UMassMUN XII

March 15th-17th, 2013

Rakhine State Confl ict A Joint Crisis Committee

     

Geography: Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, is a sovereign state in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by India, Bangladesh, China, Laos, Thailand, and the Bay of Bengal. Rakhine state, on Myanmar western coastline, is the main focus of this committee. There are nine refugee camps in Sittwe, the capital of Rakhine. Figure 1: Map of Myanmar (formerly Burma)

     

Figure 2: Map of Rakhine State History: Government: Since gaining independence from England in 1948, Myanmar has been in one of the worlds longest running civil wars. This war is among the country’s myriad ethnic groups and remains unresolved. From 1962 to 2011, the country was under military rule that suppressed almost all dissent and wielded absolute power in the face of international condemnation and sanctions. The generals, or military junta, who ran Myanmar stand accused of gross human rights abuses including the forcible relocation of civilians and the widespread use of forced labor, including child labor. Seen as a pariah state by the international community with China as its only ally, the country’s infrastructure and education system broke down and the economy floundered under the regime. This has created an environment in which present conflicts have been allowed to brew. The military junta was officially dissolved in 2011 following a general election in 2010. This election led to a nominally civilian government being installed, led by President Thein Sein, who served as a general and then Prime Minister under the military junta. The military retains enormous influence as it is entrenched in Parliament through a 2008 national constitution brought in under the military junta. A quarter of seats in both parliamentary chambers are reserved for the military, and three key ministerial posts - interior, defense and border affairs - must be held by serving generals.

In response to the 2010 democratic elections, the recognition of the National League for Democracy (NLD) party and the election of its leader, Aung San Suu Kyi to Parliament, the European Union, United States, and Australia agreed to suspend economic sanctions against Myanmar. However, this fragile transition to democracy is threatened by sectarian tensions primarily in the western state of Rakhine between the Akaran Buddhist majority and ethnic Rohingya Muslim minority. Poverty, neglect, and repression in Rakhine have played a big role in fuelling the communal violence. Bitter historical memories, and the fears felt in rival communities of what might be lost or gained in Myanmar’s new and uncertain political

     

environment also play a role. Attempts at reform could be halted by the violence. The violence is a test to this transition and to the nation-building process.

The Rohingya: The Rohingya, described by the United Nations as one of the most persecuted minorities in the world, are a religious and linguistic Muslim minority in western Myanmar. The origins of the word Rohingya, and how they came to be in Burma, are controversial with some historians saying the group dates back centuries and others saying they only emerged as an ethnic group in the last century. A document on Burmese languages dating back to 1799 refers to "Rooinga" as "natives of Arakan [Rakhine]". However it is widely believed by the Burmese that most Rohingya came from Bangladesh around 1821, when Britain annexed Burma as a province of British India and introduced migrant Muslim laborers. Over the past three decades, the Rohingya have been systematically driven out of their lands by Myanmar's military junta. The Myanmar government says they are relatively recent migrants from the Indian sub-continent. With the passage of the military junta’s 1982 Citizenship Law, only persons who settled in the country before independence in 1948 are considered citizens. While the country’s constitution does include Rohingya among indigenous groups qualifying for citizenship they are officially considered illegal migrants due to the Citizenship Law. They have been subjected to widespread violence and the total negation of their rights and citizenship within Myanmar. They are a stateless population. Stripped officially of their citizenship, the Rohingya found their lives in limbo. They are prohibited from owning land or property, barred from travelling outside their villages, cannot repair their decaying places of worship, cannot receive an education in any language and cannot marry or have children without being granted government permission. The Rohingya have also been subjected to modern-day slavery. They are forced to work on infrastructure projects, such as constructing "model villages" to house

     

the Myanmar settlers intended to displace them. The denial of citizenship and rights was accompanied by a military strategy of physical and cultural war designed to drive the Rohingya out of Myanmar. The initial ethnic cleansing campaign by the military came in 1978 under Operation Naga Min, or Operation King Dragon. The stated purpose of this operation was to scrutinize each individual within the state and designate them as either a citizen or alleged "illegal immigrant". This resulted in widespread rape, arbitrary arrests, desecration of mosques, destruction of villages and confiscation of lands belonging the Rohingya people. In the wake of this violence, nearly a quarter of a million Rohingya fled to neighboring Bangladesh. Many of these people were later repatriated, still as illegal immigrants, to Myanmar where they faced further torture, rape, jail and death. In 1991 a second push, known as Operation Pyi Thaya or Operation Clean and Beautiful Nation, was launched with the same purpose. This resulted in further violence and another massive flow of 200,000 Rohingya refugees into Bangladesh.

