desperate to escape.
Slides 15, 16, 17:
Savannah: (Slide 15) Satellite imagery has provided evidence since last year that villages where many Rohingyas lived have been scorched, paralleling many stories from Rohingya victims now living as refugees in Bangladesh makeshift camps. Now, the new Amnesty report uses satellite imagery and interviews as new evidence that shows that the Myanmar authorities are building over the top of the very places the Rohingya need to return to. (Slide 16) Satellite imagery of one village called Kan Kya on the outskirts of Rakhine's Maungdaw town taken two months after August attacks shows a settlement scarred by fire. But by early March, buildings could be seen on the revamped land. Amnesty believes they are part of a new base for security forces. (Slide 17) Since late 2017, the Myanmar government has cleared at least 55 villages of all structures and vegetation using heavy machinery. Most of these villages were among the 362 villages completely or partially destroyed by arson since August 25, 2017, during the security forces’ ethnic cleansing campaign against the Rohingya.
Slides 18, 19:
Lindsay: (Slide 18) The UN has continued to raise concerns about the lack of progress in charging those responsible for organizing the violence. One inevitable consequence of the violence was a substantial increase in the number of refugees. Buddhist extremists found a way to blame the Rohingyas for their plight. A Burmese Buddhist monk, and the communal leader of the anti-Muslim movement in Myanmar, described the flight to refugee camps as being a result of 'Muslims deliberately blazing their own houses to win a place at refugee camps run by aid agencies.’ (Slide 19) Such conditions of poverty, as is usually the case, hit women the hardest. Lacking healthcare, they tend to become pregnant due to lack of access to any form of family planning. The Burmese government has refused to grant visas to the UN Fact-Finding Mission, which was created by the Human Rights Council in March 2017, preventing it from collecting evidence in affected areas of northern Rakhine State. Furthermore, it has effectively blocked all independent media and human rights groups from gaining meaningful access to northern Rakhine State.
(Alexis, Savannah, and Yujing walk to door and Lindsay sits down at center of table and sets up cafe sign. Lindsay begins speaking)
Slide 21:
Lindsay: We are now in a cafe in Bangladesh. The narratives you will hear are based on true accounts of real people. They contain sensitive content.
(Savannah, Alexis, Yujing walk in towards the table)
Hey everyone, the support group is over here (all sit down, say hi to each other). I’ll start with my story and then you all can share yours. I’m happy we are all here to support each other.
Everyone: Greet each other
Lindsay: Hello everyone. My name is Zainul Abedin. I live in an outer village in Myanmar. I’m currently mourning my wife, Jahan Aara, who was 20 and who had died in childbirth, along with our baby. It was her first pregnancy, and she got no medical help. Maybe she would have died even in a hospital, but at least she would have had a chance. This way she didn’t even have a chance. I am thinking of trying to escape, which would entail paying human traffickers $2,300 to smuggle me to Malaysia. The authorities hound aid workers and journalists, but they seem to look the other way from these human traffickers. Many of those who set out on these journeys die en route. I know the risks because my own father fled in hopes of reaching Malaysia and hasn’t been heard from since. We are like a birds in a cage. They give us less and less, we get smaller and smaller, and then we die. Or we can try to flee, and then they will kill us.
Alexis: Hello. My name is Anwar Salam. I am 61 years old. In Burma I once went to the hospital for the lumps on my back and throat. But they wouldn’t help me because I couldn’t pay. I have pain, but I cannot do anything about it. I came to Bangladesh with my six daughters and my wife three days ago. I’m old, and my health is not so good. Walking is difficult for me because my left foot hurts, so it took us a while to get here. In my village, there are three military outposts, one in the east and two in the west. I counted the days; it was 16 days before I left when they started killing people and setting houses on fire in the other part of town. The military was targeting the young peoples, boys and girls. Two days before we left, I saw with my own eyes how two young boys were killed. Their throats were slit. The day before we left, the military came to our part of town around 6pm and said: ‘Leave the village before 8am tomorrow. Everyone that stays will be killed’. We left the same night. By then many houses in our village had already been burnt. To come here, we had to walk through many hills and cross the river. It was very difficult to walk; I was in a lot of pain. We did not eat or drink, I was very hungry. We saw many bodies on the way and the smell was awful. I’m now staying in someone else’s house. My wife and one of my daughters is here, and my other daughters stay in other people’s houses. I have known the owner of this house for 20 years and knew that he lived here, so I asked around until I found him. I’m very thankful that I can stay here. But he’s told me that he cannot continue to help me with food and shelter. It is very difficult; I’m unable to work because I cannot walk. I would beg on the road like the others, if I could. I don’t know what to do; I don’t even know how to find tarp or bamboo. How can I build a house with nothing?
