India must try not to target all Rohingyas

The issue of Rohingya Muslims, who have lived in Burma’s western Arakan province (now called Rakhine) that abutted India’s colonial-era Bengal for centuries but are now stateless and face apartheid-style indignities as they are officially denied Myanmar citizenship, was foregrounded during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s just-ended visit to Myanmar. This was unfortunately done in a way that risks bringing India into controversy on the same count that raised doubts in international circles, including the United Nations, about Myanmar’s Nobel laureate leader Aung San Suu Kyi’s attitude toward the Rohingya population, of just over a million, due to their religion. In his talks with State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, Mr Modi said he shared Myanmar’s “concerns about extremist violence in Rakhine state, specially the violence against the security forces”. It is true a group of Rohingyas have lately turned to extremist violence, and the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) recently attacked the Myanmarese security forces who routinely face the allegation of rape and murder and genocide-like activity against Rohingyas and from time to time drive them out. Routinely, the Rohingyas have crossed over into next-door Bangladesh, from where they have tricked into India where a few thousand lead a precarious existence. ARSA’s activities can be a matter of legitimate security concern in both Myanmar and India in an era in which international terrorist groups like Al Qaeda and the Islamic State are active. Nevertheless, the official Indian articulation in Naypyitaw needed to be far more nuanced. Although Daw Aung San has recently claimed sympathy for the Rohingyas has built up internationally due to “an iceberg of misunderstanding”, her government is yet to tell the world the source of this misunderstanding. To begin with, it has not said why the Rohingyas have been permanently debarred from becoming Myanmar citizens under the country’s military dictatorship-era citizenship law of 1982.

ARSA is a fairly recent creation and it is unfair to depict all members of any community as being a security threat. India should be careful and ensure that this distinction is indeed made. It is regrettable that this nuancing was not done during the Prime Minister’s trip, leaving the impression that India too is condemning all Rohingyas as a potential security threat. This is exactly what the Hindutva proponents say of all Muslims. Officially too, the Union home ministry has issued directions that all Rohingyas, many of whom are settled in Jammu, Japiur, Delhi, Haryana and Hyderabad, be deported even if they possess the UN refugee certificate. India supporting Daw Aung San on the Rohingya issue may not be the best way of competing with China for Myanmar’s attention, for Beijing can play the same game. The world’s biggest democracy should play the democracy card far more effectively.