Today it is estimated that 800,000 Rohingya live in Myanmar with another 200,000 residing in Bangladesh. Historically, the Buddhist Burmese majority has resented the presence of Rohingyas, who they view as Muslims from another country. The Rohingyas, on the other hand, feel they are part of Myanmar and claim persecution by the state. There continues to be widespread public hostility towards the Rohingya in Myanmar, particularly in Rakhine state. This present conflict is the focus of this committee.

Context:

The latest surge of regional violence began on June 8, 2012 when a Buddhist woman was raped and murdered. A group of Rohingya men were blamed for the incident. In retaliation, a group of Rohingya Muslim pilgrimists were brutally murdered by radical Akaran (Rakhine) Buddhists. Villages on both sides have been burned and there is mass displacement of both peoples. In response to the violence, President Thein Sein imposed

     

a state of emergency in Rakhine, putting a curfew in place and establishing martial law across in the territory. Both sides are responsible for atrocities, but the majority of the violence has been committed and perpetuated by the Buddhist Burmese citizens and authorities. A 56-page report by Human Rights Watch accuses the Burmese security forces put in place by the state of emergency of participating in the rape, murder, and displacement of Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine state.

Figure 3: Satellite pictures by Human Rights Watch show hundreds of buildings destroyed in the coastal town of Kyaukpyu in Rakhine.

To date, thousands of homes have been destroyed, 200 people have been killed and more than 115,000 displaced within Myanmar. The United Nations World Food Program (WFP) and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), has continued to provide aid, but only for the 30,000 Rohingya in registered refugee camps along the Bangladesh-Myanmar border. Camp conditions are poor, with many not meeting international aid standards say aid workers. Food, non-food supplies, health, education, water and sanitation are urgent needs. Tents

     

are so scarce that many families have cobbled together thatch-and-corrugated iron shelters, and are sleeping on torn blankets or hay. The blankets that do exist bear Saudi Arabia's emblem, but they are torn and thin – leftovers from a huge aid donation during cyclone Nargis. There is also a displacement of Buddhist Burmese who have been relocated to nearby Buddhist monasteries where life is much more comfortable than in the camps. The Buddhist Burmese remain close to village markets and can retain some semblance of a normal life. The Rohingya are not allowed to leave the camps. Trapped within the camps, they have watched as their farmland and animals have been taken over by Rakhine Buddhists.

Since early June, Bangladeshi border officials have been denying boatloads of Rohingya refugees from Myanmar access to Bangladesh. There are three main aid agencies assisting the estimated 300,000 unregistered Rohingya refugees residing in Bangladesh. The groups Muslim Aid, Doctors Without Borders, and Action Against Hunger are only allowed to give basic aid such as “vitamin biscuits”, and sanitation help such as building latrines and providing access to medical care. These agencies also provide aid to the local population. In August, these agencies were ordered by the Bangladeshi government to cease their current activities. Bangladeshi paramilitary forces were ordered to use any means to prevent the aid agencies from entering the refugee camps. The government then refused a $30 million aid package from the United Nations aimed at assisting the refugees. Bangladesh claims an increase of aid into the region would make the area too attractive to refugees and would lead to an influx of refugees. Bangladesh is already overpopulated and faces extreme poverty, claims Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. She also claims, the Rohingya refugees are not her country’s problem. A December 2011 refugee repatriation agreement reached between Myanmar President Sein and Prime Minister Hasina will exclude the Rohingya, due to their lack of Myanmar citizenship. This was one of the conditions for repatriation of the 2,500 refugees returning from Bangladesh.

In June, President Sein said the government was only responsible for third-generation Rohingyas whose families had arrived before

     

independence in 1948 and that it was impossible to accept those who had "illegally entered" Myanmar. He recommended that the United Nations refugee agency, UNHCR, take care of them in camps or resettle them in third countries. United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres responded that the United Nations was not in the business of creating refugees camps. Resettlement of refugees is the method of last resort for the UNHCR. It is only done for refugees who have fled from one country to another and cannot be repatriated. Since then, Sein has distanced himself from this position, warning in a national address that unrest in Rakhine could spread. He said, “If this happens we would like the general public to be aware that the stability and peace, the democratization process, and the development of the country which are only in transition right now, could be severely affected and much would be loss”.