Savannah: Hello everyone. My name is Hasina Begum. I’m 21 years old and I am a refugee in Bangladesh. Myanmar soldiers held me and other village women at gunpoint, while the troops executed the men and boys, doused the bodies with gasoline and turned the corpses into a bonfire. Then the troops led the women and girls, five at a time, toward a hut. I was trying to hide my baby Suhaifa under my scarf, but they saw her leg. They grabbed my baby by the leg and threw her onto the fire. I then collapsed on the ground, screaming. The impatient soldiers then began to club me — I have scars from the beating — and dragged me into a hut with my sister-in-law, Asma Begum. The soldiers stripped the women naked and raped us, and finally closed the door and set the hut on fire. As bits of the burning roof fell down on us, Asma and I broke a hole in the side of the hut and ran away naked. We rolled in mud to soothe our burns, and the next day we found a Rohingya house and begged for the man inside to throw out clothes so that we could cover ourselves. A three-day hike took Asma and I to Bangladesh. But I still suffer from the beating and from the emptiness left by the murder of Suhaifa, my baby, and have trouble sleeping. When I fall asleep, I look for my baby. I wake up screaming.
Yujing: Hi. It is nice to meet you guys. My name is Shakifa Begum, I am 15. I am from Tula Toli and now live in Bangladesh. I may be the only survivor in my family. I saw soldiers shoot dead my father and four brothers; they then took me, my mother and my 11-year-old sister into a hut. The soldiers cut my sister’s throat in front of me, and that was when I screamed, and the soldiers clubbed me on the head and knocked me out. Flames and smoke brought me back to consciousness: The soldiers had locked the door of the hut and set it on fire. My mother and sister were dead, and my clothes were on fire, but I broke through a wall and ran away. Was I raped? I was unconscious, so I don’t know what they did to me. But someone had rearranged my clothes. I walked for four days through the jungle to get to Bangladesh. My back, left hand and both feet are burned, but I have no money to buy burn medicine. I am determined to speak. I want to tell the whole world my story. I want to tell them what happens in Myanmar.
Lindsay: Thank you all for sharing. We can meet again soon and talk about ways of coping.
(Savannah stands and goes to front of room, everyone else remains sitting and changes name tags and sets up press conference sign on table)
Slide 22:
Savannah: We are now entering a press conference where representatives from Myanmar, Bangladesh, India, and the US will speak and be questioned on their stance with aiding the Rohingya and how to move forward. Answers are based on real speeches by these prominent people.
All of you, in the audience, are news reporters reporting on each of our speeches. I need four volunteers to ask these questions. (pass out worksheets to 4 volunteers)
Slide 23:
Savannah: Good afternoon. I am the First State Counselor of Myanmar, Aung San Suu Kyi.
The government is working to bring the situation back to normalcy. The security forces have been instructed to adhere strictly to the code of conduct in carrying out security operations, to exercise all due restraint, and to take full measures to avoid collateral damage and the harming of innocent civilians.
We condemn all human rights violations and unlawful violence. We feel deeply for the suffering of all the people caught up in the conflict.
The majority of the Muslims didn’t leave; they chose to stay in the Rakhine state. We are investing in the situation and we want to find out why this exodus is happening. We try to ask them, and they said it was because of the fighting.
We are a young and fragile country facing many problems, but we have to cope with them all. We cannot just concentrate on the few.
I am now ready for questions.
Questions:
Hello, Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi, evidence shows that this is an ethnic cleansing movement. How would you comment on this?
Savannah: the situation is complicated. This is not an ethnic cleansing; it is a fight between the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army and the military. However, for sure, the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army is terrorist. The military is fighting the terrorists to ensure the safety of the country. Next question, please.
Internationally, you are known for leading Myanmar to democracy and you are a recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. However, there are increasing condemnations towards you due to your silence. How would you comment on this?
Savannah: What are they condemning me for? There is no ethnic cleansing going on in the Rakhine state. We are fighting the terrorists. A lot of reports out there are fake; they are fake pictures and fake information spread by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army terrorists. Next question, please.
