ASEAN's Rohingya Response -- Barely A Peep Outside Of Malaysia (original) (raw)

More than 600,000 Rohingya Muslims have been displaced from their Myanmar homes in what has been described as the “fastest growing refugee crisis in the world.” An estimated of at least 6,700 members of the minority group have met violent deaths, including 730 children below age 5, according to the latest numbers by Doctors Without Borders.

Despite the rising toll, the ongoing crisis has received only glancing attention from neighboring Southeast Asian countries. The minimal public discussion on Rohingya at the recent Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in November, a collective of 10 Southeast Asian countries that includes Myanmar, reveals a lack of shared effort from allies to tackle the issue.

Responses from ASEAN countries have varied so far, with Malaysia appearing to be the most vocally opposed to the mistreatment of the Rohingya Muslims. It disavowed a statement made by ASEAN foreign ministers, disowning it on the principle that it wasn’t based on “consensus.” The statement was issued by Philippines Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano in September in New York. Malaysian Foreign Minister Anifah Aman openly opposed the statement for its failure to explicitly mention the Rohingya, calling it a “misrepresentation of the reality of the situation.”

Joshua Kurlantzick, a senior fellow for Southeast Asia at the Council on Foreign Relations think tank headquartered in New York, says it was unlikely that ASEAN would achieve a consensus, a vital principle of the organization, on Rohingya. “They aren’t going to take a collective action on Myanmar, with Myanmar as one of its members,” he says. “That’s just the way ASEAN operates.”

Among the ‘’fundamental principles’’ listed on ASEAN’s website are “the right of every State to lead its national existence free from external interference, subversion of coercion,” and “non-interference in the internal affairs of one another.”

Malaysia’s relentless effort in assisting the minority group have been reported by local media on various occasions. In November, Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak told the Malaysian media that “both governments [Malaysia and Myanmar] are now discussing to prepare a Memorandum of Understanding on the matter,” and is “expected to be signed soon.” It hasn’t yet been.

It was reported earlier this year that Malaysia had transported 2,300 tonnes of aid in the form of foods items, clothing and emergency supplies to Myanmar**.** It was reported that Myanmar's social welfare minister was among a delegation meeting the ship. Just recently in November, the Malaysian government and public provided 322 shelter homes, 22 schools, 127 clean water bases and 22,455 packets of food, per local media.

Domestic considerations play a part in these efforts in at least two ways. As of August 2017, more than 88 % of Malaysia’s 149,147 registered refugees are from Myanmar, including 61,150 Rohingya, according to the United Nations. And Malaysia’s more sympathetic stance could be attributed to the region’s large Muslim population and due to its upcoming general elections. “Prime Minister Najib is attempting to position himself for the election next year, trying to win voters who are inclined towards PAS (The Malaysian Islamic Party), who are more conservative voters,” Kurlantzick says.

Military-ruled Thailand responded by releasing a statement in September, saying it is “closely following the situation in the Rakhine State with concern.” The country noted that it will provide aid to Myanmar and Bangladesh, giving each country approximately $ 149,000 to help areas in Rakhine State, through the Red Cross Movement and The International Committee of the Red Cross_,_ on top of providing “mid-term and long-term assistance.”

However, Thailand has also been criticized by the NGO Human Rights Watch for pushing away refugees. Thailand’s more neutral stance, Kurlantzick explained, could be because of its “close relationship with the Myanmar military.”

In early September, Indonesia president Joko Widodo released a statement asserting Indonesia’s commitment to help resolve the crisis, adding that he wants to see more humanitarian action and not merely statements condemning Myanmar.

The country dispatched aid in the form of tents, rice, sugar and sanitation supplies to Rohingya refugees displaced to Bangladesh, according to local media.

Brunei, another Muslim majority country in the region, released a statement in September too, expressing its concerns on the humanitarian situation in Rakhine state. Brunei emphasized its willingness to provide humanitarian and financial assistance.

Though Muslim majority countries in ASEAN could be more sympathetic to the Rohingya plight because of its shared religion, Kurlantzick says, political ideology also influences a country’s attitude toward the crisis.

“It’s not just because they’re co-religionist; it’s a massive crime against humanity. There are civil society organizations across Southeast Asia that are sympathetic towards Rohingya and are worried about the crimes against humanity being committed.”

“But many of the other governments [in ASEAN] are more authoritarian. So, they aren’t going to be supportive of any sort of criticism or intervention from any government — anywhere,” he says. “They don’t want to be criticized for their own rights abuses.”