The Myanmar government has been quick to deny international media reports of genocide and has described the situation as an intercommunal conflict caused by underdevelopment in the region. Last month President Thein Sein promised that his government would look at a range of solutions, among them resettlement and citizenship. While the government seems to have taken steps to address the issue, a Rakhine state inquiry commission set up in August stirred up controversy after it emerged there was not a single Rohingya representative on the commission. Additionally, its chairman is a leader of the Rakhine Nationalities Development Party (RNDP), and another of its representatives has previously stated that Rohingya are "invading" Myanmar. Human rights groups have expressed concern about the high level of Muslim detentions. According to official figures, more than 1,100 suspects have been detained in connection with this year's violence, three-quarters of whom are Rohingya. There are claims that state authorities have acted without warrants and Rohingya detainees have been held without bail or access to lawyers.

     

Pertinent Questions/Issues and Goals of the Committee:

Systemic racism is so entrenched in Myanmar that the Buddhist majority may never tolerate the Rohingya Muslim community. The increase of Rohingya in Rakhine state over the past few decades have spurred Burmese concerns of being overtaken by the minority and the spread of radical Islam. These fears are paired with past regime policies that resulted in unemployment and poor education, adding fuel to the conflict. Described by human rights groups as an ethnic cleansing, this is a generations-old conflict whose roots lie in ethnic, racial, and religious discrimination. It is widely believed that the only solution is to resolve the issue of citizenship for Rohingyas. This could result from the ongoing census which is expected to continue until 2014. It is still unclear whether Buddhist and Muslim communities will be expected to live together once more or will continue to be segregated.

Another option of the Myanmar government in attempting to diffuse tensions in Rakhine, is to resettle Rohingya throughout the country. The majority are concentrated in Rakhine state, while approximately 4% of the rest of Myanmar’s population is Muslim. However, anti-Rohingya animosity is so strong that it can be felt down in the former capital, Rangoon, where discussions on the issue turn into rants about Myanmar's porous borders and a government that has been too soft on the "illegal Bengalis".

As delegates in this committee, your task is to create coalitions and form directives that will foster peace in the region and protect the fledgling democracy’s attempts at reform. The challenge to resolve centuries of racial resentment is a formidable one, but that is why we have three days together. Unless of course you are a warmonger and will simply push for slaughter and expulsion. However, I think I know which you will choose.

     

Parties Involved:

Rakhine Buddhist citizens: The Buddhist residents of Rakhine see themselves as the inheritors of the ancient Buddhist kingdom of Mrauk U. They do not consider themselves ethnically Burmese, and the government recognizes them as a separate ethnic group. Rakhine Buddhists say they feel squeezed, persecuted by the Burmese majority and threatened by the swelling Muslim minority. Despite this, they are united with the Burmese over their common hatred for the Rohingya. Before the violence, Rakhine Buddhists and Muslims had a master-servant relationship. This was a castelike system in which Muslims did menial work and Buddhists were their bosses. They lived uneasily side-by-side and there never existed any interaction between the two groups outside of this castelike system. Rakhine Buddhists say Muslims should be considered illegal immigrants, and they are angry that foreign countries and the foreign news media have sympathy for Muslims. Monks, leaders of the Buddhist majority in the state, see the Rohingya as “devils” that come from Bangladesh and claim they do not “practice human morals”. They find the Islamic rituals offensive, such as the slaughter of animals, and believe they should be sent to Muslim countries to be among “their own kind.”

Myanmar government: The recent violence is a test to the government’s democratic transition. Human rights groups have questioned if the government’s actions are really reforms or just a continuation of suppression. This is due to a poor human rights record with hundreds of political prisoners and many abuses committed by the army. Of particular concern are the claims of violence against the Rohingya perpetuated by security forces placed in Rakhine under the state of emergency. If the government does not show true reform and a comprehensive plan to deal with the communal violence in Rakhine and does not address the issue of citizenship for the Rohingya, it faces a return to international isolation and economic sanctions.

National League for Democracy Party (NLD): Recently recognized, the NLD can greatly help the Rohingya’s cause in Parliament by forcing the

     

government to call for national reconciliation. The NLD also require the involvement of Rohingya ethnic and religious leaders in the solution. Aung San Suu Kyi, the leader of the NLD, has so far been circumspect in her comments about the violence. This may be in an attempt to retain votes from the Burmese general population for the upcoming 2015 elections. However, calls for peace and a solution to the conflict could be greatly assisted by Suu Kyi’s support.