There has been conflict between the Rohingya and the militants since 2013. More than 1.4 million Rohingyas have been forced to leave their homes. The Rohingya is known as the weakest group in the world. Why does the government allow military to commit these crimes?
Savannah: the military matter is left to the army. The military didn’t go in and rape and kill. But they are free to go in and fight, this is listed in the Constitution. Again, no ethnic cleansing is going on. We are trying to protect our people from the terrorists. Next question, please.
We know that the majority of Myanmar population is Buddhist. The Rohingya are Muslim. How does religion play a role in the conflict?
Savannah: Religion is not the cause. The reason why they are not granted citizenship and under protection is because they are illegal migrants from Bangladesh. They are terrorists and they don’t belong to Myanmar. Again, we need to protect our citizens from the terrorists. Next question, please.
Where do the Rohingya belong to? If they want to come back, will they be safe?
Savannah: they should go back to where they are from. If they come back, they will be safe.
Thank you!
(Savannah sits, Alexis goes to front of room)
Slide 24:
Bangladesh
Alexis: Good afternoon, everyone. I am the prime minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina. The conflict of the Rohingya existed since the independence of Bangladesh. Until now, we have refugee camps accepting more than 5 million Rohingyas. We know their concerns and we are responsible for taking care of them. We are doing our best to help them, until they need to go back to Myanmar.
What happened to them is an unbearable human catastrophe. I have visited them and listened to the stories of their grave suffering, particularly of women and children. And I would like you all to come to Bangladesh and hear from them about the atrocities in Myanmar.
We have told Myanmar, they are your citizens, you must take them back, keep them safe, give them shelter, there should not be any oppression and torture. But the Myanmar government is not responding to the calls. Rather, Myanmar is laying landmines along the border to stop the return of Rohingyas to their homeland.
Here, I am calling everyone to take action. Bangladesh is not a rich country. But if we can feed our 0.16 billion citizens, we can feed more. We can share our food with the Rohingya, and in fact, Bangladesh people are already doing that.
I consider what Myanmar militants done to the Rohingya as a Buddhist terror against the Muslim minority and a terrified genocide. We need urgent humanitarian assistance from Muslim nations to cope with the influx of Rohingya who have fled. These people must be able to return to their homeland in safety, security, and dignity.
I can now take questions.
Questions:
Ms. Hasina, we really appreciate what Bangladesh has done to help the Rohingya. However, last October, Bangladesh agreed to cooperate with Myanmar by participating in Rohingya refugee repatriation. Hundreds are protesting for the Myanmar government not to take the Rohingya back. How do you comment this?
Alexis: The Rohingyas cannot stay in Bangladesh forever. We are not a rich country and we already have so many people to feed. The problem will not be solved if the Myanmar government does not do anything. We are hoping that Myanmar can get ready to take their people back and give citizenship back to the Rohingya.
If the ethnic cleansing movement doesn’t stop, will Bangladesh consider allowing the refugees to stay?
Alexis: Yes, we are very concerned about the Rohingya. They have been living in Myanmar for decades and they should not be considered as illegal migrants. However, we do need help, from the UN, ASEAN, Organization of Islamic Cooperation and other key players like the U.S., China, India and Russia. They should realize that this is a genocide and place pressure on Myanmar’s government to stop these atrocities.
Earlier, you said that this is a “Buddhist terror against the Muslim minority.” How does religion play a role in this conflict?
Alexis: I think religion does play a role in dramatizing the situations. Myanmar government has allowed radical reports calling Muslims as terrorists to publish on newspaper. And Myanmar government keeps calling the Rohingya Army “terrorists.” I think religion is not only the cause of the conflict, but also a way Myanmar government used to stir up general hatred toward the Rohingya and even the Muslim community, in order to justify their ethnic cleansing behaviors.
Based on the previous question, if there is a general hatred toward Muslim minority in Myanmar, what do you think will happen to the Rohingyas once they are sent back to Myanmar
Alexis: I understand their concerns and I understand the whole situation. It is a hard decision. But Myanmar government has to solve the conflict. We are calling the world to help and place pressure on the Myanmar government to make sure the Rohingya refugees get their citizenships and their homes back. We don’t want to see more genocide and we will support the Rohingya. If the situation didn’t improve, our refugee camps will harbor them.
Thank you!
Slide 25:
India
Yujing: Good afternoon, everyone. My name is Narendra Modi and I am the prime minister of India. I noticed that the Rohingyas have created some problems for the Myanmar government, which is a close friend of India’s.
