Ending the Cycle of Flight for the Rohingya Requires a Political Reckoning

The Rohingya people have endured a cycle of displacement since 2017, with nearly 1 million of them fleeing their homes in Myanmar after a brutal military campaign. They now reside in overcrowded refugee camps in Bangladesh, with over 1.3 million Rohingya living there. The situation is not merely a humanitarian issue; it is deeply political.

The Rohingya are denied citizenship, basic rights, and the ability to participate in the political process in Myanmar. Repatriation, even when undertaken, has never been sustainable, as the military and other armed groups control the Rohingya's homeland and have a history of rejecting repatriated refugees.

The root of the problem lies in Myanmar's military dictatorship and its refusal to grant the Rohingya equal citizenship and rights. This has led to repeated forced expulsions, with the same cycle of expulsion and repatriation occurring since 1978 and 1991-1992. The international community has largely treated the Rohingya crisis as a humanitarian problem, providing aid and basic necessities, but failing to address the political exclusion that keeps the Rohingya stateless.

To create a sustainable future for the Rohingya, the international community must take concrete actions. Firstly, refugees in the camps should be allowed to work and support their families. Secondly, the Rohingya must be prepared for their potential return to Myanmar by being allowed to form political organizations, receive education using the Burmese curriculum, and gain political participation.

Finally, ASEAN countries can play a role by politically intervening in Myanmar and avoiding engagement with the military junta responsible for the genocide against the Rohingya and other minorities.