Bangladeshi government: The Bangladeshi government is refusing the influx of refugees from Myanmar. Bangladesh is already one of the poorest and overpopulated nations in Asia. The government claims it cannot handle the refugees and has refused aid an attempt to ward off Rohingya refugees. Bangladesh may be violating the international principle of non-refoulement. This principle is the cornerstone of the 1951 United Nations Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees. Although Bangladesh is not a signatory, the Convention represents international norms of treatment of refugees and has been agreed to by a large majority of nations. The international community could use Bangladesh’s refoulement of Rohingya refugees as a reason for criticism and economic sanctions.

Rohingya Muslims: Today the Rohingya are calling for recognition, protection, and human rights. For generations they have lived segregated from Buddhist Rakhines and prohibited from receiving an education because of their lack of citizenship. Currently they are confined to camps, cannot work, and are surviving in part due to international aid.

Human rights and activist groups supporting Rohingya refugees: Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, UNHCR, Doctors Without Borders, and more, are responsible for the aid being received by Rohingya refugees and for internationally broadcasting their plight. Their access has been barred in many locations and without their presence malnutrition and malaria have wreaked havoc in the camps. Human rights organizations have been critical of the Myanmar government’s reforms, its existing human rights abuses, and its blocking of international media in the Rakhine state. They

     

claim that if media cannot get access to Rakhine state, then the world will never know the depth and extent of the crisis.

International actors: The United States, European Union, Australia, and Canada have only recently lifted tough economic sanctions on Myanmar as it begins democratic reforms. These sanctions could quickly be replaced if the violence and abuses by security forces are not quelled. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has also voiced concern over the events in western Myanmar. Intervention through diplomatic means with the Myanmar government, engagement, asserting pressure and holding the government responsible for the continuation of the conflict, is seen by activists as the only route to a solution. The United Nations has stated that Myanmar must grant the Rohingya citizenship for the violence to end, and U.S. Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, says “the conflict, in her view, underscores the critical need for mutual respect among all ethnic and religious groups”. So far, the international community has called for peace, but without any back-up little progress may occur.

     

Characters:

Members of the Rohingya Muslim Committee:

• Tomas Ojea Quintara – UN Special Rapporteur for Human Rights in Burma

• Brad Adams – Asia Director of Human Rights Watch • Ekmeledoin Ihsanoglu – Representative of the Organization of Islamic

Cooperation • António Guterres – UN High Commissioner for Refugees • Catherine Ashton – High Representative of the Union for Foreign

Affairs and Security Policy • Hilary Clinton – United States Secretary of State • Doctor Surin Pitsuwan – Secretary- General of ASEAN • Mr. U Shwe Maung – Muslim member of Myanmar Parliament • Rezu Mar Bibi - Rohingya Muslim refugee woman • Soe Myint – Rohingya Muslim refugee and Sittwee camp leader

Members of the Rakhine Buddhist Committee:

• Thein Sein – Myanmar President (played by Chair of Buddhist

majority committee) • Aung San Suu Kyi – NLD member and member of Parliament • Sheikh Hasina - Bangladeshi Prime Minister • Myo Thant – Rakhine state spokesman • Ko Ko Gyi – representative on the Rakhine inquiry commission • Aye Maung – Head of the Rakhine inquiry commission • Mr. U Oo Hla Saw – Secretary-General of the Rakhine Nationalities

Development Party (RNDP) • U Nyarna – Buddhist monk leader in Sittwe • Daw Thein Hla Yi – Rakhine Buddhist citizen • Daw Htwe May – Rakhine Buddhist citizen

     

How the Simulation Will Be Run: The simulation is a Joint Crisis Committee, meaning there will be two independent committees reacting to the same crisis. As a delegate, you will not only be acting within your committee in order to form alliances and issue directives, but will also have to deal with an entirely separate committee equally committed to furthering their divergent aims and goals. Joint Crisis Committees are fast moving and intense. It is imperative you understand your role and the direction your committee plans to take in order to successfully move forward over the course of this conference. For this JCC, there are two competing sides. One is the Rohingya Muslim minority which is supported by activist groups, non-governmental aid agencies, and international actors including the European Union, the United States of America, ASEAN, and the United Nations. The other is the Rakhine Buddhist majority, consisting of Buddhist monks, Burmese citizens, forces of the Myanmar government, and Bangladeshi government authorities. You will be expected to conduct further research into your particular position, for this guide is only meant as a starting point. You will be expected to know your character, the positions, values, and ideas for the future.