Second Wave of Genocide against the Rohingya: Ending Myanmar’s Humanitarian Crisis Demands Action from the United States

The elder brother is illegally and coercibly recruited by the Millitary regime, and the younger one is abducted by the rebel ethnic armed group, the AA (Arakan Army). The two brothers are woefully supposed to be fighting each other in the frontlines against their will for the benefits of other.

Imagine this is in Europe or in the middle east, how would the world react?

Nothing can justify the genocide survivors being used as humanshield in the war. The atrocities against any innocent civilians must not be tolerated by any means. The world has not learned anything from the past. It is also important for the world not to fall into the trap of the AA as it did for Aung San Su Kyi.

However, the 4th April UN security Council on Myanmar successfully failed once again to protect the innocent civilians from the human rights and humanitarian catastrophe. Its inability to come into action in its first meeting on February 2019 had become a tonic for the perpetrators to commit more atrocities such as mass murder, airstrike, arbitrary arrest, forcibly displacement, destruction of over hundreds of medical  infrastructures, etc.

After the Millitary coup in February 2021, the junta killed over five thousand civilians, with over twenty-six thousands arrested and another over twenty thousand detained according to the Assistant Association for Political Prisoners (Burma). The Millitary’s brutal crackdown has led about three million people internally displaced, and thousands fled for the neighbouring countries, India, Thailand and China.

Facing genocide in 2017, the Rohingya are no exception. They are facing the second wave of genocide. They are caught in the crossfire between the SAC (State Administration Council) and the AA. Since the wake of the war in Arakan, over two hundreds Rohingya are killed, over a hundred injured, about a hundred abducted and another about five hundreds are arbitrarily arrested by the Millitary regime and the AA. And almost all the people are displaced. Without food and other basic necessities, their situation is very horrible. The situation is further exacerbated by the curfew from 7 PM to 6 AM imposed by the AA. Moreover, there is movement restriction, especially on Rohingya from both parties, which means to be killed in the war.

Despite the provisional measures ordered by the Intercontinental Court of Justice (ICJ), the junta have illegally recruited over thousands of Rohingya to serve in the Millitary services. They are used as humanshield in the war against the AA. Some of whom have already been killed. In addition, the junta is applying the Divide and Rule policy. It has used Rohingya to demonstrate against the AA, which results in killing, arrest, and abduction of Rohingya by the AA. The AA has reportedly asked for a man from each household of every Rohingya village for its Millitary services. The Rohingya, as usual, are the most vulnerable and going through the second phase of genocide under the two terrorist armed entities.  

Nevertheless, the ASEAN has tried with a five-point consensus to end the deepening crisis in Myanmar, but having close ties to the junta with some countries has hindered ASEAN’s international diplomatic efforts. At the UN Security Council, as China and Russia are seen continuously blocking the resolutions of arm embargo and any other measures, the solution to end the crisis through it is not also expected.

After the failure of the ASEAN and UN Security Council, the surging humanitarian crisis urgently calls the United States to act. As a beacon of democracy and human rights advocacy, it is a moral imperative for the US to assist the NUG (National Unity Government) and the resistance armed groups to uproot the dictatorship of the Millitary and bring democracy and peace within Myanmar.

By extending US support to NUG and the resistance forces, the Rohingya crisis will also be ended automatically as Myanmar’s National Unity Consultative Committee has decided to abolish the 1982 citizenship law that make the Rohingya illegal immigrants. It is strongly believed that when NUG come into power, it will bring Rohingya refugee back from Bangladesh by providing full citizenship rights to Rohingya and end the Rohingya refugee crisis in Bangladesh, where US being a leading donor with over one billion dollar.

Instead of US aiding Rohingya refugee again and again, the US should militarily and financially back up the NUG once and for all to end the root cause of all the problems. That is dictatorship.

Last month, It is good to know that top Biden advisor Derek Chollet met with senior officers of two ethics armed groups allied with NUG, but no special backing or progress has been reported. In the quest of global democracy, the US has been in the lead of supporting movement of toppling the oppressive military regime for years. Moreover, the US has spent trillion dollars on the defence of Ukraine for peace and global stability, but when it comes to the plight of Myanmar’s people, it is quite passive. It has been over three years that the junta is committing a series of heinous crimes inside the country. US should no longer turn blind eye to the innocent civilians of Myanmar. It is time for the US to end the escalating humanitarian crisis and stand firmly with those fighting for freedom and democracy and support their noble cause with unwavering commitment and solidarity.

Author Bio : Pacifist Farooq is a Rohingya refugee, poet, and teacher living in the world’s largest refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh.

* This represents the writer’s own opinion only it doesn’t necessarily reflect organizational stance.*