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Forced Migration of Rohingya: An Untold Experience

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... Newspaper reports, non-government organisation reports (e.g., MSF 2017;United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and Fortify Rights 2018, Save the Children 2017, ISCI 2015, formal global body reports (e.g. UN 2017), independent reports (e.g., Habib et al., 2018), satellite imagery (refer Figure 1), and academic papers (e.g. Ullah and Chattoraj 2018) provide irrefutable evidence of widespread burning and destruction of Rohingya areas consistent with accounts by refugees. ...
... The refugees themselves speak of atrocities (e.g., Save the Children 2017) perpetrated by Myanmar authorities that would be difficult to believe if not so consistent in their recounting. Harrowing stories of shootings, rape, stabbings, hacking, flinging children, babies and the infirm into fire or rivers are the norm amongst refugees (Habib et al., 2018). This latest outbreak of violence follows prior crackdowns by Myanmar authorities that resulted in a similar flight of refugees to Bangladesh. ...
... (ISCI) claimed that a leaked document apparently adopted by the Myanmar regime in 1988 reveals the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) adopted an 11 point "Rohingya extermination plan" (reproduced in Box 1). The report also claimed that at least seven of first eight elements of the plan have been effectively instituted (Green et al., 2015). Habib et. al., (2018) also found widespread impact on the socio-economic lives of Rohingya of discriminatory policies implemented by the Myanmar government and authorities. The ISCI report also found evidence of Nazi ideology in official Arakan National Party (ANP) documents and an interview with an ANP spokesman in Sittwe by ISCI revealed that "Rohingya sho ...
Conference Paper
Rohingya people have faced recurring military crackdowns and fled from Myanmar in significant numbers in 1978, 1992, 2012, 2015 2016 and 2017. These recurring military crackdowns have devastated Rohingya peoples’ lives and rendered them increasingly marginalised and made most of them destitute. In August 2017 the Myanmar army burned approximately 300 Rohingya villages. It is estimated that during the August 2017 military crackdown 25,000 Rohingya were murdered, 28,000 raped, 43,000 received gunshot wounds, and 116,000 beaten. As a result, at least 800,000 Rohingya fled from Myanmar and took refuge in Bangladesh, joining those who had fled earlier. At the time of writing, Rohingya in Bangladesh are estimated to number 1.1million, but this research focuses on data gathered in January 2018 and a refugee population of 800,000. This study was conducted by a research consortium consisting of academics and practitioners from Australia, Canada and several international institutional partners from Australia, Bangladesh, Canada and the Philippines. The research team visited the Rohingya refugee camps on several occasions and conducted structured interviews with 3,300 Rohingya household heads of families in total comprising 16,314 members. In-depth semi-structured questionnaires and qualitative interviews were utilised in collecting various socio-economic data, including livelihood activities, household income, expenses, savings, asset holdings, condition of respondents’ houses, etc. in Myanmar prior to fleeing. In this paper, researchers develop a compensation model estimated using economic and demographic data collected from respondents. The paper goes beyond investigating the cost of displacement of Rohingya people to develop an estimate of the compensation that would be required for repatriation, resettlement and rehabilitation of Rohingya people to restore their original state of economic life in Myanmar. Keywords: "Rohingya", "Myanmar", "Burma", Arakan", "Criminal Justice", "corrections and rehabilitation", "crime and psychology", "forensic science", "capital punishment", "bio-social/biology", "Environment", “anthropology”, "migration", "sociology", "geography", "Geo-politics", "international relations", "Sustainable development", "genocide", "atrocity", "crime", "ethnic cleansing ", "murder", "Rape", "Bangladesh", "Cox's Bazar", "UNCHR", "united nations", "humanitarian", "Community", "minority", "Law", "Development Studies", "Communication", "Army", "South East Asia", "Regional Development", "Humanity", "disaster", "Protection", "Forest", "destruction", "rehabilitation", "resettlement", "repatriation", #compensation Read more here: catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/7857480
... Tourism is one of the main source of livelihood for the local people of the Cox's Bazar. Apart from tourism, the exodus has affected the environment, particularly the natural environment, society, and economy (Zahed, 2023;Habib et al., 2018). For instance, the Rohingya influx threatens the forest and wild animals. ...