Last September, I had a great meeting with the first State Counsellor of Myanmar Aung San Suu Kyi. This is my first bilateral visit to the golden land of Myanmar. But I am feeling at home due to the warm welcome accorded to me.
Even though there were conflicts of interest between Myanmar and India last century. We have moved on.
I always consider Myanmar as a valued neighbor and a close friend.
I believe that India’s democratic experience is relevant for Myanmar. Aung San Suu Kyi and I are pride of our comprehensive cooperation in executive, the legislature, education, election commission and press council.
I appreciate the courageous leadership of her in Myanmar peace process. We thoroughly understand the challenges the government have been facing. And we are partners with the government over the loss of lives of security forces and innocent people due to the extremist violence in Rakhine State.
Our interests, in the area of security, are common as neighbors. It’s essential that we work together to ensure the stability of our borders.
To resolve a specific problem, I hope all stakeholders can work together to find a solution that will ensure peace, justice and dignity for all by respecting the unity and integrity of Myanmar.
I am ready for questions.
Questions:
Good afternoon, Minister. The U.N. Secretary-General has commented on the Rohingya issue saying that we are facing a risk of ethnic cleansing. According to our sources, many Indians are also accusing their government of turning its back on the country’s history of welcoming refugees. How would you comment on this?
Yujing: no matter what happens, it is true that the Rohingyas are not Myanmar citizens. They are illegal migrants in Myanmar so they need to be deported. Myanmar has been a good neighbor for India, so I will trust the government for their decision.
Myanmar’s leader has been widely condemned for tolerating brutal treatment of the Rohingya under her watch. How would you comment on this?
Yujing: she is a close friend of mine and Myanmar is a valued neighbor of India. As I mentioned, it is a very big challenge for her and the entire Myanmar government. She has been doing a great job keeping the country peaceful. The Rohingyas are terrorists. They hurt and killed Myanmar militants. They behaved inappropriately so they got their punishment. I share her vision of this issue and India will support the Myanmar government for their decision on fighting against the terrorists.
We have noticed that India has accepted about 2 million refugees from Tibet who believe in Buddhism and from Sri Lanka who believe in Hinduism. A new bill even benefits groups including Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jain, Zoroastrian and Sikh. Is India looking out for Muslims?
Yujing: India is known for humanity and we will give our support to minority groups that flee away from their home countries. However, the Rohingya is a different case. They performed extreme terrorist behaviors. So in this particular case, I will support the Myanmar government. As the Prime Minister, I want to put our people’s safety at the first place and I don’t want the Rohingyas to post any violent threat on Indian citizens. The talk on religion only complicated the situation. We didn’t forget Muslims. We respect their beliefs.
Thank you!
Slide 26:
U.S.
Lindsay: Good afternoon. I am the U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. After a careful and thorough analysis of available facts, it’s clear that the situation in the northern Rakhine state constitutes ethnic cleansing against the Rohingya. The growing humanitarian crisis in Myanmar and Bangladesh is affecting the Rohingya negatively and we’re concerned about the situation immensely. It is obviously a human right violation. The crisis features a number of characteristics of crimes against humanity, specifically against the ethnic minority Rohingya Muslim groups, including gang rape, torture, and murder.
The Burmese government and military are incapable of carrying out credible investigations. We, the United States, should set an example for the world in supporting independent investigation into the violence and how the world can respond to the crisis.
We understand that Burma is still transitioning from a military-controlled government to a democratic government, thanks to the hard efforts by Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi. However, now, the Rohingya are facing a very dangerous situation. It is a humanitarian scandal. How Burma treats its most vulnerable and marginalized population, such as the ethnic Rohingya, is the key test of any democracy.
We cannot let another massacre take place as the world stands by and watches. It is time to face the outrage and condemnation. Legislation being considered by Congress would push U.S. leaders to hold Myanmar’s military leaders accountable, and must be passed and acted upon now.
We’re here to support Myanmar. We want Myanmar to succeed. We want its democracy to succeed.
I can now take your questions.
Questions:
Mr. Tillerson, in your opinion, how important is the Rohingya crisis to the U.S.? I mean, it is so far away, and the U.S. is not influenced by the crisis directly.
