LIMUN: High School. UNHCR Study Guide. 19th & 20th November The Plight of the Rohingya

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1 LIMUN: High School 19th & 20th November 2016 UNHCR Study Guide The Plight of the Rohingya

2 CONTENTS Introduction to the Chairs Introduction to the Committee Topic A: The Plight of the Rohingyas _ Introduction History of the Topic Sub-heading Previous UN Action Bloc Positions Conclusion Points a Resolution Must Address Further Reading Bibliography _ 1

3 INTRODUCTION TO THE CHAIRS Dania Ashary Welcome Delegates! My name is Dania and I m a second year English and politics student at King s College London. I was born and raised in sunny, southern California but have always had a special place in my heart for the city of London despite the occasional (read: frequent) rainy weather. I joined Model United Nations at the start of my freshman year and immediately fell in love with the stimulating discussions, the opportunity to travel and meet new people, and lastly the knowledge that we were fostering our ability to make an impact on pressing global issues. When I m not busy preparing for an MUN conference, I enjoy mapping out my life in a series of Pinterest boards, beating my own personal record at binge watching Netflix shows, reading, and getting lost in London on my walks home. I m looking forward to meeting you all and hope you enjoy the exciting conference ahead! Henry Winckle Welcome Delegates! My name is Henry and I m a second year European Social and Political Studies student at University College London. I m Australian, Italian and Swedish, the last being where I grew up, so despite what others may say London really isn t that cold or rainy! I joined my Model UN society at the start of first year and chaired for the first time one year on at the same conference I began at. I think the reason I love Model UN is because of the freedom it gives you to do things the way you want - be the silent power player who pulls all the strings through passing notes, or the leader of the largest bloc (or at least the bloc which should be the largest in your own opinion) who ends up defending practically every point, or the team player who has done their bit and is (and should!) be happy with themselves. When I m not organising a trip for my MUN society or preparing for a conference, you ll usually find me politicking for some cause somewhere, cooking while debating anything and everything in my kitchen or conquering the world and/or universe in the latest Grand Strategy game on my PC. 2

4 INTRODUCTION TO THE COMMITTEE The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) was established by the United Nation s General Assembly as the global refugee institution in 1950 following the global shock brought on by the Second World War. Its first task concerned assisting the millions of Europeans who were forced to flee their homes during the war and to guarantee a rightful order of reintegration and treatment. Today, more than 65 years later, the organization continues to work towards protecting, assisting, and caring for internally displaced refugees worldwide through various means of action. 1 The official mandate of the High Commissioner of the UNHCR regards the High Commissioner acting under the authority of the General Assembly, shall assume the function of providing international protection...and of seeking permanent solutions for the problem of refugees thereby serving to support as international governments upon request to assist. 2 In addition, the UNHCR works to promote international refugee agreements, help states establish asylum structures, and acts as an international watchdog over refugee issues. 3 1 "The mandate of the High Commissioner for Refugees and his Office", UNHCR, n.d., online, Internet, 23Oct.2016.,Available: 2 "The mandate of the High Commissioner for Refugees and his Office", UNHCR, n.d., online, Internet, 23Oct.2016.,Available: 3 "Legal Protection", UNHCR, n.d., online, Internet, 28 Oct , Available: 3

5 TOPIC INTRODUCTION Who are the Rohingyas? The Rohingyas primarily represent the small muslim minority of Myanmar (Burma)- a little under 4 percent of the total population of muslims- in the western part of the country regarded as the Rakhine State. 4 However, these people were not exempt from the increasingly prominent cultural and racial criteria identifying one s identity during the nineteenth and twentieth century. The exact origins of the Rohingyas as an ethic representative group residing in the Rakhine State, remains a statement of disagreement 5 and consequently, this disagreement gave rise to the ongoing battle quest for identity and recognition of the Rohingya people in and around the Rakhine State and larger areas or Myanmar. The plight of the Rohingya is perhaps the least addressed regional refugee crisis today despite the fact that they remain the most persecuted minority in the world. The international community has portrayed this form of communal conflict as merely in terms of violations of human rights, so-called Rakhine racism and xenophobia, Muslim victimhood and dysfunctional state organs. 6 The Rohingya people regard themselves as indigenous to the Rakhine State yet the Burmese government regarded them as having migrated from the bordering eastern muslim state of present day Bangladesh; 7 yet due to lack of confirmation of such a claim by the present day Bangladesh community and government, the Rohingyas are considered stateless entities within their the Rakhine state. 8 4 "Muslims and Rohingya - Minority Rights Group", Minority Rights Group, n.d., online, Internet, 28 Oct , Available: 5 "The Rohingyas Refugee Crisis: A Regional and International Issue?", Middle East Institute, n.d., online,internet,29oct.2016.,available: 6 Jacques P Leider, "Rohingya: The name. The movement. The quest for identity.", Nation Building in Myanmar (2014): , online, Internet, 29 Oct Leider (2014). 8 "Myanmar s shame", The Economist, 2015, online, Internet, 29 Oct , Available: 4

