In 2016,
the world witnessed massive exodus of Syrians and in 2017 Rohingya are fleeing
to escape rape and death from the hands of their own country’s military and
Buddhists chauvinists. Soon in response to this, world political leaders and
stalwarts joined
the chorus of outrage at Myanmar’s de facto leader Aung san suu kyi. While all are busy criticising Suu kyi - the Nobel
laureate and erstwhile champion of the oppressed - for refusing to condemn the
army and its actions, US seems have hit the bull’s eye.
The Rohingya
community has been facing persecution since 1970s. When the junta Government finally
accepted Aung san suu kyi’s NLD party’s victory in 2015 polls, a ray of hope to
finally see the end of decade long persecution shone in the eyes of Rohingya
people. Everyone hailed her heroic resistance to the junta Government for
democracy and the cause of humanity.
Yet
Suu kyi refuses to call the country’s main Muslim community by its name. She
has diligently refused to condemn atrocities by the military Government. And
when after ten weeks of the ruthless crackdown
by the Myanmar's army that drove more than 600,000 Rohingya Muslims from their
homes, the country's de facto leader finally visited the scene, telling people
not to "quarrel".
While
the world opted to walk in a singular fashion of
condemning and snatching away honorary degrees from suu kyi, US,
however, has stopped short in calling the atrocities as textbook example of
ethnic cleansing, and called for putting sanctions on Myanmar’s military
government as under the Myanmar constitution the military and not the civilian
government holds three key ministries – Defence, Border and Home Affairs. According to many, US not calling the atrocities on
Rohingya as - textbook example of ethnic cleansing or such similar synonymous
words - is highly inappropriate. But US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson says, “What's
most important to us is the world can't just stand idly by and be witness to
the atrocities that are being reported in that area." “We really hold the
military leadership accountable for what's happening with the Rakhine
area," Tillerson said on October 18.
Recently,
Washington announced that it will end military aid to some Myanmar units
involved in the forced displacement of the Rohingya minority. Some weeks ago US
senator Edward John Markey called on the administration to put Gen. Min Aung Hlaing,
the head of the Myanmar military, on the “SDN list” — the Specially Designated
Nationals and Blocked Persons List — which blocks assets of the person in
question and curtails their travel. “Putting Gen. Min on the SDN list,” Markey
said, “would send a clear signal to those responsible for these atrocities that
they cannot act with impunity.”
Recently,
State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said the United States will not
permit units and officers involved in operations in Myanmar’s Rakhine State to
receive or participate in any US assistance programmes. The United States has
even rescinded invitations for senior Burmese security forces to attend
U.S.-sponsored events and urged Myanmar to grant the international observers
and media unrestricted access to the sites of alleged abuses. The state
department has also halted its consideration of travel waivers for senior
Myanmar military leaders and is now considering to target economic measures
against individuals, along with targeted sanctions, like freezing assets of
senior Burmese military officials and suspending all business with the military
and its affiliates. “We are assessing authorities under the JADE Act to
consider economic options available to target individuals associated with
atrocities,” Nauert said, referring to the 2008 Block Burmese JADE
(Junta’s Anti-Democratic Efforts) Act.
According
to many experts, the recent visit by Aung san suu kyi (though a hoax) with one
of Myanmar’s wealthiest businessmen was in response to the proposed sanctions and travel restrictions on Myanmar military officers
accused of orchestrating atrocities that human rights group say amount to
crimes against humanity.
In a
recent chat with me, Rafiq Dossani, Director, RAND Center for Asia Pacific
Policy, said that targeting sanctions, even if in a limited way, would have a
large effect since it would signal that the US is placing humanitarianism on the
agenda and that more sanctions will follow.
Well,
while we, and especially the Rohingya, wait in desperation of some action and
not loose words against the Myanmar’s military government from our esteemed
political leaders and UN, right now all beseeching eyes are looking forward the
upcoming visit to Myanmar by US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson where he will
to push for an end to the violence that has plagued the country's northern
Rakhine state in recent months. He will
visit the country's capital, Naypyidaw,
where he will meet with senior
leaders and officials on actions to address the humanitarian crisis in Rakhine State.