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'The world must take notice now'. Father hopes shocking photo of his dead 16-month-old son lying face down in the mud will highlight plight of Rohingya people fleeing Myanmar.
A heart-wrenching photograph of the lifeless body of a 16-month old boy, washed up on the shore of the Naf river, was recently published on CNN. The headline read, 'The Rohingya Alan Kurdi': Will the world take notice now?' The name of the boy in the picture is Mohammed Shohayet, a Rohingya refugee, who drowned along with his mother, uncle and three-year-old brother. The image of Mohammed lying face down on the seashore is a dead ringer for Alan Kurdi, the Syrian boy whose riveting photo made global headlines more than a year ago. Although there is growing pressure on the international community to bring an end to these conflicts, survivor accounts and photos emerging from the ground are hardly evidence of any foreseeable change in the near future of the conditions of the Syrians and the Rohingya who continue to live in fear and uncertainty.
Myanmar’s military has carried out the bulk of these latest atrocities. It has considerable independence from the civilian government and is not accountable to civilian courts. Commanders of all ranks and soldiers therefore bear responsibility for any crimes they have committed during the current crisis. The military have a history of human rights violations against the Rohingya and other ethnic and religious minorities in Myanmar. However, Aung Sang Suu Kyi, Myanmar’s state councilor, the country’s leader, is failing to acknowledge the horrific reports of military abuses and to deescalate tensions.
Earlier this month her office accused aid workers in Myanmar of providing support to the Rohingya armed group prompting fears for their safety. She has also failed to heed calls from the United Nations (UN); and world leaders to intervene to address the situation in Rakhine State.
Around 480,000 - how many Rohinga fled to Bangladesh in the first month of the crisis.
1.1 million in number of Rohingya living mostly in Rakhain state.
27,000 - the number of other ethnic minorities displaced in Rakhine state.
400 - the minimum number of people killed so far according to the Myanmar government.
Now you say that where is the humanity here? and what initiatives should be taken to solve this issue?