America, Myanmar, and the Starving Rohingya Crisis – Washington Post

The provided text, an opinion editorial from an unnamed source, discusses the dire humanitarian crisis faced by the Rohingya people in Myanmar and Bangladesh. It highlights how Myanmar’s military junta is deliberately starving Rohingya confined to internment camps and forcibly conscripting men into their army. The editorial also describes the deplorable conditions in Bangladeshi refugee camps, exacerbated by global aid funding shortfalls, leading to perilous sea journeys for those seeking escape. Finally, the piece argues for renewed U.S. engagement through restored humanitarian funding, targeted sanctions against the junta, and advocacy for a sustainable resolution for the Rohingya at the UN.

The Rohingya Crisis: A Perfect Storm of Neglect

The Rohingya crisis is a complex and unfolding humanitarian disaster affecting the long-persecuted Rohingya people, primarily in Myanmar (also known as Burma) and neighboring Bangladesh.

Here’s a detailed overview:

• Situation in Myanmar
• Persecution and Deliberate Starvation: A new horror is unfolding in Myanmar’s troubled Rakhine state, where the Rohingya are caught in the crossfire of the country’s civil war and are being deliberately starved. The ruling junta has imposed blockades, cutting off virtually all vital supplies to the 145,000 Rohingya confined to overcrowded, squalid internment camps.
• Humanitarian Catastrophe: At least 25 Rohingya adults have reportedly died from starvation this year, and seven from a lack of medical care. Children are suffering from malnutrition.
• Forced Conscription and Desperation: Rohingya men are being forcibly conscripted to fight in the Myanmar army, with some volunteering on the promise of their families being fed in lieu of salaries. Women, many widowed, are left begging for food from camp to camp or resorting to sex work for survival.
• Political Landscape: Myanmar’s military regime has faced significant setbacks since a rebel offensive in October 2023, which saw insurgents overrun military outposts and capture most border regions. However, the junta has managed to retake some towns using drones for targeted airstrikes and forced conscription to replenish its depleted army ranks. The junta is considering holding elections, but any such exercise would be a sham as political parties, including the National League for Democracy, have been banned, and key leaders like Aung San Suu Kyi remain imprisoned. The junta controls only about a third of the country.
• Situation in Bangladesh
• Refugee Crisis: The desperation in Myanmar mirrors the disaster in teeming refugee camps across the border in Bangladesh, where nearly 1 million Rohingya have fled earlier waves of ethnic violence. Bangladesh, a poor country itself, bears an immense burden hosting the world’s largest refugee camp at Cox’s Bazar.
• Harsh Conditions: The Bangladeshi government wants the Rohingya to return home, refusing to offer them asylum or allow them to work, go to school, or build permanent structures.
• Aid Shortfalls: Conditions in the camps have deteriorated due to slashed daily food rations, a direct result of global aid funding shortfalls, including from the United States. Relief groups have reduced daily food rations by half, clinics have halted all but emergency treatment, and programs for child protection, mental health, and prevention of gender-based violence have been curtailed.
• Perilous Escapes: Desperate refugees have attempted to escape the awful conditions in Bangladesh by risking perilous sea journeys in overcrowded boats bound for Malaysia and Indonesia, leading to hundreds of drownings. Simultaneously, some 150,000 Rohingya, showing signs of malnutrition, continue to arrive in Bangladesh after escaping Myanmar.
• International Response and US Role
• US Retreat and Funding Cuts: The Trump administration’s sweeping cuts to foreign aid have exacerbated this crisis. The U.S. retreat is creating a moral and strategic vacuum.
• China’s Influence: China has quickly stepped into this void, prioritizing stability along its 1,300-mile border with Myanmar and seeking to protect its vast economic interests, including the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor. Beijing engages with both the junta and armed ethnic groups, has protected the junta from tougher international sanctions, and has treated the junta leader, Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, as an esteemed head of state. China also backs the idea of sham elections and encourages regional support for them.
• Call for US Action: The sources argue that “America First” should not mean American neglect. The U.S. should recognize the urgency of the Myanmar crisis and take several actions:
• Restore funding for humanitarian operations in Myanmar and Bangladesh.
• Implement an expanded and targeted pressure campaign of sanctions against the regime, targeting its oil and gas revenue, unsanctioned financial institutions, and international suppliers of jet fuel.
• Use a high-level U.N. conference on the Rohingya crisis in September to press for a sustainable resolution for the displaced, including their safe, voluntary return home with full citizenship rights.