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Rohingya forced migration has damaged the tourism destination in Bangladesh. The research focuses on the impact of Rohingya influx on tourism destination in Cox’s Bazar district in Bangladesh. The environmental aspects of the tourism destination have been highlighted in this study. This research has been conducted using mixed method approaches consisting of both qualitative and quantitative data. The primary data has been collected through qualitative and quantitative approaches. Qualitative data has been collected using Focus Group Discussion (FGD) and In-depth interviews. Three distinct groups have been focused on as samples for the study, including tourist experts, host communities, and Rohingya experts. Questionnaire survey has been conducted to gather quantitative data regarding the Rohingya forced migration's impact on tourism. Key Informant Interview (KII) has also been used to check the quantitative data accuracy of this study. The study found majority (64 %) of the respondent strongly agreed that forest cover has been decreasing due to the Rohingya influx, and it has been destroying the beauty of tourist destinations. The water channel is an integral part of the environment in the tourist destination. Almost 55% of the respondents strongly agreed that Rohingya is the primary source of water pollution. Almost 45 % of people strongly agreed, and 41.5% agreed that Rohingya is the main causes for solid waste pollution in tourism destination at Cox’s Bazar. In addition, more than fifty percent of the local people agree that house building materials, domestic and market waste, and solid wastes generated from Rohingya people are responsible for the destruction of the tourist harbor. The study has also identified that Rohingya are responsible for the destruction of tourism based local economy in Cox’s Bazar district, Bangladesh. Research findings of this study could be used to mitigate the impact of Rohingya migrants on the tourism environment in Bangladesh.
... As Rakhine State is at the border of Bangladesh, it received the highest numbers. 1 While living in Myanmar, these people had been deprived of their citizenship and the fundamental rights of freedom of movement, education and health care. 2,3 Their community had been deliberately left behind, based on the allegation that they were the descendants of Bengali people who had illegally migrated from Bangladesh many years earlier. ...
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Background Rohingya people are often called the most persecuted minority in the world. Currently, almost 800,000 Rohingya refugees live in temporary shelters in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh. More than one-quarter of them are women and girls of reproductive age who are at increased risk of unplanned pregnancies, unsafe abortions and related complications. However, the use of contraception remains inadequate, and particularly use of condoms and male participation is scarce. This study examines the barriers to condom use as a contraceptive method among married Rohingya couples. Methods We conducted in-depth qualitative interviews of married Rohingya men and women and thematically analysed the data. Findings Depo Provera injections and pills are the dominant forms of contraception. Men's participation in family planning and contraceptive use is rare, and so is the use of condoms. Participants identified several barriers to condom use, including contraception being the responsibility of the women, socio-cultural issues, the stigma attached to condoms, unfamiliarity with condoms, the limitations of condoms, and issues of security in conjugal life. Health workers do not promote condoms in the same way as other contraceptive methods. Interpretation Condom use and men's participation in contraception use are rare in Rohingya camps. The involvement of family planning workers who are males may help to promote the use of condoms and increase the method-mix options of contraceptives. Funding La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia.
... More than half of the Rohingya refugees ate two types of food (rice and vegetable) only inside the camp, and almost all of them suffered from malnutrition. More than 96% of the individuals demanded citizenship rights for re-establishment in Myanmar (Habib et al., 2018). Further, female gender, older age and repetitive daily stressors have been shown to be positively correlated with the risk of depression and PTSD (Hossain and Purohit, 2018). ...
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Rohingya refugees, a group of religious and ethnic minorities, primarily reside in the South Asian nations. With decades of displacement, forced migration, limited freedom of movement, violence and oppression, they have been termed by the United Nations (UN) as the ‘most persecuted minority group’ in world history. Literature shows an increased prevalence of psychiatric disorders such as depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, insomnia, etc., in this population. However, beyond ‘medicalisation’, the psychosocial challenges of the Rohingyas need to be understood through the lens of ‘social suffering’, which results from a complex interplay of multiple social, political, environmental and geographical factors. Lack of essential living amenities, poverty, unemployment, overcrowding, compromised social identity, and persistent traumatic stressors lead to inequality, restricted healthcare access, human rights deprivation and social injustice in this group. Even though the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) has taken a renewed interest in Rohingya re-establishment with well-researched standards of care, there are several pragmatic challenges in their implementation and inclusion in policies. This paper reviews these multi-dimensional psychosocial challenges of the Rohingyas by synthesising various intersecting conceptual models including minority stress, health-stigma-discrimination framework, refugee ecological model and capability approach. Furthermore, it highlights multidisciplinary interventions to mitigate these adversities, improve their living situation and eventually foster healing via means which are culturally relevant and contextually appropriate. These interventions need to involve various stakeholders from a human rights and dignity based lens, including the voices of the Rohingyas and supported by more research in this area.