6 Significance of the issue in present day From the 1950s onwards, the Rohingyas have faced a number of legal and social discriminations, denying them the right to citizenship, the right to self identify, the right to vote, along with numerous day to day restrictions. 9 The split variations of history regarding the Rohingyas initial migration into the Rakhine state differs from the present day Buddhist majority Burmese society and government who fail to validate this claim. 10 The violent confrontations of 2012 and 2013 between the muslim minority and Buddhist majority foreshadowed the amplifying current that struck the already present and ever increasing refugee crisis in The mass migration of over thousands of Rohingya people from both Myanmar and Bangladesh in 2015 to neighboring countries within Southeast Asia signifies the dire need for the UNHCR, along with other supporting organizations focusing on protecting and solving the global refugee crisis, to address this issue with rapid efficiency. The large influx of these refugees into these neighboring countries has inadvertently led to countless human rights violations as well as increasing ghettoisation, sporadic massacres, and restriction on movements of the Rohingya people ,000 people alone were estimated by the UNHCR to have been taken to boats from human trafficking. The neighboring countries of Malaysia, Thailand, and Bangladesh have already accepted many into their states. Over 200,000 to 800,000 people have be displaced within these countries and the number is predicted to rise if the given state of the situation continues without intervention from the UNHCR and other leading organizations fighting to overcome refugee crisis across the globe "The Rohingya Crisis", n.d., online, Internet, 29 Oct , Available: 10 Leider (2014). 11 "Campaigns of violence towards Rohingya are highly organised and genocidal in intent", Qmul.ac.uk, 2015, online, Internet, 29 Oct , Available: 12 "The Rohingya boat crisis: why refugees are fleeing Burma", The Week UK, 2015, online, Internet, 29 Oct , Available: 5

7 HISTORY OF THE TOPIC A note: There may be words here which you do not know or understand: a glossary of unavoidable jargon and terms is provided at the end of the study guide. British Colonial Rule The story of the Rohingya begins with colonialism. Burma was part of the British Raj, which along with it included the modern day countries of Pakistan, India and Bangladesh. Arakan, the area which is now the state Rakhine and which was originally the Kingdom of Arakan, was a division (unit of government) of Burma. Under the British government, thousands of Bengali (muslim) labourers were encouraged to move to work on farms and plantations, and did. 13 Thus from 1871 to 1931 the number of muslims in Arakan on the census jumped from 58,255 to 255, WWII In 1942 Burma was invaded by Japan as part of World War II and the British quickly retreated. But as they left and as muslim refugees started coming over the border, the British armed groups with weapons that were meant to be used against the Japanese who were supported by the Rakhine. Instead, the weapons ended up being used mostly against the Rakhine population, leading to a large number of deaths and general destruction 15 and the Japanese responded likewise with violence against the Rohingya. 13 Aye Chan, The Development of a Muslim Enclave in Arakan (Rakhine) State of Burma (Myanmar), PDF. (London: SOAS, 2005), online, Internet, 28 Oct P.403, Available: 14 Office of the Supdt., Government Printing and Stationery, Burma,. Volume XI, BURMA, Pt II Tables. Census of India, Rangoon: Office of the Supdt., Government Printing and Stationery, Burma, Online. Internet. 28 Oct Available: 15 Unknown,. "The Rohingyas - The most persecuted people on Earth?". The Economist, 2015: N/A. Online. Internet. 28 Oct Available: myanmars-muslim-minority-have-been-attacked-impunity-stripped-vote-and-driven. 6

