Rohingya and responsibility

Brace for a new wave: Myanmar’s neighbours Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia should be prepared to provide protection and the necessary humanitarian assistance to Rohingya refugees, especially to their most vulnerable, the women and children. — AFP / AP

Collective initiatives and regional collaborations are needed to stop the violence against the ethnic minority group in Myanmar.

SINCE the crackdown that followed the killing of nine border guards on Oct 9, which the authorities have blamed on a Rohingya militant group, the relentless persecution of the ethnic minority living in northern Rakhine State, Myanmar, continues unabated. Various international organisations and news agencies have reported systematic violence, including torture, mass rape, extrajudicial killings and evictions, committed by Myanmar soldiers against the Rohingya. At least 10,000 members of the Rohingya minority group have fled their homes since the military retaliation.