... The Rohingya people, a stateless minority group of Myanmar, are the most persecuted population in the world by the government of its own country. 1 Historically, this persecution started in 1942 and flared up in 1945, immediately after Myanmar achieved independence from the UK. 2 In 1977, the Rohingya people were identified as migrated labourers who had come from Bangladesh and India and were considered to be living in Myanmar illegally. A few years later, the government of Myanmar revoked the citizenship of the Rohingya people, following the enactment of a new citizenship law enacted in 1982, even though their roots had been in Rakhine State, in western Myanmar, since the eighth century. ...
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Abstract Background and objective Increasing numbers of Rohingya refugees have been found to be infected with HIV since they arrived in Bangladesh after being ousted from Myanmar in 2017. This study aimed to examine the knowledge about HIV transmission among Rohingya refugee women and to identify factors that are associated with that knowledge. Design A cross-sectional survey was conducted using a structured questionnaire that was based on the standard questionnaire of the Demographic and Health Survey programme. Setting Rohingya settlements in the Kutupalong refugee camp at Ukhiya, Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. Participants Interviews were conducted with 508 women who had married or given birth in the 2 years before the survey was done. Outcome measure The participants were asked to answer a set of questions to assess their knowledge about HIV transmission. Results Around 70% of the women could not accurately answer four of the eight questions, and there were substantial misconceptions about the modes of HIV transmission. Knowledge regarding HIV transmission among participants increases in conjunction with the age at which they were first married. Women who were involved in work outside their households or those whose husbands were employed were more likely than others to demonstrate relatively good knowledge of transmission. Women who had received some formal education were 2.37 times likely to show relatively good knowledge of HIV transmission than those who had not received any education. Availability of healthcare facilities in the blocks where women resided is also associated with better knowledge. However, knowledge of HIV transmission among Rohingya women was significantly lower than among women in Bangladesh and Myanmar. Conclusion Most Rohingya women have inadequate knowledge of HIV transmission. Targeted interventions are needed to provide HIV education and to assist with prevention and behavioural changes.
... The largest numbers of Rohingyas were forced to migrate in 2017 following a widespread operation by Myanmar's military that was later declared genocide in a hearing at the International Court of Justice [3]. Myanmar's armed forces, police and the local Burmese population killed at least 24,000 Rohingya people and perpetrated gang rapes and other forms of sexual violence against 18,000 Rohingya women and girls [4]. At least 392 Rohingya villages were razed to the ground [5]. ...
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Background In 2017 hundreds of thousands of ‘Rohingya’ fled to camps for Forcefully Displaced Myanmar Nationals (FDMN) in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. Objective To describe the FDMNs presenting for care at public health facilities in Bangladesh so as to understand the health problems faced by the FDMNs and the burden on these public health facilities. Methods This study combined a retrospective review of existing hospital and clinic data with prospective surveillance in government health care centres. Findings The retrospective data showed a 26% increase in the number of consultations at the Kutupalong community clinic, the primary health facility closest to the camps, from 19,567 in 2015 to 26,309 in 2019. There was a corresponding 11% increase in admissions to health facilities in the area, from 80,991 in 2017 to 91,424 in 2019. Prospective surveillance of 9,421 FDMNs seeking health care from July 2018 to December 2019 showed that 29% had an infectious disease, 20% nutritional problems, 12% pregnancy-related conditions and 7% trauma or injury. Conclusions Great uncertainty remains regarding the return of FDMN to their home country of Myanmar. The current on-going protests following the military coup adds further insecurity to the status of the Rohingya. The presence of a large migrant population relative to a smaller host community burdens the limited facilities and resources of the public health sector. Continued support by the international public health community and civil society organizations is needed.
... A further 116,000 Rohingya faced physical abuse and 36,000 were thrown into fires. Another 700,000 fled the country, mostly to neighboring Bangladesh (Habib et al. 2018). At least 300 Rohingya villages were destroyed, including the mosques within those villages (Human Rights Watch 2018). ...
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Religious sites are often at the center of confrontation. Groups frequently clash over the structures and the historical narratives surrounding sacred spaces. Religious sites encompass deeply entrenched meanings for groups of all backgrounds. These spaces represent identity, tradition, history, family, and belief systems. For minority groups, their religious sites can help provide a sense of belonging and serve as a monument to their history in the community. Due to their symbolic importance, religious sites are also vulnerable to violence by outside groups. Destructive acts targeting religious architecture and symbols are common throughout the world, but are especially frequent in identity-based conflicts, such as in Bosnia. However, the study of these attacks and their relationship to nationalist movements, particularly in Asia, has not been adequately studied. This article examines the destruction of Islamic sites in three distinct countries and contexts: India, Myanmar, and Xinjiang, China. In each case, Muslims are religious minorities and face varying levels of persecution. This article argues that the destruction of religious spaces and symbols has been used both literally and symbolically to claim a space for the dominant group and assert a right to the associated territory. The elimination of Muslim sites is part of a broader attempt to engage in a historical revisionism that diminishes or vilifies Muslims belonging in the region.