8 Post-WW2 In the late 1940 s as the British Raj was to be partitioned, muslim leaders in the area asked to be annexed by what would become East Pakistan, however this idea was rejected by both the nascent Pakistani and Burmese governments. As a result of this, an insurgency formed that demanded that annexation occur. At its height the insurgency controlled almost all of the state, and due to violent acts committed on the local Rakhine some fled to neighbouring states. The government at the time claimed that the insurgents allowed hundreds of thousands of Bengali muslims to come across the border from Bangladesh, which is relevant as if the statement is true then it strengthens the modern claim of the Burmese government that all the Rohingya do not belong in Burma. The insurgency died down after military operations in the mid to late 50 s, leading to a large number of Rohingya migrating and/or fleeing to modern-day Bangladesh and Pakistan. Bangladeshi war of independence This section will only provide a short summary of the Bangladeshi war of independence - it is strongly recommended that delegates do their own research on the topic, especially the delegates of India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. Following the partition of the British Raj, Pakistan was a country with two discontinuous territories: West and East Pakistan. Most political power was concentrated in West Pakistan, which consisted mainly of entirely different ethnic groups to East Pakistan, and following elections in 1970 in East Pakistan that elected a party that the government of Pakistan seriously disagreed with, the Pakistani government ignored the elections and started a brutal campaign of repression in East Pakistan. This culminated in Operation Searchlight on the 25th of March 1971, during which it is generally accepted that genocide was attempted as supporters and even civilian sympathisers of said party were shot and radical militias were created to support the government and military. A provisional Bangladeshi government was formed in April in exile to resist Pakistan, and India and Pakistan were at war 16 on the 3rd of December, with 16 This terminology is used because neither side declared war on the other, both merely accepted that hostilities had begun. 7

9 Pakistan surrendering in the East on the 17th of December. Somewhere between 300,000 and 3 million civilians were killed during the whole process, mostly by Pakistani forces, and 40 million people were forced to flee their homes, 30 million as IDPs. The relevance to this is that the war of independence and the subsequent instability (involving several coups) caused a large number of refugees to flee into Myanmar, with the Bangladeshi ambassador to Burma himself suggesting that 500,000 Bengalis, who would have been almost entirely muslim, had entered Arakan which Burma had some right to eject. 17 Due to concerns by the local Rakhine population, the Burmese government launched military operations in the region in the 70s, pushing up to 200,000 muslims into Bangladesh. Exactly which nationality these persons had is a point of contention: The Bangladeshi government complained that Burma forced Burmese muslims into Bangladesh, and Burma replied that the persons were, in fact, Bangladeshi. This period was followed by 50 years of Burmese military junta, in which muslims were not considered citizens and were (and remain) heavily oppressed Riots Recently, ethnic and religious tensions have flared up again. After the gangrape of a Rakhine woman by three Muslim men and the murder of ten Muslim men by Rakhines, intercommunal violence engulfed the region, with 75,000 displaced in the initial disturbances in June and 36,000 by the second wave in June, many of whom had not returned to their place of origin even one year on people were killed and 87 were injured in the first wave, and the food distribution to affected areas began. 19 The government proceeded to declare a state of emergency, but 17 O'Brian, Terrence J. Extract from record by UK Ambassador Terrence J O'Brien of his call in Rangoon on the Bangladesh Ambassador to Burma Khwaja Mohammed Kaiser. Ebook. vols. 1st ed. Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Online. Internet. 28 Oct Available: 18 "One year on: Displacement in Rakhine state, Myanmar", UNHCR, 2013, online, Internet, 28 Oct , Available: 19 "UN refugee agency redeploys staff to address humanitarian needs in Myanmar", UN News Service Section, 2012, online, Internet, 29 Oct , Available: 8

10 has been accused of committing violence and even torture against the Rohingya, 20 and during the riots proposed a plan to permanently resettle the entire muslim population of Rakhine in Bangladesh, which was rejected and condemned by all other parties, including the UN. 21 PREVIOUS UN ACTION Due to the fact that this topic is noticeable for the near-total lack of UN attention, this section will be unusually short for a study guide. World Food Program: The WFP supplies food to more than 85,000 people in the state of Rakhine (ongoing) as well as to those in IDP camps and refugee camps outside the country. United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees: The UNHCR cares for an estimated 200, ,000 Rohingya living either as IDP s or Refugees in other countries, mostly in Bangladesh. It rejected a plan proposed by Myanmar in 2012 to resettle the entire Rohingya population (IDP s and non-displaced people) abroad. 10 UNHCR aid workers were detained in Myanmar in June 2012 for inciting riots. 22 United Nations Security Council: The UNSC was briefed on the ongoing refugee crisis on the 28th of May 2015, no actions were taken. United Nations Human Rights Council: The UNHRC issued resolution A/HRC/29/L.30 titled Situation of human rights of Rohingya Muslims and other minorities in Myanmar in response to the 2015 refugee crisis calling for, among other things, a review of the inability of certain Burmese minorities to gain burmese citizenship and condemning violence against Burmese minorities, especially Rohingya muslims Francis Wade, "Burma 'creating humanitarian crisis' with displacement camps in Arakan", the Guardian, 2012, online, Internet, 28 Oct , Available: 21 "UN refugee chief rejects call to resettle Rohingya", Huffingtonpost.com, 2012, online, Internet, 28 Oct , Available: 22 Gwen Robinson, "UN aid workers face Myanmar riot charges", Financial Times, 2012, online, Internet,28Oct.2016,Available: 23 Human Rights Council resolution 29/L.30 Situation of human rights of Rohingya Muslims and other minorities in Myanmar, A/HRC/29/L.30 (1 July 2015), available from 9

