Topics Covered: India and its neighbourhood- relations.
Rohingya Crisis:
Context:
Bangladesh authorities sent a fourth group of Rohingya refugees from Myanmar to Bhasan Char island in the Bay of Bengal despite calls by human rights groups for a halt to the process.
Background:
- Bhasan Char is an island specifically developed to accommodate 1,00,000 of the 1 million Rohingya who have fled from neighbouring Myanmar.
- While human rights groups have criticised the move and some are being forced to go against their will, the government has insisted that refugees moving to the island have done so voluntarily.
Who are Rohingyas?
- They are an Ethnic group, mostly Muslims. They were not granted full citizenship by Myanmar.
- They were classified as “resident foreigners or associate citizens”.
- Ethnically they are much closer to Indo-Aryan people of India and Bangladesh than to the Sino-Tibetans of the Country.
Described by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres as “one of, if not the, most discriminated people in the world”.
InstaLinks:
Prelims Link:
- Who are Rohingyas?
- Location of Rakhine State.
- About the International Court of Justice.
- ICJ vs International Criminal Court.
Mains Link:
Write a note on Rohingya Crisis.
Sources: the Hindu.