... Although humanitarian organizations are providing vital services such as shelter, food and healthcare, long-term problems like formal education and employment persist (Wake and Barbelet, 2019). As returning to Myanmar is still a priority for many of the Rohingya refugees (Habib et al., 2018;Wake and Barbelet, 2019), each of these variables is likely to play a critical role in return decision. ...
Article
Voluntary repatriation has the utmost importance in the contemporary understanding of refugee protection. Voluntary repatriation in safety and with dignity is considered to be the most desirable and durable solutions for refugees. However, voluntary repatriation represents increasingly daunting challenges to the refugees, the governments of both home and host countries, and implementing partners. The repatriation planning of Rohingya refugees is widely criticized as being profoundly premature and dangerous. Most of the refugees are set to return to destroyed villages where food and shelter are inadequate, ecosystem services overstretched, livelihood opportunities marginal and the physical environment unfit for human habitation. Investigating the view and perspectives of the refugees on the factors that influence their intention to return can inform the implementing actors to secure those conditions and ensure a durable solution. Here, we identify the conditions that influence the decisions by Rohingya refugees in protracted displacement regarding return to Myanmar. This research also addresses the dual challenges of repatriation and sustainable post-conflict reconstruction, and, more specifically, provides a framework on how to integrate ecosystem services in the repatriation process.
... However, their repatriation will not happen until the Myanmar government ensures the Rohingya's security, civil rights, and recognition as citizens. Although most of the Rohingya refugees want to return to Myanmar if their security and citizenship is ensured, the Myanmar government has failed to guarantee those rights, so no refugees have agreed to willingly return to Myanmar [43,44]. ...
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The refugee influx from Myanmar, known as Rohingya refugees, is a serious concern for global refugee issues. Bangladesh currently hosts one million Rohingya refugees in the coastal district of Cox’s Bazar. Considering the number of the refugees, in addition to the humanitarian concerns, they are also creating pressure on the local host communities. This study explored the socioeconomic changes of the host communities after the refugee influx. In order to fulfill this study’s objectives, 35 villages near the Rohingya refugee camps from the coastal district of Bangladesh were surveyed. In the villages, 10% of households were surveyed in 2016 and also in 2020, covering 1924 and 2265 households, respectively. A temporal comparison of the host community’s socioeconomic status between 2016 and 2020 was conducted in order to determine the changes after the recent refugee influx. This study found that the local community’s socioeconomic status degraded. The annual income decreased by 24%, which is unusual for a country with over 6% gross domestic product (GDP) growth in recent times. The income decreased from all livelihood options except farming, which could be related to the availability of cheap labor and the high demand for commodities. The villages were clustered using k-means, and 20 villages were found to be affected after the refugee influx with degraded socioeconomic status. The host community’s general perception was initially positive, but later turned negative toward the refugees. This study will be important for the government and donor agencies to develop strategies to properly manage the refugee camps and adjacent host communities.
... After that operation, hundreds of thousands of Rohingya people crossed the border into neighboring Bangladesh, and according to various sources, up to twenty-four thousand people have been killed including children, women and elder group. 29 The "clearance operations" constituted a human rights catastrophe for the Rohingyas in Rakhine State. Report of the independent international fact-finding mission on Myanmar stated that thousands of Rohingya were killed or injured. ...
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Since August 2017, the exacerbation of violence and military operations in the northern townships of Rakhine State, where the majority of Rohingya have resided, has led more than a million Rohingya refugees to flee across the border into Bangladesh. Around 6,000 Rohingya are living in bleak, makeshift conditions in "no-man’s land" on the Myanmar-Bangladesh border, a place known as Zero Point. The Rohingya here have not been given refugee status, as the area in which they have been sheltering for two years now is officially under Myanmar control. On the other side of a canal, a mere few meters away, is the Tambru area, which lies in Bangladeshi territory. The International Committee for the Red Cross and Bangladesh Red Crescent Society have been conducting humanitarian activities for these forcibly displaced people. Despite their support, life in the "no-man's land" is grim and no facilities exist except for food and temporary shelter. In addition, stranded Rohingya often face intimidation by the Myanmar border guards. It is a unique case study to understand the stranded people in “no man’s land” and their struggle for existence. This paper is based on interviews conducted with displaced Rohingya and concerned officials, as well as documentary analysis and observation.
... 51 From 25 August 2017, nearly 24,000 Rohingya Muslims were killed, some 18,000 Rohingya women and girls were raped by Myanmar army and police, more than 34,000 Rohingya were also thrown into fires, over 114,000 others were beaten, 115,000 Rohingya homes were burned down and 113,000 others vandalized, according to a report by Ontario International Development Agency (OIDA). 52 It was a conservative estimate and the actual casualties were likely higher. ...
