By Michel Gabaudan

It’s the “Rohingya problem.” Burma’s history of brutal persecution of the Rohingya – coupled with their lack of citizenship rights – have forced hundreds of thousands of people to flee to neighbouring Bangladesh. Bangladesh’s Minister of Food and Disaster Management, Abdul Razzaque, recently blamed western countries for “keeping the problem alive.”

However, western countries are not to blame for keeping the “Rohingya problem” alive. The plight of the Rohingya originates with the Burmese government’s abuses of this minority. Numerous Rohingya refugees say they can barely sleep at night in Burma due to the constant fear of the NaSaKa, or border police, at their door. However, persecution of the Rohingya is made worse by Bangladesh’s failure to respond in a humane manner to this refugee crisis. Bangladesh’s intransigence in refusing to allow protection and assistance to this very vulnerable and desperate population has only exacerbated one of the world’s most neglected crises.

Read the full article.