Lindsay: We are partially responsible for what goes on in the world and we would like to help people that are treated unfairly. The Rohingya are under the extreme threat of the Myanmar militants. Their houses were burned; people were raped and killed; millions of Rohingyas lost their homes. They were sheltered in refugee camps in Bangladesh. Their life conditions are very dangerous. It is painful to see a group suffer from serious ethnic cleansing because they killed a couple of militants. According to what we know, 16 Myanmar militants were killed. However, this should not lead to 6 million to be homeless. We don’t want to see this anymore. What happened in Rwanda was already a big enough tragedy for humanity. We have seen enough in the past century. So we want the Myanmar government to solve this problem.
How would you comment on what Myanmar government has done so far to resolve the conflict?
Lindsay: We can’t really know what happened unless we can enter the Rakhine state and invest in the situation properly. That’s why we’re calling upon the Myanmar government to actually investigate in the situation.
What is your opinion toward Myanmar’s leader in this particular case?
Lindsay: The world is looking at Aung San Suu Kyi and waiting for her to take action. I personally have high expectations for her based on her fight toward democracy. I think she should seek out further information on the situation, welcome and accept the Rohingya.
Where do you think the Rohingya belong to?
Lindsay: I know they are are Muslim minority in Myanmar, but the government won’t accept a community of 10 million Muslims living together. According to the Myanmar government, the Rohingya come from Bangladesh, so that’s why they are not given citizenship in Myanmar directly. But I have noticed there are over 1,000 Rohingyas in Chicago with growing communities. However, no matter what, they should be granted citizenship in Myanmar.
What are some possible solutions to the crisis, in your opinion?
Lindsay: First, we need independent organizations, like the United Nations, non-governmental organizations, and nonprofits to get into the Rakhine state and invest in the case. Investigators cannot get into Rakhine as of right now. The militants that perform ethnic cleansing behaviors should be responsible for what they have done. If we really need to send the Rohingya back to Myanmar, UNHCR should be involved in the process and make sure they return safely and ethnic cleansing will not happen in the future. If we had the chance, the US would want to pass a bill to allocate funds to the Myanmar government and hopefully those funds could help the Rohingya rebuild their homes.
Thank you!
(Savannah and Alexis sit on one side, Lindsay and Yujing on the other while Alexis speaks, put UN meeting sign on table)
Slide 27:
Alexis: We will be concluding with a debate in a United Nations meeting between pro-rohingya governments, which include Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Canada, the US, Italy, Japan, South Korea, and Malaysia-- who Savannah and I are representing as a whole. The anti-Rohingya will be played by Lindsay and Yujing and represent Iran, Myanmar, India, and China.
Slide 28:
Savannah (pro): To begin, it needs to be stated that the atrocities occurring amongst the Rohingya, is an unnecessary evil in today’s world.
Lindsay (anti): What “atrocities” are you speaking of in this situation?
Alexis (pro): The “ethnic cleansing” techniques used by the Myanmar militant group have been raping, murdering and worse to thousands of Rohingya in attempts to drive them out of Myanmar.
Yujing (anti): We don’t consider laws banning a particular group from gaining citizenship “ethnic cleansing”.
Savannah (pro): Well the tactics with which to remove them from your territory say otherwise.
Lindsay (anti): How have we removed them?
Alexis (pro): You’ve killed over 10,000 and counting. You’ve used rape as a weapon against the Rohingya women. Also, because of your careless and unwarranted arrests and mass arson on these victim’s homes, more than 600,000 Rohingya have had to flee to neighboring countries like our own (Bangladesh, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand).
Yujing (anti): They’re not citizens. They’re not apart of us.
Savannah (pro): This doesn’t give you the right to break a Human Rights Treaty that the UN should be holding you accountable for – by killing innocent people.
Lindsay (anti): They have broken the law as terrorists. We have restricted their ability to bare children, live near our people, vote, etc. which we only offer to our citizens. It is our duty to protect this country in the best way we know how.
Alexis (pro): You think that over half a million individuals, including women and children are all terrorists?
Yujing (anti): Many of them are, yes.
Savannah (pro): They want their rights. They want their freedom. Practicing their own religion, voting for policies that personally affect them, and expecting common courtesies to simply live is not too much to ask. Their resistance is a cry for help.
Lindsay (anti): Well after their retaliations, we had no other option than to classify them as illegal migrants for committing illegal acts that even citizens would be tried for -- like murdering militia members.
Alexis (pro): Well this constant fighting between Rohingya resistance groups and the militant group of the state is not accomplishing anything but higher murder statistics. The time for compromise is now. Other countries, including some of our own, are tired of picking up the slack from the lack of communication.
Yujing (anti): They’re just as many illegal migrants in those countries as they are in ours.