Article
The Rohingya people have a long history of crisis. The crisis is not an issue of illegal immigration but of intolerance. The Rohingya have faced a continuous process of de-legitimization, systematic persecution and worsening abuses culminating in genocide. Since 1942, intermittent waves of Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh and other countries to escape persecution. The United Nations has described the Rohingya as the most persecuted people in the world. In 2017, hundreds and thousands of Rohingya fled to neighboring Bangladesh when families were massacred, villages scorched, women gang-raped and babies thrown into the flames. The foremost priority of the Rohingya people is to return home in safety, in dignity and with justice. But they cannot return where genocide is still ongoing. There must be credible accountability to ensure victims see justice served and the cycle of violence is not repeated. For a permanent solution the root causes of the crisis must be addressed effectively. Their ethnic identity “Rohingya” and “full citizenship” must be legally recognized and restored. They should be able to peacefully coexist in Rakhine State as equals with their “collective rights’ on par with other ethnic nationalities of the Union of Myanmar.
... 65 More than 730,000 Rohingya, including over 400,000 children, fled violence in Myanmar and settled in Cox's Bazar District, Bangladesh. Of these 400,000, there are an inconclusive number of unaccompanied or orphaned children, with one report suggesting over 6,000 unaccompanied children 66 and another suggesting that one in four Rohingya children are orphaned. 67 In Myanmar, 600,000 Rohingya continue to face significant challenges, including lack of freedom of movement, discrimination and limited access to basic services. ...
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Children in armed conflict are frequently deprived of basic needs, psychologically supportive environments, educational and vocational opportunities, and other resources that promote positive psychosocial development and mental health. This article describes the mental health challenges faced by conflict-affected children and youth, the interventions designed to prevent or ameliorate the psychosocial impact of conflict-related experiences, and a case example of the challenges and opportunities related to addressing the mental health needs of Rohingya children and youth.
... According to a survey by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) approximately 9400 Rohingya were killed in Rakhine State between 25 August-24 September 2017, with at least 730 of the victims being children (Médecins Sans Frontières 2018). Researchers have estimated that in the weeks following 25 August 2017, over 24,000 Rohingya were killed by Myanmar's state forces and Buddhist mobs; over 36,000 Rohingya were thrown into fires; over 116,000 Rohingya were beaten; over 18,000 Rohingya women and girls were victims of sexual violence including mass gang rape; and around 128,000 Rohingya homes burned down or vandalized (Habib et al. 2018). The outburst of violence on August 2017 marked the tipping point, which turned years of systemic violence and discrimination against the Rohingya into an act of genocide. ...
Article
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The Rohingya refugee crisis is a humanitarian disaster with over 740,000 Rohingya leaving their homes in Rakhine State, Myanmar, since August 2017. In the process of this mass exodus, thousands have been brutally murdered and terrorized through a campaign of physical attacks by the Myanmar state including murder, beatings and mutilations; mass gang rape and sexual slavery of women and girls; and the burning of entire villages. The victims have been men, women, and children who were targeted because they belonged to a Muslim minority ethnic group. The crisis has been recognized as genocide by officials from several countries including Canada, France, Gambia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Philippines, and Turkey. Furthermore, a recent ruling by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ordered Myanmar to take all necessary measures to prevent the genocide of the Rohingya. The genocide of the Rohingya has resulted in a massive number of refugees fleeing to Bangladesh, with 1.1 million of an estimated 2.4 million Rohingya across the world currently encamped there. This crisis has led to questions about how the basic needs of these refugees are being met and if there is any possibility for a life beyond the refugee camps through educational programming. This study explores the educational realities of Rohingya refugees through a process of open-ended and semi-structured interviews of aid workers and educators working in the Kutupalong refugee camp in Bangladesh. Through examining the educational programming in these camps, this article aims to better understand the educational opportunities for social mobility, identity preservation, and the availability of religious instruction to the Rohingya. The findings of this study suggest that religious instruction centers may serve to improve gender- based educational gaps for adolescent Rohingya women.
... The largest numbers of Rohingyas were forced to migrate in 2017 following a widespread operation by Myanmar's military that was later declared genocide in a hearing at the International Court of Justice [3]. Myanmar's armed forces, police and the local Burmese population killed at least 24,000 Rohingya people and perpetrated gang rapes and other forms of sexual violence against 18,000 Rohingya women and girls [4]. At least 392 Rohingya villages were razed to the ground [5]. ...
