NIAS Area Studies


PAKISTAN READER

Photo Source:
   NIAS Course on Global Politics
National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS)
Indian Institute of Science Campus, Bangalore
For any further information or to subscribe to GP alerts send an email to subachandran@nias.res.in

Global Politics
Myanmar: Will 2019 be better for the Rohingya?

  Aparupa Bhattacherjee

The two regions – South Asia and Southeast Asia are less likely to take any serious measures to address the Rohingya problem. As a result, the UN will remain the biggest hope for the improvement of the Rohingya condition. Will the UN stand up and do more for the Rohingya in 2019?

Research Scholar
International Strategic and Security Studies Programme (ISSSP)
National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS)

 

Last year (2018) was bad for the Rohingya community in Myanmar. Despite multiple initiatives from the UN, individual countries and human rights groups, the Rohingyas remained helpless during 2018. Will 2019 be better for them? Is there a light at the start of the new year? Will the situation change for them within Myanmar? Will the immediate neighbours - Bangladesh, India and Thailand work together and address the Rohingya situation with a humane gesture? Finally, will, the international community act decisively and make a change in 2019 for the helpless Rohingyas?

 

Rohingya in 2018: A Review

According to the UN, the Rohingya are the most prosecuted in the world. 2018 witnessed several UN initiatives for getting access into the northern Rakhine region of Myanmar, to get a better understanding. There was also a MoU with Myanmar, for the State to assure the return of those refugees willing to return. The Rohingya community received global sympathies; there was an international criticism of Aung San Suu Kyi, and even some of her awards were stripped.

However, neither the UN efforts nor the global sympathies have improved their condition nor resolved the conflict.

Worse, the opposite happened in 2018. In Myanmar, the situation remains the same with a lukewarm response from the government that is attempting to balance between international pressure and military. Outside Myanmar, some of the Rohingyas were deported from India. In Bangladesh, they have been protesting against the forced deportation which is in the pipeline in 2019.

 

Rohingya in 2019: Will there be Change?

In Myanmar, the hatred towards the Rohingya is not only predominant among the Rakhine Buddhists and Tatmadaw (Myanmarese army) but also among the other Myanmarese. The international focus and the criticism of Myanmar have not been well received within. Most of them consider it as an interference in their national affairs, and partial towards the Rohingya. Finally, a section still justifies the military action in 2017, as anti-terrorist.

Additionally, there is still a prevalent belief that ARSA (Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army) is a terrorist organization which is still active. With this, neither the army nor the Rakhine Buddhist is willing to accept any Rohingya to come back to the state. Even those Rohingyas, living in the camps of Bangladesh or India and Thailand are aware of the situation and the hatred towards them, which is not addressed.

Hence, it will be difficult to imagine that in 2019 there will be a solution to this crisis. There can be forced deportation. But the deportations will not resolve either the Rohingya problem within Myanmar or address the concerns of neighbours - Bangladesh, India, Thailand and rest of the region.

Bangladesh shares the border with the northern Rakhine province and has received the largest number of influx. If the government successfully deport Rohingyas to Myanmar in 2019 and pretend to resolve the problem, it will be naivety on their part. Since 1990, Bangladesh has been witnessing the Rohingya influx. Although some of them were deported back to Myanmar in the 90s, with the assurance of peace and respectable living however the 2016 and 2017 violence have forced some these deported people back to Bangladesh along with others in order to save their lives.

Deportation is not a solution to the problem but will push the already prosecuted community to the brink. Not only Bangladesh, but India has also failed to understand this. Unlike Bangladesh, the present government in India does not sympathise with the condition of the community and see them as a national security threat. In 2018, a small number of the Rohingyas were deported back to Myanmar. The situation will be the same in India if the present Government will retain power in the upcoming 2019 General elections. In case of change of government, there may be hope for the Rohingya who have taken refuge in India since 2010.

Fortunately, there has been no initiative on behalf of the Thai government for deporting the Rohingya settled within their borders. But given the scenario and attitude of India, it could have a repercussion and may also lead the Thai government to perceive deportation as a solution. This will be detrimental, as Thai borders have not only provided refuge to the Rohingya but also to several other ethnic and religious community in Myanmar who are the victims of conflict with Tatmadaw and ethnic armed groups.

 

Will the global community do more in 2019?

The fact that Saudi Arabia has recently deported dozens of Rohingyas to Bangladesh paints a bleak picture. This is a severe blow to the hopes for international support. If Saudi Arabia does not stand for the cause of the Rohingyas, who else will.

Within Southeast Asia, Malaysia has been the stalwart of the Rohingya cause. The Mahathir government during 2018 has been busy resolving the internal problems of Myanmar. Hence, there could be a lack of attention required towards addressing the Rohingya crisis within Southeast Asia.

The ASEAN has discussed the issue in several meetings; however, it has failed to both implement any action or to push Myanmar (an ASEAN member) take any step to resolve the crisis. The inability to resolve the crisis is one of the biggest failures of the regional grouping, which doesn’t promise to change even in 2019.

