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• 1 2021-05-12T14:47:42-04:00 Rohingya in Myanmar 19 Read a brief history of the Rohingya in the Rakhine State of Myanmar image_header 1434 2021-12-16T20:16:59-05:00 The Rohingya people claim the Rakhine State of Myanmar as their ancestral home, but many have been living in exile since the 1990s¹. They represent the largest ethnic group of Muslims in Myanmar, and are systematically persecuted by the country’s military and government, which claims that the Rohingya are actually illegal immigrants from Bangladesh². The government’s violent crackdowns on Rohingya masquerade as a response to armed militant attacks from the Rohingya, but have far surpassed what could be considered a remotely reasonable response in this context. A wave of violence in the state beginning in 2017 has forced almost 750,000 Rohingya to flee to neighboring Bangladesh³. Since this time, Burmese security forces have decimated hundreds of Rohingya villages, forcing their residents to flee⁴. If this weren’t enough, the Rohingya have also been denied citizenship in Myanmar, and systematically targeted in violent attacks for decades⁵. See below for further reading on the Rohingya, and to learn more about what you can do.
• 1 2021-05-12T14:50:50-04:00 What Can You Do? 14 An advocacy introduction plain 1434 2021-05-19T16:17:58-04:00 While the response to the Rohingya refugee crisis is generally poor, the services given to Rohingya children need particular attention, based on observations from previous case studies. Specifically, the response to this crisis parallels humanitarian organizations’ treatment of the Palestinian refugee crisis. In her article “Incredibly Difficult, Tragically Needed, and Absorbingly Interesting”, Jo Kelcey points out that in Palestine, the UN set the foundation for temporary humanitarian aid, deemphasizing education. However, over half a century later, these temporary humanitarian band-aids have become the foundations for a support system for the hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinian refugees that are still unable to return to their homes¹. This foundation means that Palestinian refugee students face constant uncertainty in their education, a place where they should have a right to consistency and safety. Organizations working on the Rohingya crisis should learn from the mistakes of organizations responding to this crisis.

  It is of utmost importance that basic survival needs of the Rohingya people be met in these insecure camps that have become more permanent residences. This has been what NGOs and UN organizations have been putting their efforts towards for the past decade². However, we cannot lose sight of the future, and the need to provide Rohingya with the tools to establish a strong and thriving community. Education is a central element of this. Linked below are outlines of two advocacy materials that could be used to encourage NGOs to take a more vested interest in education of Rohingya refugees living in Bangladesh.

  
  

  However, it is not only the responsibility of these organizations to improve the living conditions of Rohingya refugees. The Bangladeshi government has recently changed their stance on education for Rohingya children in Cox’s Bazar, providing curriculum that aligns with the Myanmar curriculum³. This is a step in the right direction, and the Ministry of Education should continue to work towards full integration of the Burmese curriculum in their schools, not just at the primary school level, but in upper grades as well.

  In addition, private citizens should also make an effort to educate themselves on this issue, and there are a number of ways that they can contribute to improving the lives of Rohingya refugees. Aside from making an effort to have a baseline understanding of the conflict, individuals can stay up to date on current events in the region, and encourage friends and colleagues to do the same. This will ensure that the issue stays relevant, and that organizations working in Bangladesh will continue to work towards solutions.

• 1 2021-05-12T14:40:08-04:00 Rohingya Refugees in Bangladesh 14 Read more about Rohingya and the challenges they face in Bangladesh image_header 2021-05-18T12:46:52-04:00

  Nearly seven hundred and fifty thousand Rohingya refugees have fled to Bangladesh. 400,000 are children¹. This group, over half of the population that inhabits the 34 refugee camps that make up Cox’s Bazar, is in a crucial phase of development, and needs focused support from not only the Bangladeshi government, but also from the NGOs that work on the ground in these camps.

  According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), prioritizing basic assistance to all those inhabiting the camps has allowed the terrible living conditions of the camp to somewhat stabilize, including provision of water access and sanitation aid, as well as basic shelter supplies such as tents, tarps, and blankets². In addition to these basic necessities, humanitarian organizations have also rallied around protecting this vulnerable population from the monsoon season to which they are particularly exposed in Cox’s Bazar. Because their shelters are temporary and makeshift, they are more heavily impacted by the heavy rain and winds that come with monsoons, flooding their shelters, and creating massive landslides on the steep embankments on which the shelters are created³. Humanitarian organizations are now essentially working to undo the difficult living conditions that have been created for the Rohingya by establishing refugee camps in these geographically challenging locations.

  Additionally, the Bangladeshi government has been overwhelmed by this influx of refugees. According to the UNHCR, while Bangladesh has responded admirably to the crisis, opening its borders to over seven hundred thousand Rohingya, the country’s infrastructure and resources are being overextended⁴. This isn’t the only difficulty that the Bangladeshi government faces - they also must decide how to integrate this large population into the Bangladeshi infrastructure. A prime area of contention is the extent to which Rohingya children should be included in the Bangladeshi education system. Only recently, as of January 2020, did the government decided to provide education following the Myanmar curriculum to children under the age of 14, and skills development to those older than 14⁵. Of course, implementation of this plan has been heavily impacted due to the impacts of Covid-19, forcing most students to leave schools to avoid spread of the virus⁶.

• 1 2021-05-12T14:48:39-04:00 Convention on the Rights of the Child 11 Bangladesh's role in this convention image_header 1434 2021-05-18T21:40:12-04:00 Rohingya refugees flee to Bangladesh looking for safety and better lives, but are faced with continuing discrimination and hardship¹. Most notable in this displaced population is the majority percent of children, who deserve care and attention not only as the largest group, but also as the future of the Rohingya people². In addition, Bangladesh, as a signatory of the 1990 Convention on the Rights of the Child, agrees to ensure that children’s rights are worked towards and realized³. The convention requires that refugee children receive protection and services that ensure their quality of life to the same extent as children native to the country⁴. Doing so allows these children to realize the full extent of their “physical, mental, spiritual, moral and social development”⁵. More specifically, in Article 28, the convention refers to the right of a child to education. All children, this article states, have a right to equal access to education that develops all aspects of “the child's personality, talents and mental and physical abilities…to their fullest potential”, not to mention that it should instill a respect for their heritage and identity⁶. However, a majority of Rohingya children continue to be barred from formal education, and so can in no way be receiving these educational benefits they should be guaranteed⁷. Rohingya refugee children’s rights are plainly being violated time and time again, but no clear actions are being made toward actual changes.