Article
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The Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar (IIFFMM) released a report on August 27, 2018, documenting over 10,000 deaths and the displacement of more than 725,000 Rohingyas to Bangladesh due to "clearance operations" conducted by the Myanmar Military. These actions constitute severe violations of international human rights law, potentially amounting to crimes against humanity, for which perpetrators could face prosecution at the International Criminal Court (ICC). However, Myanmar's non-ratification of the Rome Statute presents a significant obstacle to effective enforcement. Therefore, a more robust approach is necessary to address the plight of the Rohingya ethnic group affected by these operations. This study adopts a normative research methodology employing both statutory analysis and case study approaches. The Tatmadaw's culpability in committing acts of genocide against the Rohingya ethnic group has been established. To address this, three key mechanisms are proposed: the application of the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) principle, the involvement of international governmental organizations (IGOs), and the pursuit of justice through ICC proceedings. Urgent action is required to ensure accountability for those responsible for genocide, particularly high-ranking Tatmadaw officials, thereby preventing impunity from perpetuating.
Article
Prosocial behavior is a distinguishing characteristic of human nature. Although prosocial behaviors emerge early in development, contextual factors play an important role in how these behaviors are manifested over development. A large body of research focuses on the trajectory of prosocial development across diverse cultures and investigating contexts that foster it. Against this backdrop of developmental research endeavoring to understand and enhance the cooperative side of humanity, is the catastrophic impact of profoundly negative forces on social‐emotional development for children forced to flee from violent conflict. Close to half a million Rohingya children, whose families were forced to flee genocide in Myanmar, now live in the largest refugee camp in the world. To examine the resilience of human prosociality in the face of extreme adversity, we documented initial levels of prosociality in Rohingya refugee children living in a mega‐camp (Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh) and the extent to which those levels were improved following a multifaceted intervention designed to foster prosociality. The research was a partnership between Rohingya community members with lived experience, humanitarian practitioners, and developmental researchers. A sample of 152 Rohingya children (5–12 years) participated in pre‐ and postintervention assessments of prosocial behaviors and related cognitive‐affective processes. The 10‐day collaboration‐based intervention was implemented between November 2021 and January 2022 by Rohingya researchers. Birthplace was used as a proxy measure of trauma level. Children born in Myanmar ( N = 88) directly experienced relatively higher levels of trauma (genocide, forced migration) than children who were born in the camp after their families fled from Myanmar ( N = 64). Children were individually tested pre‐ and postintervention with a task battery, including a helping (Origami) and two sharing tasks (Dictator Game [DG], Forced Choice sharing) measuring prosocial behavior. Assessments of related cognitive‐affective processes included measures of empathic responding and emotion perspective‐taking in story tasks (Imagine, Judgment) and executive function (EF) skills (Younger: Hearts & Flowers; Older: Dimensional Change Card Sorting). Small group intervention sessions conducted over 10 days targeted these prosocial behaviors and cognitive‐affective processes and were based on collaborative activities, emotion perspective taking and EF skills training with the same partner throughout the intervention phase. We used latent change modeling to examine initial levels (preintervention) and intervention‐related changes in these measures from pre‐ to postintervention. Prosocial responding was found across all measures (preintervention) and improvements (pre‐ to postintervention change) were apparent across most measures. Age and birthplace variables were significant predictors of initial levels and intervention‐related change. Initial levels : Regarding age, older children (9–12 years) showed higher levels than younger children (5–8 years) of sharing in the Forced Choice task but lower levels in the DG. Older children also showed higher levels of empathic responding when asked to report how they would feel and respond to another person's misfortune in the Imagine task. Regarding birthplace, prior to the intervention camp‐born children showed higher levels than Myanmar‐born children of helping in the Origami task and reported more behavioral responses indicating how they would respond to misfortune in the Imagine task. In contrast, Myanmar‐born children had higher levels of sharing in the DG and consistently chose equality over inequality in the Forced Choice sharing task, even when their partner would receive more, indicating a pattern of generosity in these children. Myanmar‐born children had lower levels than camp‐born children on EF measures. Intervention‐related change : Regarding age, older but not younger children were more likely to increase choices for equality over inequality on the Forced Choice sharing task following the intervention. Regarding birthplace and helping, camp‐born children increased behaviors that helped their partner make origami shapes themselves (“how‐to” helping), whereas Myanmar‐born children increased behavior that took over folding for their partner (“do‐for” helping). For sharing tasks, Myanmar‐born but not camp‐born children increased sharing in the DG and showed an increased pattern of generosity in Forced Choice sharing task. In the Imagine story task, children born in Myanmar were more likely than those born in camp to increase empathic responding (i.e., imagining how they would feel). Children born in Myanmar showed less improvement on EF measures than children born in the camp. Taken together, these findings provide evidence that in a context of extreme adversity, Rohingya children exhibited prosociality and benefitted from a multifaceted intervention. Our research adds credence to the view that human prosociality is a fundamental characteristic of humanity that not only survives but can be enhanced in even the most adverse of childhood environments. Our multifaceted intervention, which was implemented within a collaborative social context and targeted prosocial behaviors and related cognitive‐affective processes, was designed to be easily implemented within existing psychosocial support programs in refugee contexts. As the numbers of children affected by violent conflict and forced migration rise alarmingly worldwide, there is a critical need to expand research partnerships that aim to improve developmental outcomes for these millions of children.
