Escalating tension at Bangladesh Myanmar border

The escalation in tension along the border with Myanmar may impact Bangladesh and the region in various ways. Most crucially the tension will impact the repatriation of Rohingya refugees. Bangladesh is sheltering 1.2 million Rohingya who escaped the genocidal violence unleashed on them by the Myanmar military. This refugee population has become a major concern for Bangladesh. Dhaka has been engaging in talks with Myanmar to find ways to repatriate Rohingya back to Myanmar. However, the ongoing conflict has made the return of refugees uncertain, to say the least.

Bangladesh bears a heavy financial burden for protecting and sheltering the persecuted Rohingyas.  According to a Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) study Bangladesh has to spend around $1.22 every year on Rohingya refugees, a number bound to grow with the population, increasing inflation, and the decline in foreign aid. There are no signs of repatriation.

Of more immediate concern is the plight of the Bangladeshi citizens in the border region. According to a recent report published in this newspaper the lives and livelihoods of nearly 50,000 people, living along the frontier regions of Cox’s Bazar and Bandarban districts, have been turned upside down by Myanmar army’s cross-border shelling and firing. Residents now spend their days in constant fear for their lives, wondering when a stray mortar shell of gunfire would claim yet another innocent victim.

As the report states Bangladesh had strongly protested the tension at the border by summoning the ambassador of Myanmar to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, following incidents of mortar shells fired from a helicopter on August 28, September 3 and 16.

Unfortunately, though Myanmar’s aggressive activities did not stop. Putting Myanmar's mines on the border is a brazen violation of international law, Myanmar is repeatedly violating our borders and airspace. They should not be allowed to get away with violating international norms.

International analyst and professor of Dhaka University, Imtiaz Ahmad said “The Myanmar army is fighting the separatist group Arakan Army on the border. It is one thing if it is within them. But some ammunition is falling inside Bangladesh. Now Rohingyas are injured, and killed. We will take it as a provocation. It cannot be fired inside a free-sovereign country. The matter should be brought to the international platform. It could be the United Nations, General Assembly. Besides, military-diplomatic activities can also be launched.”

Dhaka’s response to the crisis has been balanced an in line with Bangladesh’s avowed foreign policy. Bangladesh is proceeding diplomatically without indulging in any kind of provocation.

We believe that Bangladesh should step up its diplomatic endeavours. Bangladesh should talk about this issue in the international forum to clarify what is the intention of Myanmar. There are reasons to believe that Myanmar may have provoked war to stop the process of repatriation of Rohingyas who are in Bangladesh.

Bangladesh wants to resolve the Rohingya crisis through peaceful negotiations, and Myanmar and the international community should do the same. The ultimate sustainable solution, safe and sustainable repatriation, seems a distant reality now, even after signing two repatriation agreements, due to Myanmar's unwillingness to create conducive conditions. Until repatriation becomes possible, the world must stand by the world's one of the largest refugee-hosting countries, Bangladesh, to uphold the dignity of the 'world's most persecuted minority of our time. The international community's call for repatriation to Myanmar needs to be stronger, visible, and frequent.

Bangladesh should not suffer because of events in Myanmar. Bangladesh is not supporting any groups and organisations that are fighting against the Myanmar military junta. Bangladesh has never interfered in Myanmar, or any other country’s internal affairs. However peaceful intent must not be interpreted as weakness. We urge the Myanmar authorities not to take Bangladesh for granted. Bangladesh believes in peaceful relations with every country but it will not tolerate Myanmar’s provocations indefinitely.