The Rohingya crisis is like a ship caught in a perfect storm: internal conflict and deliberate persecution in Myanmar acting as strong currents, global aid shortfalls and international neglect serving as dwindling supplies and a damaged compass, and the rise of other geopolitical interests like China’s economic corridor acting as an unpredictable tide altering its course. Without concerted international effort, the ship of the Rohingya people remains adrift and facing further peril.

America’s Retreat and the Call for Rohingya Action

The United States’ involvement in the Rohingya crisis, as detailed in the sources, has primarily been characterized by a retreat from humanitarian aid and a subsequent call for renewed and more decisive action.

Historically, the Trump administration’s sweeping cuts to foreign aid have significantly exacerbated the crisis. These funding shortfalls, specifically including from the United States, directly led to a deterioration of conditions for Rohingya refugees. Relief groups in Bangladesh, grappling with these cuts, have had to reduce daily food rations by half, halt all but emergency treatment at clinics, and curtail crucial programs for child protection, mental health, and the prevention of gender-based violence. This withdrawal of US support has created what the sources describe as a “moral and strategic vacuum”. This vacuum has been swiftly filled by other international actors, notably China, which prioritizes stability along its border with Myanmar and its vast economic interests, including the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor. China has also protected the junta from tougher international sanctions and treated its leader as an esteemed head of state.

Given the ongoing suffering and the deteriorating situation for the Rohingya, the sources strongly advocate for a reinvigorated US role. Key recommendations for US action include:

• Recognizing the urgency of the Myanmar crisis.
• Restoring funding for humanitarian operations in both Myanmar and Bangladesh to alleviate the severe aid shortfalls currently impacting the camps.
• Implementing an expanded and targeted pressure campaign of sanctions against the Myanmar regime. This campaign should specifically target the junta’s oil and gas revenue, any remaining unsanctioned financial institutions, and international suppliers of jet fuel, which are crucial for maintaining the military’s air force.
• Utilizing a high-level U.N. conference on the Rohingya crisis in September to press for a sustainable resolution for the displaced population. This resolution should aim for their safe, voluntary return home to Myanmar, coupled with the guarantee of full citizenship rights.

The sources emphasize that “America First” should not equate to American neglect, underscoring the moral imperative for the United States not to “turn a disengaged eye from the suffering of the Rohingya”.

The US involvement in the Rohingya crisis can be viewed like a lighthouse. Once a beacon of humanitarian aid and international pressure, its light has dimmed, allowing the suffering of the Rohingya to worsen and creating a navigational void that other geopolitical forces are quick to fill. The call now is for that light to be reignited, stronger and more focused, to guide the Rohingya towards safety and a sustainable future.

Myanmar Junta: Siege, Starvation, and Global Politics

The Myanmar junta is the ruling military regime in Myanmar (also known as Burma). The sources provide a detailed, largely critical view of its actions, control, and international standing, particularly in the context of the ongoing Rohingya crisis and civil war.