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Bangladesh relies heavily on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to drive economic growth, alleviate poverty, and nurture entrepreneurial ecosystems. However, these SMEs often struggle due to limited access to financing and government support, performing below global averages. This study employs a mixed methodology to investigate the impact of SME financing on economic growth and entrepreneurial development in Bangladesh. For qualitative analysis, it follows Caroline Reeg‘s Onion Model which examines four layers: Entrepreneur Characteristics, Enterprises Characteristics, Business and Social Networks, and Business Environment. In Bangladesh, these four layers play a pivotal role in determining enterprise performance due to the multitude of factors and processes influencing both constraints and drivers of growth and innovation. Thematic analysis is also conducted to qualify the entrepreneurship issues. Using data from 2010 to 2022, econometric analysis reveals a statistically significant positive relationship between SME financing and economic growth, while inflation has an insignificant negative effect. Policy recommendations encompass supply-side, demand-side, financial, and technological solutions to enhance financial access and support sustainable SME recovery post-pandemic.
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On contemporary economic scenario of the globe including Bangladesh and India with special reference to entrepreneurship development.
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In this chapter, the author traces the development of Myanmar-Russia relations from the impact of the 1917 Russian Revolution on the ideas of Myanmar nationalists who opposed British colonial rule to the current flourishing ties between the State Administration Council (SAC), established by Senior General Min Aung Hlaing in February 2021 when the Sit- Tat (army) overthrew the elected government of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, and the Russian Federation, which became a “pariah state” in the eyes of the West after President Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. During the period when the State Law and Order Restoration Council/State Peace and Development Council (SLORC/SPDC) junta was in power (1988–2011), Russia emerged as a major provider of weapons and military training for the Sit-Tat. During and after the “transition” period of partially elected Myanmar governments (2011–2021), Russia continued to provide weapons, including helicopters and fighter jets. Especially after the 2021 coup d’etat, active summit diplomacy was carried out between Myanmar and Russian leaders. On September 7, 2022, SAC junta chief Min Aung Hlaing had his first meeting with Vladimir Putin in Vladivostok, and today Russia – despite its difficulties pursuing war in Ukraine and internal unrest – has emerged as one of Myanmar junta’s few solid allies.
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The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted global reliance on communication not only for health information, but also for socioeconomic survival. But it has also brought to the fore malicious actors who spread disinformation or the so-called fake news alongside (and at times, surpassing) truthful information, thereby causing public confusion and risky behavior. Disinformation undermines one of the underlying goals of communication for all: the formation of an informed and critical citizenry so essential to democracy and development. Its agents exploit a gamut of communication media—offline and online, as well as state media, legacy media, social media, messaging apps that can be villains or victims, or both, depending on the role they play. The content they create and the tools and tactics they deploy range from the tried and tested to highly innovative ones that demand a multipronged and multisectoral anti-disinformation approach. Using the COVID-19 pandemic as a take-off point, this chapter discusses the ecology of false information and a scoping review of its effects of sustainable development goals (SDGs). The chapter also discusses the processes by which disinformation is spread from the obscurity of the internet to the sphere of public and private communication platforms. As important, it will explore multistakeholder efforts in countering fake news, and simple, appropriate tools and responses that citizens can use to safeguard spaces for communication.KeywordsDisinformationFake newsSustainable developmentCommunicationPublic sphereInfodemic
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Forced displacement is a major driver of mental disorders among refugees worldwide. Poor mental health of adult refugees, particularly mothers, is also considered a risk factor for the psychological well-being and development of their children. In this study, we experimentally examine the extent to which a multifaceted psychosocial program improves the mental well-being of refugee mothers, and facilitates growth and development among children under the age of two. In partnership with BRAC, we ran a cluster randomized controlled trial on 3,500 Rohingya mother-child dyads in refugee camps in Bangladesh. Participants were given weekly psychosocial support for a year that includes psychoeducation and parenting support for mothers and play activities for both mothers and children. The intervention was largely successful and led to: (i) reductions in the psychological trauma and depression severity of mothers and children, (ii) improvements in communication, gross-motor, problem-solving, and social skills of children, and (iii) reductions in stunting, underweight, and wasting among children in the treatment group. The intervention also caused the mental health of children to be more aligned with the mental health of their mothers, implying policies targeting the mental well-being of displaced mothers can be an important stepping stone to developing psychological resilience among their children, which can help them grow into well-rounded, healthy adults.