11 BLOC POSITIONS USA: The USA serves as moral superpower in the actions taken towards solving this crisis. Largely in part due to its distance, it is unable to provide direct relief for refugees fleeing from persecution in Burma however it agrees to plans of resettlement and is willing to provide financial assistance where need be. ASEAN: There is a non-intervention policy within the member states as the crisis surrounds inhabitants from Myanmar. The Associate of Southeast Asian Nations - Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam - main plan of action surrounds intensifying the immediate search and rescue operations to ensure the wellbeing and safe return of the migrants lost at sea. Furthermore, these member states have agreed to provide temporary shelter to the refugees but are calling on the international community to provide financial assistance. 24 No concrete plan of action has yet been set. Myanmar: The country of Myanmar urges the international community to help them push the Rohingyas out of their state and urges states to consider the social, political, and cultural strains their [Rohingya] presence has been to the people of the Myanmar state. Gambia: Gambia acknowledges the urgency of the situation and wishes to alleviate the plight of the Rohingya by resettling all Rohingya refugees into their state, despite its impoverished condition. The West African state views it as part of their sacred duty to alleviate the untold hardships and sufferings fellow human beings are being confronted with 25 but would like to plead to the larger global community to aid in providing financial support in order for Gambia to provide for the refugees. Bangladesh: Bangladesh, although not adamantly against the reintegration of the Rohingyas back into their country, strongly urges a reconsideration of this intended plan of action due to the lack of financial stability and infrastructure to support a large and increasingly growing influx of Rohingya refugees. 24 "ASEAN s Response to Rohingya Crisis Falls Short", The Diplomat, 2015, online, Internet, 29 Oct , Available: 25 "South-east Asia migrant crisis: Gambia offers to resettle all Rohingya refugees", The Guardian, 2015, online, Internet, 29 Oct , Available: 10

12 Malaysia and Thailand: Both Malaysia and Thailand have pledged to assist with resettlement programs of refugees into their respective countries. Again, similar to Gambia, financial assistance would be beneficial to impacting greater change. CONCLUSION The Rohingya refugee crisis was caused due to social and cultural tensions, which created a division amongst the Muslim minority and Buddhist majority in the state of Myanmar. It has its roots from the early 20th century, however it is becoming an increasingly pressing issue among today s international community as the 2015 mass migration of refugees, set for persecution, seek refuge in neighbouring countries. The problems arisen from this modern day crisis largely concerns violations of human rights as well as serious humanitarian consequences surrounding access to basic living necessities due to strict movement restrictions within these areas. The UNHCR must work towards ensuring not only the safety and protection of refugees seeking asylum in Burma s neighboring countries, but it must also work towards creating a safe, accessible, and viable living environment for resettlement of these refugees into the new societies. POINTS A RESOLUTION MUST ADDRESS Due to the relatively little international engagement of this refugee crisis matter, all points of resolutions are open for consideration. However, when writing your resolutions keep in mind these following points. The resolution should aim to achieve: - A solution that reduces the number of refugees by either addressing the Burmese government to revoke age-old legal stances on the Rohingyas rights to citizenship and other day-to-day operations throughout society or methods of effective division of refugees amongst the neighbouring countries so as to not strain financial agencies of any one country in their attempt to re-integrate Rohingya refugees into their country - A solution which addresses the treatment of asylum seekers - Structuring of rehabilitation centres and asylums FURTHER READING 11

