ED: A crisis ignored

To think that we are in the fifth year of the Rohingya crisis, a crisis which saw the most persecuted community in the world flee death, arson, rape, and torture to find shelter within the borders of Bangladesh, is yet to be truly addressed by the international community, with little to no end in sight to this ongoing limbo in which the Rohingya community find themselves.

Not only did it take the international community a significant amount of time before recognizing the horrors the Rohingya community had gone through, now that the truth has come out, it is nothing short of disappointing to see such inaction from developed nations which pride themselves on their commitment to human rights.

This crisis is an injustice on multiple levels, from the lack of accountability on part of the Myanmar Army which carried out these acts, to the responsibility Bangladesh has fulfilled for so long by ensuring the safety and security of the refugees, to the undeniable suffering the Rohingya have gone through.

To let things be as they are is not a solution and, as PM Sheikh Hasina rightfully pointed out at the UN General Assembly last Thursday, the Rohingya are Myanmar citizens. Therefore, Myanmar must create a welcome and safe environment for the Rohingya, and grant them full, legal citizenship.

Where is the international outrage at this most blatant rejection of democracy?

The Rohingya crisis has gone on for long enough. The international community needs to step up, put pressure on Myanmar, and ensure that the Rohingya community’s sufferings come to an end and they can finally return home.