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The Rohingya are a small ethnic group residing in Rakhine in Myanmar. In general terms the word "Rohingya" refers to a group or Muslim community that has a Rakhine culture and common language and this ethnicity is the only adherent of the Islamic religion and there Rohingya are targets of cruelty as an ethnic minority. The study aims to determine the relationship between the genocide case that occurred against the Rohingya as well as the ICJ's response to the Gambia's legal considerations to make a claim against Myanmar where the genocide took place. The study uses normative research methods based on legal research to find out data regarding the relationship between the Rohingya ethnic genoside and the legal responsibility of the Myanmar state and the convention prevention and punishment of the crime of Genocide 1948. In the result, the ICJ as the main organ of the United Nation has the task of resolving disputes This is in accordance with Gambia's submission against Myanmar in accordance with the jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice.
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Abstract The Rohingya are a small ethnic group residing in Rakhine in Myanmar. In general terms the word "Rohingya" refers to a group or Muslim community that has a Rakhine culture and common language and this ethnicity is the only adherent of the Islamic religion and there Rohingya are targets of cruelty as an ethnic minority. The study aims to determine the relationship between the genocide case that occurred against the Rohingya as well as the ICJ's response to the Gambia's legal considerations to make a claim against Myanmar where the genocide took place. The study uses normative research methods based on legal research to find out data regarding the relationship between the Rohingya ethnic genoside and the legal responsibility of the Myanmar state and the convention prevention and punishment of the crime of Genocide 1948. In the result, the ICJ as the main organ of the United Nation has the task of resolving disputes This is in accordance with Gambia's submission against Myanmar in accordance with the jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice. Keyword: Crime Of Genocide, International Court Of Juctice, United Nation
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Although the most recent manifestation of conflict in Rakhine can be traced to the coordinated attack on Myanmar security forces in August 2017 by Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (hereafter ARSA), it goes without saying that the problem has a longer history. For this paper a corpus of official Myanmar government sources was examined qualitatively using the critical discourse analysis (CDA) method. Within the official pronouncements of the Myanmar state since August 2017 we can discern the discursive strategies deployed to balance the competing pressures of national and international legitimation of the Myanmar government. In name and through action, Myanmar has marginalized the Rohingyas. However, beyond this obvious imperative additional and more subtle strategies have been deployed in Myanmar’s official discourse, which attempts to position the Myanmar state as a neutral arbiter in a subnational dispute and one that seeks to distance itself from previous political arrangements. The paper focuses on these other discursive strategies which evince conformity to undercurrents of socio-cultural pressures from grassroots extremist Buddhist actors within Myanmar. Ultimately, there is no escaping Official Myanmar’s responsibility for the status and plight of the Rohingya. The prognosis for external pressure to exert any normative influence on Myanmar will be limited. The official discourse betrays the ongoing attempts by the new government to balance these competing pressures at the expense of genuine neutrality and its responsibilities.
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This paper studies socioeconomic and environmental changes in the neighboring areas Bangladesh-Myanmar border from 2012 to 2019, thus covering the period before and after the 2017 Rakhine conflict in Myanmar and outflux of refugees across the border to Bangladesh. Given the scarcity and costliness of traditional data collection methods in such conflict areas, the paper uses a novel methodological model based on very-high-resolution satellite imagery, nighttime satellite imagery, and machine-learning algorithms to generate reliable and reusable data for comparative assessment of the impacts of the Rakhine conflict. Assessments of welfare and environmental risks using this approach can be accurate and scalable across different regions and times when other data are unavailable. Key findings are: the general livelihood situation has worsened and income sources shrunk in Rakhine; forced migration damaged the ecologically fragile regions in the two countries; the destruction of aquaculture wetland ecosystems is observed in Rakhine; the deforestation rate reached20% in Rakhine and 13% on the Bangladeshi side of the border. The results can provide guidance to policymakers and international actors as they work to repatriate the victims of the conflict in Rakhine and minimize the conflict’s security and environmental consequences. The methodology can be applied to other data-poor conflict and refugee areas in the world.
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Maria Johnston shares her experience as a volunteer midwife at the HOPE Field hospital in the world's largest refugee camp—Kutupalong, Bangladesh
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