Will the UN go beyond words?

Ever since the Myanmar government’s ethnic cleansing of Rohingya Muslims began last month, much of the world had little to offer other than a few rote words of condemnation. Some countries, particularly India, even extended support to the Myanmar government, with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expelling Rohingya refugees and visiting Myanmar. That has changed somewhat at the UN General Assembly session in New York. French President Emmanuel Macron called the forced removal of nearly half a million Rohingya Muslims as being tantamount to “genocide” and made it clear that he would push the UN to take action. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres was more circumspect, restricting himself to urging a halt to the military campaign and asking the government to allow unhindered humanitarian access. Even the US, which has not had much to say about the Rohingya crisis, finally took a stand at the UN. Vice President Mike Pence accused the Myanmar government of “terrible savagery” and called on the Security Council to take action. Still, the Myanmar government’s response continues to be one of dissembling and denial. Myanmar Vice President Henry Van Thio, speaking at the UN, made the claim that most Rohingya have remained in their villages, the situation has improved and aid is reaching those who need it. None of this is true. The UN itself has put the number of those fleeing at over 400,000 and now says many of them are at risk of falling prey to human traffickers because of the absence of government and UN-run camps.

Earlier this week, Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi finally gave a speech on the situation after weeks of silence and, much like Thio, she too refused to accept responsibility. She denied any operations were conducted to clear villages even though photos of villages being set ablaze have been available. She painted a picture of Myanmar as a country where all citizens are treated equally even though most Rohingya are denied even the basic right of citizenship. The pressure on Kyi may finally be increased with much of the international community condemning her government at the UN but the problem is that many of Myanmar’s neighbours continue to support her regime. India still blames the crisis on a militant attack on a Myanmar police post believed to be carried out by a Rohingya group rather than the organised ethnic cleansing carried out by the government. Bangladesh is more worried about the exodus of refugees into its country rather than the fate of the Rohingya. The UN General Assembly and Security Council will now need to take an unequivocal stand to shame these countries and the government of Myanmar into finally protecting the Rohingya community.