Savannah (pro): They’re refugees.
Lindsay (anti): We’ll have to agree to disagree then.
Alexis (pro): The point is that lives need saving and talking about it right now is the only way to enact any sort of positive change.
Yujing (anti): Okay, we’ve heard you out now. How do we fix this?
Savannah (pro): You stop using violence to make your points. You live in peace with them. While we believe they deserve their citizenship rights, at this point, we’d settle for basic human rights to say the least. Allow them to come back to a country they used to call home.
Lindsay (anti): There is only so much we can do for those not considered “one of us”, but the violent tactics you speak of from all of our existing military forces will stop. We will discuss with the leaders of Myanmar and see if a contract or treaty can be arranged so that we all are satisfied with the placement of the Rohingyas.
Alexis (pro): So, Myanmar, will you allow them back into the country as citizens?
Yujing (anti): No, they can be issued visas to live and work. But, we expect them to live in separate communities from our citizens.
Savannah (pro): And the religious persecution, rapes, and murders will stop?
Lindsay (anti): The violence will cease at a state issued level but anything further is out of our hands. The laws that restrict their rights as non-citizens will remain intact but an amendment for the inclusion of visas will be included.
Alexis (pro): That is what we ask. Thank you.
Rohingya Timeline
8th Century: The Rohingya, a people of South Asian origin, dwelled in an independent kingdom in Arakan, now known as Rakhine state in modern-day Myanmar.
9th to 14th Century: The Rohingya came into contact with Islam through Arab traders. Close ties were forged between Arakan and Bengal.
1784: The Burman King Bodawpaya conquered Arakan and hundreds of thousands of refugees fled to Bengal.
1790: Hiram Cox, a British diplomat sent to assist refugees, established the town of Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh, where many Rohingya still live today.
1824 to 1942: Britain captured Burma—now known as Myanmar—and made it a province of British India. Workers were migrated to Burma from other parts of British India for infrastructure projects.
1852: Second Anglo-Burmese war ends with British annexation of lower Burma, including Rangoon.
1885-86: Britain captures Mandalay after third Anglo-Burmese war; Burma becomes a province of British India.
1911: In the 1911 census, Rohingya are included with the Indian population as an ethnic group of Indian origin.
1921: Census of 1921 categorizes Rohingya as Arakanese.
1937: Britain separates Burma from India and makes it a crown colony.
1942: Japan invaded Burma, pushing out the British. As the British retreated, Burmese nationalists attacked Muslim communities who they thought had benefited from British colonial rule.
1945: Britain liberated Burma from Japanese occupation with help of Burmese nationalists led by Aung San and Rohingya fighters. Rohingyas felt betrayed as the British didn’t fulfill a promise of autonomy for Arakan.
1948: Tensions increased between the government of newly independent Burma and the Rohingya, many of whom wanted Arakan to join Muslim-majority Pakistan. The government retaliated by ostracizing the Rohingya, including removing Rohingya civil servants.
1950: Some Rohingya resisted the government, led by armed groups called Mujahids. The insurgency gradually died down.
1962: General Ne Win and his Burma Socialist Programme Party seized power and took a hard line against the Rohingya.
1977: The junta began Operation Nagamin, or Dragon King, which they said was aimed at screening the population for foreigners. More than 200,000 Rohingya fled to Bangladesh, amid allegations of army abuses. The army denied any wrongdoing.
1978: Bangladesh struck a U.N.-brokered deal with Burma for the repatriation of refugees, under which most Rohingya returned.
1982: A new immigration law redefined people who migrated during British rule as illegal immigrants. The government applied this to all Rohingya.
1989: The army changed the name of Burma to Myanmar.
1991: More than 250,000 Rohingya refugees fled what they said was forced labor, rape and religious persecution at the hands of the Myanmar army. The army said it was trying to bring order to Rakhine.
1992 to 1997: Around 230,000 Rohingya returned to Arakan, now known as Rakhine, under another repatriation agreement.
2012: Rioting between Rohingya and Rakhine Buddhists killed more than 100 people, mostly Rohingya. Tens of thousands of people were driven into Bangladesh. Nearly 150,000 were forced into camps in Rakhine.
2016: Rohingya militant group Harakah al-Yaqin attacked border guard posts, killing nine soldiers. The army retaliated. More than 25,000 people fled Rakhine to Bangladesh, bringing accounts of killing, rape and arson. Aung San Suu Kyi’s government denied the atrocities.
