Extremists' threat prevents Rohingya refugees' return

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Myanmar State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi has said it was difficult to set a time frame for people who fled to Bangladesh to return during a speech in Singapore, without mentioning the Rohingya Muslims by name.

More than 700,000 Rohingya refugees have fled the northern Rakhine State since an army crackdown that began on August 25 last year following Rohingya militant attacks. The Rohingya refugee crisis is billed as "the fastest growing refugee crisis in the world."

Almost one year after the attacks, Suu Kyi told the audience in Singapore that terrorism remains a threat in Rakhine state, adding that the danger of terrorist activities was the initial cause of events leading to the humanitarian crisis in the region.

When asked about the timing of Suu Kyi's rare address abroad, Song Qingrun, associate professor at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, said there are at least two aims for her speech in Singapore.

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“The first is to showcase achievements and democratic progress made by the Myanmar government,” says Song, “The other is to alleviate international pressure.”

Song points out that although the Myanmar government made achievements in the past two years, it also faces several challenges such as slow GDP growth, high inflation and devaluation of the country’s currency.

The Rohingya issue, according to Song, is a big trouble to Myanmar's government both domestically and internationally.

Domestically, Song maintains, the country is under extremists' threat from the northern Rakhine state.

“Myanmar’s government also drew pressure and criticism from international society due to the handling of the Rohingya crisis,” says Song.

The Rohingya crisis has put the country's government in the spotlight.

Song says as the issue has already affected foreign investment in Myanmar and damaged its national image, it is time for Suu Kyi to illustrate Myanmar's government’s efforts on this issue.

Myanmar state counselor Aung San Suu Kyi speaks during a lecture in Singapore, August 21, 2018. / VCG Photo

Suu Kyi says that spaces have been mapped out for resettling refugees who fled to Bangladesh. But she also admitted it is difficult to set a time frame for their return.

Song said it is not easy for Rohingya refugees to return any time soon.

“They are concerned whether they can get a citizenship in Myanmar,” says Song, “They are also worried about their safety as they are threatened by extremists who might kill them if they return.”

Saturday will mark the one-year anniversary of the conflict that led to the latest Rohingya crisis. Many Rohingya refugees still live in the crowded camps without knowing when they can return “home”.

(Cover: Rohingya refugees fetch water at the Nayapara refugee camp near Cox's Bazar, August 13, 2018./ VCG Photo)

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