To conclude, there is not likely to be much support for the Rohingya from the Islamic countries. The two regions – South Asia and Southeast Asia are also not likely to be of great help. As a result, the UN will remain the biggest hope for the improvement of the Rohingya condition. Will the UN stand up and do more for the Rohingya in 2019?

 

By arrangement with the Rising Kashmir.

Print Bookmark

June 2026 | CWA # 2132

Brighty Ann Sarah | Brighty Ann Sarah is a Research Assistant with the Global Politics team at the Science, Technology and International Relations (STIR) Programme at the National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS), Bengaluru.

The US-Iran War, Week Fourteen:
June 2026 | CWA # 2131

Rohini Reenum | Rohini Reenum is a doctoral student at NIAS. She is working on Governance in Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction using the case study of the BBNJ Agreement.

Israel-Lebanon Tensions:
June 2026 | CWA # 2130

Akshath Kaimal | Akshath Kaimal is a Research Assistant at the National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS), Bengaluru, and is part of the NIAS Pakistan Reader and Africa Studies teams.

The UK-Rwanda Asylum Deal: 
June 2026 | CWA # 2129

Anu Maria Joseph | Anu Maria Joseph is currently a Non-Resident Fellow, Subhas Chandra Bose International Relations (SCB-IR) Chair, Chanakya University, Bengaluru.

Conflicts in Africa This Week:
May 2026 | CWA # 2127

Madhura Meenakshi Tanikella | Madhura Meenakshi Tanikella is an undergraduate from the Department of Political Science, School of Liberal Arts, Alliance University, Bengaluru

The Quad Foreign Ministers' Meeting 2026:
May 2026 | CWA # 2126

Aparna A Nair | Aparna A Nair is a graduate from the Department of Political Science, Madras Christian College, Chennai.

The Shenzhou-23 Mission:
May 2026 | CWA # 2124

Glynnis Winona B | Glynnis Winona B is an undergraduate student at the Department of International Relations, Peace Studies, and Public Policy, St. Joseph's University, Bengaluru. She is currently an intern at the National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS), Bengalur

The Crisis in Cuba:
May 2026 | CWA # 2123

Akshath Kaimal | Akshath Kaimal is a Research Associate at NIAS and is part of the NIAS Pakistan Reader and Africa Studies teams.

The Ebola and the DR Congo:
May 2026 | CWA # 2122

Radhika M Agarwal | Radhika M Agarwal is a postgraduate student at the Department of Politics and International Relations in Pandit Deendayal Energy University, Gandhinagar.

The War in Ukraine:
May 2026 | CWA # 2121

Deb Dutta | Deb Dutta completed his graduation from the Department of Political Science, Sir Aurobindo International Centre of Education (SAICE), Puducherry. He is currently an intern at NIAS.

Israel, Lebanon, Hezbollah, and the Border Tensions:
May 2026 | CWA # 2120

Brighty Ann Sarah | Brighty Ann Sarah is a Research Assistant with the Global Politics team at the Science, Technology and International Relations (STIR) Programme at the National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS), Bengaluru.

Conflicts in the Middle East
May 2026 | CWA # 2119

Anu Maria Joseph | Anu Maria Joseph is currently a Non-Resident Fellow, Subhas Chandra Bose International Relations (SCB-IR) Chair, Chanakya University, Bengaluru.

Conflicts in Africa
May 2026 | CWA # 2116

Yesasvi Koganti | Yesasvi Koganti is currently pursuing undergraduate studies at the Department of Political Science, Madras Christian College, Chennai. 

India, the UAE, and PM Modi’s visit:
May 2026 | CWA # 2115

Aparna A Nair | Aparna A Nair is a research intern at the National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bengaluru.

The Putin-Xi Summit
May 2026 | CWA # 2114

Glynnis Winona B | Glynnis Winona B is an undergraduate student at the Department of International Relations, Peace Studies and Public Policy, St. Joseph's University, Bengaluru. She is currently an intern at the National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS), Bengaluru

What makes the UAE a global player?
May 2026 | CWA # 2113

Aishal Hab Yousuf | Aishal Hab Yousuf is a postgraduate student at the Department of International Studies, Stella Maris College, Chennai. She is currently an intern at NIAS, Bengaluru.

Sri Lanka and the US-Iran War 
May 2026 | CWA # 2112

Nithin V | Nithin V is a postgraduate student in international relations at Loyola College, Chennai. He is currently an intern at the National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS), Bengaluru.

Why does the Falkland Islands dispute keep recurring?
May 2026 | CWA # 2110

Aishal Hab Yousuf | Aishal Hab Yousuf is a postgraduate student at the Department of International Studies, Stella Maris College, Chennai. She is currently an intern at the National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS), Bengaluru.

The Trump-Xi Summit:
May 2026 | CWA # 2109

Aishal Hab Yousuf | Aishal Hab Yousuf is a postgraduate student at the Department of International Studies, Stella Maris College, Chennai. She is currently an intern at the National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS), Bengaluru.

North Korea's Constitutional Amendment 2026:
May 2026 | CWA # 2108

Ada Khan | Ada Khan is an undergraduate at the Department of Political Science, Public Policy, and Media Studies, Mount Carmel College, Bengaluru.

