Why is Bangladesh Shifting Refugees to an Island?
Bangladeshi authorities have commenced a process of moving thousands of refugees to a remote island. What’s going on?
Unbeknownst to much of the world, there’s a humanitarian crisis brewing in Bangladesh. The country’s government is relocating thousands of Rohingya refugees to an island in the Bay of Bengal. It seems surreal that something like this is even possible. Bangladesh is literally taking thousands of refugees, putting them on a boat, and shipping them to a remote island.
Today’s Legalease will unpack this gut-wrenching story.
Born a Crime
The Rohingyas are an ethnic minority living primarily in Myanmar’s Rakhine state. Over the last few years, Myanmar has conducted a systematic slaughter against this group. They aren’t even recognised as citizens in the country.
Tensions between the government and the Rohingyas hit a crescendo in August 2017. Rohingya militants attacked more than 30 police posts. In retaliation, the troops burnt entire villages and killed innocent citizens.
In the month that followed, 6,700 Rohingyas were murdered.
Lakhs of refugees fled to Bangladesh seeking shelter and support. They settled in an area called Cox’s Bazar. But Bangladesh wasn’t having it. Citing overcrowding and unhealthy living conditions, it decided to shift the refugees to an island called Bhasan Char.
International Response
The international community – ranging from the United Nations (‘UN’) to the Human Rights Watch (‘HRW’) – has raised concerns about this decision.
On 2 December 2020, the UN released a statement emphasising that the refugees should –
(a) be able to make a free and informed decision about relocating to Bhasan Char;
(b) receive a safe, feasible, and sustainable place to live; and,
(c) be provided rights such as freedom of movement to mainland Bangladesh and access to education, healthcare, and job opportunities.
Bangladesh has claimed that these conditions are being fulfilled. But, the HRW doesn’t think so. The organisation spoke with several families who had no idea how their names had appeared on the relocation list. Some claimed that they were being threatened to move to the Bhasan Char.
HRW also flagged that the government had provided limited information to the Rohingyas about the conditions on the island. The refugees described it as “prison-like.”
No Country for Refugees
What role does international law play in all this?
In January, the International Court of Justice (‘ICJ’) passed a provisional order recognising the need to protect the Rohingyas. This case was based on violations of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.
However, this is just a preliminary decision. It doesn’t go into details of whether Myanmar was guilty of genocide; neither does it address questions of repatriation.
Previously, the UN Security Council issued a statement condemning what had happened in Myanmar. It noted that there was “widespread violence,” “human rights violations,” and “excessive use of military force.” This statement, however, is non-binding, i.e. it doesn’t require Myanmar to do anything.
In 2017, the UN Humans Rights Council dispatched a fact-finding mission to understand what had transpired. A detailed report was published in September 2018. This document describes horrors such as forced labour, rape, and mass murders. Unsurprisingly, the government of Myanmar rejected all the findings.
This is an enormous challenge for the international community. The Rohingyas don’t want to go back to Myanmar. International law prevents them from being returned forcibly (principle of non-refoulement). Bangladesh is finding it difficult to absorb the lakhs of refugees. And organisations such as the UN and the ICJ are grappling with the legalities of the situation.
As thousands of refugees get moved to a remote island in the sea, all we can do is hope.
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