Currently, one of the biggest stories in international news has been the Presidential election of Trump. However, this is nowhere near one of the most serious stories in the world today.
On October 9th, Islamic militants killed nine Burmese police officers along three security outposts along the border between Myanmar and Bangladesh. After this incident, it seems that there is an attempt of genocide against the Rohingya minority, an Islamic minority in Myanmar. This minority, comprising of approximately more than one million people, has always been persecuted against, according to TIME. TIME has also reported that Rohingya people have been denied citizenship, denied political representation and portrayed terribly by the Burmese media.
The Burmese government has taken advantage of the physical geography and location that the Rohingya reside in. They have been able to isolate them and further persecute them. Moreover, humanitarian aid has even been banned from certain Burmese areas due to the military’s “clearance operations”. In early November, UN officials wanted to investigate and the Burmese government was forced to allow them to certain areas. However, they had heavy control over the visit, and, according to TIME, those Rohingya people who talked with these UN officials were further detained and beaten. Many of these Rohingya people have been killed and even more arrested. Myanmar’s extreme control of the region only adds up to the perception for most people aware of this situation that this is genocide.
This situation regarding the Rohingya people in Myanmar is similar to Apartheid in South Africa. It seems that it will take a lot to defeat this racism. In a time when racism is something most people are extremely against, it is time for people to come together and overcome it in small places like Myanmar. When we watch the news today, it is very rare to hear anything about this tragic situation. Unless one makes a true effort to follow international news today, it is very hard to hear much about anything that relates to the realm of different stories and situations around the world.
With Thanksgiving this past week, most people have acknowledged things that he/she are thankful for. As fortunate as many of us are for many things, it is important to realize how unfortunate things are in places throughout the world. Let us hope for the best for the Rohingya people. This is not just simple racism in a small nation, this is an epidemic that has spread throughout the world, and it is time for everyone to rise up against this evil.