The Africa Forward Summit 2026:
May 2026 | CWA # 2104

Brighty Ann Sarah | Brighty Ann Sarah is a Research Assistant with the Global Politics team at the Science, Technology and International Relations (STIR) Programme at the National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS), Bengaluru.

The Israel-Lebanon Ceasefire:
May 2026 | CWA # 2091

Brighty Ann Sarah | Brighty Ann Sarah is a Research Assistant with the Global Politics team at the Science, Technology and International Relations (STIR) Programme at the National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS), Bengaluru.

Conflicts in the Middle East:
May 2026 | CWA # 2090

Brighty Ann Sarah | Brighty Ann Sarah is a Research Assistant with the Global Politics team at the Science, Technology and International Relations (STIR) Programme at the National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS), Bengaluru.

The US-Iran War, Week Ten:
May 2026 | CWA # 2088

Nithin V | Nithin V is a postgraduate student in International Relations, with an interest in geopolitics, international political economy, and climate governance. He is currently an intern at the National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS), Bengaluru.

King Charles's US Visit:
May 2026 | CWA # 2087

Siddhi Halyur | Siddhi Halyur is an undergraduate student at the Department of International Relations, Public Policy and Journalism at St Joseph's University, Bengaluru. She is currently an intern at the National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS), Bengaluru.

Japan, Vietnam and PM Takaichis Visit
May 2026 | CWA # 2086

Aishal Hab Yousuf | Aishal Hab Yousuf is a postgraduate student at the Department of International Studies, Stella Maris College, Chennai. She is currently an intern at the National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS), Bengaluru.

UAEs Exit from OPEC:
May 2026 | CWA # 2085

Glynnis Winona B | Glynnis Winona B is an undergraduate student at the Department of International Relations, Peace Studies and Public Policy, St. Joseph's University, Bengaluru. She is currently an intern at the National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS), Bengaluru

US troop withdrawal from Germany:
May 2026 | CWA # 2083

Brighty Ann Sarah | Brighty Ann Sarah is a Research Assistant with the Global Politics team at the Science, Technology and International Relations (STIR) Programme at the National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS), Bengaluru.

The US-Iran War, Week Nine:
May 2026 | CWA # 2081

Jenin Raj S | Dr Jenin Raj S is an Assistant Professor and Head of the Centre for Media, Department of Journalism, Mount Carmel College (Autonomous), Bengaluru.

Media freedom hits a 25-year low:
April 2026 | CWA # 2079

Aishal Hab Yousuf | Aishal Hab Yousuf, Postgraduate student, Department of International Studies, Stella Maris College, Chennai. She is currently an intern at the National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS), Bengaluru.

Japans New Defence Posture:
April 2026 | CWA # 2074

Brighty Ann Sarah | Ms Sarah is a Research Assistant at NIAS and Assistant Editor of NIAS Conflict Weekly.

Israel-Lebanon Ceasefire:
April 2026 | CWA # 2073

Akshath Kaimal | Mr Kaimal is a Research Assistant at NIAS. He works on Pakistan and Africa.

The US-Iran War, Week Eight:
April 2026 | CWA # 2065

Lakshmi Venugopal Menon | Dr Lakshmi Venugopal Menon is an academic and policy researcher specializing in Gulf studies, cultural heritage trafficking, geopolitics, migration, Afghan politics and the Taliban.

The Middle East (JanMar 2026):
February 2026 | CWA # 1959

Yesasvi Koganti | Yesasvi Koganti is an undergraduate student from Madras Christian College, Chennai.

UK and China
February 2026 | CWA # 1957

R Preetha | R Preetha is pursuing post-graduation in the Department of International Studies, Stella Maris College, Chennai, and is a Research Assistant at the National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bengaluru.

The IndiaUS interim trade framework
February 2026 | CWA # 1956

Lekshmi MK | Lekshmi MK is pursuing post-graduation in the Department of Political Science, Madras Christian College, Chennai, and is a Research Assistant at the National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bengaluru.

End of the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START)
August 2025 | CWA # 1780

Abhiruchi Chowdhury

Trump tariffs:
June 2025 | CWA # 1694

Aashish Ganeshan

The US:
May 2025 | CWA # 1688

Ayan Datta

Gaza
May 2025 | CWA # 1675

Lekshmi MK

Turkey:
May 2025 | CWA # 1673

Padmashree Anandhan

Ukraine:
May 2025 | CWA # 1667

R Preetha and Brighty Ann Sarah

East Asia:
September 2019 | CWA # 162

Lakshman Chakravarthy N

5G: A Primer
December 2018 | CWA # 71

Mahesh Bhatta | Centre for South Asian Studies, Kathmandu

Nepal
December 2018 | CWA # 70

Nasima Khatoon | Research Associate, ISSSP, NIAS

The Maldives
December 2018 | CWA # 69

Harini Madhusudan | Research Associate, ISSSP, NIAS

India
December 2018 | CWA # 68

Sourina Bej | Research Associate, ISSSP, NIAS

Bangladesh
December 2018 | CWA # 67

Seetha Lakshmi Dinesh Iyer | Research Associate, ISSSP, NIAS

Afghanistan