Malaysia, as current chair of the Association
of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), has done the right thing in calling for an
urgent meeting over the plight of thousands of migrants from Myanmar and
Bangladesh left adrift in the Bay of Bengal and the Strait of Malacca.
Though
that call should have come earlier - the mainly stateless Muslim migrants have
been boarding boats in the thousands since October for the dangerous journey
down the coasts of Myanmar and Thailand - at least Asean is now acting.
Malaysian
Foreign Minister Anifah Aman said he would seek separate meetings with his Thai
and Indonesian counterparts to discuss the problem, adding that Myanmar should
summon a meeting of its own, an emergency one if necessary, to discuss and seek
solutions.
But what
is not yet clear is whether Malaysia has any clear proposals on how Asean can
handle this humanitarian crisis.
Members
of the regional bloc have long known about the plight of the stateless Rohingya
in Myanmar and Bangladesh. However, those who continue arguing over the ethnic
group's geographical origins and blaming two centuries of British colonialism
for the refugees' "pariah" status miss the point.
The
pressing issue is that the Rohingya are facing intolerable conditions where
they live. Authorities in Myanmar and Bangladesh refuse them citizenship and
regard them as illegal settlers. Buddhist-majority Myanmar even refuses to
acknowledge their existence, misidentifying them as Bengalis.
At the
end of the monsoon season every year, thousands of Rohingya board boats in the
Bay of Bengal in search of a better life elsewhere. The desperate trek is
managed by people-trafficking syndicates. Malaysia is the favoured destination,
though not the only one.
Most
Rohingya migrants are willing to go anywhere they might make a comfortable
living. Muslim-majority countries like Malaysia and Indonesia are preferred,
but neighbouring Thailand has
also been
a convenient haven, despite the risks of falling foul of traffickers. An
estimated 100,000 Rohingya have settled elsewhere in Southeast Asia since they
began fleeing Myanmar nearly half a century ago.
Asean
member-countries have experience in dealing with crises resulting from this
mass migration. Last week the Indonesian navy followed the example set six years
ago when the Royal Thai Navy towed out to sea a boat containing 300 Rohingya
seeking to land on our shores.
That
action in 2009 made international headlines and became an embarrassment for
Thailand. It was also the focus of Asean attention, since Thailand was at that
time chairing the association.
Unfortunately
the regional bloc has never properly addressed the issue of Rohingya migration,
no matter which country has been at the helm.
When the
Asean chair passed to Myanmar last year, the government in Nay Pyi Taw
consistently barred the subject at regional meetings, resulting in media at
home proudly announcing that the government had succeeded in keeping the
Rohingya off Asean summit agendas. Last month saw that silence maintained at
the latest summit, despite pressure for a debate from host Malaysia.
With
Malaysia now pushing to bring the issue to the table again, member-countries
should resist the temptation to play the blame game. Instead they must focus on
forging the strategies and putting in place the measures that are urgently
needed for both the short and the long term.
The
priority is to save the lives of the Rohingya already on the move and find them
safe havens. The United Nations and other international organisations that can
render aid should be urged to join the effort.
With the
safety of the migrants secured, Asean can then agree on their origin-identity
and decide where they should live. Much of the current talk can be postponed.
Right now only action will save the thousands of lives at risk.
The
Nation
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