13 As an introduction, wikipedia page on the History of the Rohingya as a people 2_18_AEV.docx Human rights violations and abuses against Rohingya Muslims and other minorities in Myanmar - Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (2016) Mixed Maritime Movements in South-East Asia Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (2015) States of denial: A review of UNHCR s response to the protracted situation of stateless Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Policy Development and Evaluation Service (2011) UNHCR calls for safer alternatives to deadly Bay of Bengal voyages Summary of a press briefing by the UNHCR spokesperson (2016) UNHCR Resolution A/HRC/29/L.30 titled Situation of human rights of Rohingya Muslims and other minorities in Myanmar (2015) Detailed analysis, definitions, identification of Rohingya people and their quest for identity 12

14 BIBLIOGRAPHY References "ASEAN s Response to Rohingya Crisis Falls Short". The Diplomat, Online. Internet. 29 Oct Available: "Campaigns of violence towards Rohingya are highly organised and genocidal in intent". Qmul.ac.uk, Online. Internet. 29 Oct Available: Chan, Aye. The Development of a Muslim Enclave in Arakan (Rakhine) State of Burma (Myanmar). Ebook. vols. 1st ed. London: SOAS, Online. Internet. 28 Oct Available: "Legal Protection". UNHCR, n.d. Online. Internet. 28 Oct Available: Leider, Jacques P. "Rohingya: The name. The movement. The quest for identity.".nation Building in Myanmar (2014): Online. Internet. 29 Oct "Muslims and Rohingya - Minority Rights Group". Minority Rights Group, n.d. Online. Internet. 28 Oct Available: "Myanmar s shame". The Economist, Online. Internet. 29 Oct Available: O'Brian, Terrence J. Extract from record by UK Ambassador Terrence J O'Brien of his call in Rangoon on the Bangladesh Ambassador to Burma Khwaja Mohammed Kaiser. Ebook. vols. 1st ed. Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Online. Internet. 28 Oct Available: Office of the Supdt., Government Printing and Stationery, Burma,. Volume XI, BURMA, Pt II Tables. Census of India, Rangoon: Office of the Supdt., Government Printing and Stationery, Burma, Online. Internet. 28 Oct Available: "One year on: Displacement in Rakhine state, Myanmar". UNHCR, Online. Internet. 28 Oct Available: 13

15 Robinson, Gwen. "UN aid workers face Myanmar riot charges". Financial Times, Online. Internet. 28 Oct Available: "South-east Asia migrant crisis: Gambia offers to resettle all Rohingya refugees". The Guardian, Online. Internet. 29 Oct Available: "The mandate of the High Commissioner for Refugees and his Office". UNHCR, n.d. Online. Internet. 23 Oct Available: "The Rohingya boat crisis: why refugees are fleeing Burma". The Week UK, Online. Internet. 29 Oct Available: "The Rohingya Crisis", n.d. Online. Internet. 29 Oct Available: "The Rohingyas Refugee Crisis: A Regional and International Issue?". Middle East Institute, n.d. Online. Internet. 29 Oct Available: "UN refugee agency redeploys staff to address humanitarian needs in Myanmar". UN News Service Section, Online. Internet. 29 Oct Available: "UN refugee chief rejects call to resettle Rohingya". Huffingtonpost.com, Online. Internet. 28 Oct Available: Unknown,. "The Rohingyas - The most persecuted people on Earth?". The Economist, 2015: N/A. Online. Internet. 28 Oct Available: Wade, Francis. "Burma 'creating humanitarian crisis' with displacement camps in Arakan". the Guardian, Online. Internet. 28 Oct Available: 14

16 Please research fully by looking at newspaper articles, UN and NGO reports as your main sources. Organisations such as Human Rights Watch, International Crisis Group, Amnesty International and International Committee of the Red Cross provide academic research and reports which you can actively use for your research. GLOSSARY Arakan: An older name for the modern day state of Rakhine ASEAN, Association of South-East Asian Nations: Think EU but far less integrated and in Asia Burma - Myanmar: The current government has said that both are acceptable English names for the country, both can and will be used interchangeably. British Raj: A British colonial dominion, encompassed the modern day states of Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Burma, ceased to exist in 1947 upon partition into Pakistan (East and West), India and Burma East Pakistan: Former name for Bangladesh when it was part of the state of Pakistan, became Bangladesh in 1971 IDP - Internally Displaced Person: Someone who has been forced to flee their home but has not left their own country. Rakhine (ethnic group): The buddhist ethnic group which the state is named after Rakhine (state): A state of Myanmar, is on the coast and borders Bangladesh UNSC: United Nations Security Council UNGA: United Nations General Assembly UNHCR: United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees UNHRC: United Nations Human Rights Council WFP: World Food Programme, a UN agency 15