ROHINGYA CRISIS

• Bangladesh seeks India’s help over Rohingya
• Bangladesh urged India to take more effective steps in persuading Myanmar to take back the Rohingya who were forced to take refuge in Bangladesh to evade persecution.

Who are the Rohingya?

• The Rohingya are a Muslim ethnic minority group.
• They have lived for centuries in predominantly Buddhist Myanmar.
• The Rohingya are not recognized as an official ethnic group and have been denied citizenship since 1982, making them the world’s largest stateless population.

Where are the Rohingya seeking refuge?

Bangladesh, Thailand India, Indonesia, Nepal and other countries across the region.

A genocide trial

• In 2020, the International Criminal Court’s initial ruling ordered Myanmar to take emergency measures to protect the Rohingya from being persecuted and killed.
• The body approved a full investigation into the case of the Rohingya in Myanmar.
• Although Myanmar itself is not a member of the court, the ICC ruled it had jurisdiction in the case because Bangladesh, where victims fled to, is a member.

Current situation:

• In 2019 Bangladesh announced it would no longer accept Rohingya fleeing Myanmar.
• While an agreement for the return of refugees was reached in early 2018, none returned.

SOURCE: THE HINDU, THE ECONOMIC TIMES, PIB