Here’s a discussion of the Myanmar junta based on the sources:

• Actions Against the Rohingya
• Deliberate Starvation and Blockades: The junta has imposed blockades that cut off virtually all vital supplies to the 145,000 Rohingya confined in overcrowded, squalid internment camps in Rakhine state. This has led to the deliberate starvation of the Rohingya. Reports indicate at least 25 Rohingya adults have died from starvation this year, and seven from lack of medical care, with children also suffering from malnutrition.
• Forced Conscription: Rohingya men are being forcibly conscripted to fight in the Myanmar army. Some even volunteer, desperate for the promise that their families will be fed in lieu of salaries.
• Political and Military Landscape
• Civil War and Setbacks: The military regime has faced significant setbacks since an October 2023 rebel offensive, which saw insurgents overrun many military outposts and capture most of Myanmar’s border regions.
• Regaining Some Control: Despite these setbacks, the junta has managed to retake some towns by using drones for targeted airstrikes and implementing forced conscription to replenish its depleted army ranks. These recent battlefield successes, coupled with the junta leader’s international forays and the continued paralysis of ASEAN, promote a sense that the military regime is regaining control and legitimacy.
• Sham Elections: The junta is considering holding elections this year or in January. However, the sources deem any such exercise to be a sham. This is because political parties, including the National League for Democracy (which won the last election in 2020), have been banned, key political leaders like Aung San Suu Kyi remain imprisoned, millions are displaced, and the junta controls only about a third of the country.
• Limited Territorial Control: The junta controls only approximately one-third of the country, including the capital, Naypyidaw, and the largest city, Yangon.
• International Relations and Support
• China’s Support: China has swiftly stepped into the “moral and strategic vacuum” left by the U.S. retreat. Beijing prioritizes stability along its 1,300-mile border with Myanmar and aims to protect its vast economic interests, including the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor. China nominally engages with both the junta and armed ethnic groups, but it has notably protected the junta from tougher international sanctions. China has also treated the junta leader, Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, as an esteemed head of state, with recent meetings between him and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Moscow, and a visit by China’s top diplomat to Myanmar. China also backs the idea of the junta’s sham elections and encourages regional countries to support them.
• ASEAN Paralysis: The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has shown continued paralysis regarding the situation in Myanmar, which contributes to the perception that the military regime is regaining control and legitimacy.
• Proposed US Actions Against the Junta
• The sources advocate for an expanded and targeted pressure campaign of sanctions against the regime. These sanctions should specifically target the junta’s oil and gas revenue, its remaining unsanctioned financial institutions, and international suppliers of jet fuel that are essential for its air force. The U.S. is also urged to use a high-level U.N. conference to press for a sustainable resolution for the displaced Rohingya, including their safe, voluntary return home with full citizenship rights.

In essence, the Myanmar junta, despite facing internal rebellion and controlling only a fraction of the country, is maintaining its grip on power through brutal tactics like starvation and forced conscription against the Rohingya, while benefiting from the strategic and economic support of major global players like China, which shields it from more robust international pressure. It acts like a fortress under siege, internally vulnerable but externally bolstered by certain allies and a lack of unified international action.

Rohingya Crisis: The Dire Consequences of Dwindling Aid

Humanitarian aid plays a critical, yet currently insufficient, role in addressing the dire circumstances faced by the Rohingya population, both in Myanmar and in refugee camps in Bangladesh. The sources highlight a significant retreat in global aid funding, particularly from the United States, which has had severe consequences for the Rohingya.

Here’s a detailed discussion of humanitarian aid based on the sources:

• Deterioration of Conditions Due to Aid Shortfalls:
• In the teeming refugee camps in Bangladesh, where nearly 1 million Rohingya have fled, conditions have deteriorated significantly.
• This decline is a direct result of global aid funding shortfalls, including from the United States.
• Relief groups, grappling with these cuts, have been forced to reduce daily food rations by half for refugees.
• Essential services have been curtailed: clinics now halt all but emergency treatment, and vital programs for child protection, mental health, and the prevention of gender-based violence have been curtailed.
• This has led to desperate refugees risking perilous sea journeys to escape the awful conditions. New arrivals in Bangladesh are also showing “telltale signs of malnutrition”.
• Deliberate Starvation Tactics by the Junta in Myanmar:
• Within Myanmar’s Rakhine state, a “new horror is unfolding” as the ruling junta has imposed blockades that cut off virtually all vital supplies to the 145,000 Rohingya confined in overcrowded internment camps.
• This constitutes a tactic of deliberate starvation, with reports detailing at least 25 Rohingya adults dying from starvation this year and seven from a lack of medical care. Children are also suffering from malnutrition.
• The extreme desperation for food is evident in reports of Rohingya men being forcibly conscripted to fight in the Myanmar army, with some even volunteering solely on the promise that their families will be fed in lieu of salaries. Women, including many widows, have been left “begging for food from camp to camp or engaging in sex work for survival”.
• The US Retreat and its Consequences:
• The Trump administration’s “sweeping cuts to foreign aid have exacerbated this crisis”.
• This “U.S. retreat is creating a moral and strategic vacuum”. This vacuum has been swiftly filled by other international actors, notably China, whose priorities, such as stability along its border with Myanmar and its vast economic interests, do not align with prioritizing humanitarian assistance for the Rohingya.
• Calls for Restoring and Increasing Aid:
• The sources strongly advocate for a reinvigorated US role in humanitarian aid.
• It is urged that funding for humanitarian operations in both Myanmar and Bangladesh should be restored.
• The sentiment is clear: “America First” should not mean “American neglect”, and the United States should not “turn a disengaged eye from the suffering of the Rohingya”.

In essence, humanitarian aid, once a crucial lifeline, has been severely constricted, leaving the Rohingya in a state of exacerbated suffering and desperation. The call for restored aid is like asking for a doused flame to be relit, not just to offer warmth, but to illuminate a path towards survival and dignity for a population teetering on the brink.

China’s Strategic Anchor in the Myanmar Crisis

China plays a significant and influential role in the Myanmar crisis, particularly in supporting the ruling junta and filling the void left by the reduced US presence.

Here’s a breakdown of China’s involvement:

• Filling the Vacuum: China has been “quick to step into the void” created by the “moral and strategic vacuum” left by the U.S. retreat and its sweeping cuts to foreign aid. This means that as the U.S. has pulled back from active humanitarian and political engagement, China has increased its influence.
• Strategic and Economic Motivations:Stability: Beijing prioritizes stability along its 1,300-mile border with Myanmar. This is a key geopolitical concern for China.
• Economic Interests: China aims to protect its “vast economic interests” in Myanmar. This includes the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor, which is described as a “wide-ranging infrastructure project involving high-speed rail, a port and oil and gas pipelines that connect landlocked Yunnan province to the Indian Ocean”. This corridor is vital for China’s regional economic ambitions, providing it with a crucial access point to the Indian Ocean.
• Support for the Junta:Protection from Sanctions: China has explicitly “protected the junta from tougher international sanctions”. This action undermines international efforts to pressure the military regime into changing its policies, including its brutal treatment of the Rohingya.
• Legitimization: China has “treated the junta leader, Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, as an esteemed head of state”. Recent evidence of this includes meetings between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Min Aung Hlaing in Moscow, and a visit by China’s top diplomat to Myanmar. These actions contribute to a perception that the military regime is “regaining control and legitimacy” despite internal setbacks.
• Backing Sham Elections: China has “backed the idea” of the junta holding elections this year or in January and is “encouraging regional countries to support it, too”. This support comes despite the fact that any such elections are considered a “sham” due to the banning of political parties, imprisonment of key leaders like Aung San Suu Kyi, widespread displacement, and the junta’s control over only about one-third of the country.
• Engagement Approach: While primarily supporting the junta, Beijing also “nominally engages with both the junta and some of the armed ethnic groups holding sway in border regions”. This allows China to maintain influence with various factions, but its actions overwhelmingly favor the military regime.

In essence, China’s role is akin to a strategic anchor for the Myanmar junta. While the junta faces internal storms of civil war and international criticism, China provides a vital connection to the outside world and a shield against the strongest international pressures, allowing the regime to maintain its course and a sense of legitimacy despite its atrocities and limited territorial control.

By Amjad Izhar
Contact: amjad.izhar@gmail.com
https://amjadizhar.blog

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