Rohingya genocide of 2017 led by the Myanmar army in the Rakhine State of Myanmar resulted the greatest humanitarian and refugee crisis in the world after the Syrian refugee loophole fled into Turkey because of the rage of Syrian civil war.
'Crimes against humanity ' stated by the UN, this genocide included restricting media access, burning houses, killing nearly 25 thousand of innocent peoples and gang rapes which caused more than 1 million refugees fleeing to Myanmar's neighbouring country Bangladesh. The ethnic cleansing has laid the foundation of the world's largest refugee camp in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh. From then the heavyweight of refugees became nearly unbearable for a developing country like Bangladesh.
One of the dark pages flooded with the blood of South Asian as well as Myanmar's history the Rohingya genocide is an immensely well-planned genocide directly backed by China and Russia. Butcher Burmese army generals executed this master plan in two main stages. To generate the first stage which was played in 2015 an anti-humanitarian conspiracy was scripted back in 2012 though this minority population face discrimination from a very long ago and some of them were pushed into Bangladesh in the 90's. The last and final stage was staged in 2017 which resulted from the more than 700,000 Rohingya people crossing the Bangladesh - Myanmar border from east to west.
During the final wave in 2017, the refugee problem draws major attention to the world not just for the genocide as the genocide was still not proven. Arresting international news agency's journalists like Reuters made the refugee problem and genocide more popular. At that very moment when Bangladesh was going through colossal threat posed by the bulky number of refugees, Myanmar was provoking Bangladesh to go on a border conflict by violating air space and firing inside Bangladeshi territory to make sure the permanent residence of Rohingya refugees inside Bangladesh.
On this issue, the US Congressman Bradley Sherman, Chairman of Sub-committee on Asia Pacific of Congress proposed to add the Rakhine State with Bangladeshi territory on June 13, 2019. But the Bangladeshi prime minister Sheikh Hasina strongly confronted the proposal to avoid a deadly and long-term proxy war against China.
From the very beginning of this South Asian tragedy, China and Russia are shielding Myanmar from the extreme heat that Myanmar might have to feel from the rest of the world. To pour water on the drowned mouse India stayed silent on the Rohingya issue. They also agreed with Myanmar to sell them strategic weapons such as submarines.
China has long historic and commercial ties with Myanmar and Russia's main aim to export military equipment in the growing market of Myanmar. But India's neutral policy on Rohingya crisis shocked the Bangladeshi government much that it really took a long time to outgrow from the shockwave. Bangladesh felt the same bitter taste of friendlessness what is now India's feeling during the continuous incursion led by China.
China and India both Asian giants have a lucrative eye in Myanmar. From the Chinese side, they have the gigantic numbers of investment and doing something bigger in the Rakhine State as the region is holding a tremendous geopolitical gravity. But what is so special in there that China is even ready to displease its second-largest arms buyer Bangladesh?
Malacca Strait mainly between Malaysia and Indonesia which works as lifeline of Chinese crude oil import from the Middle East. Now at the time of ever-changing geopolitics if the strait is being blocked then the death clock of the Chinese economy will start clocking. China found a solution of the potential threat and started building Kyaukphyu Deep Sea Port in Rakhine State which will unleash a brand new seaway for China. The construction of gas and fuel pipeline from Kyaukphyu to Kunming in the Yunnan province of China is already underway.
China is Myanmar's largest foreign investor as well as the biggest trade partner and Myanmar is holding a tremendous strategic value. It is one of the most significant parts of China's Belt & Road Initiative (BRI). This is why China is building Kyaukphyu Special Economic Zone which will directly connect to Yunnan province with the Muse-Mandalay Railway Project.
Now in the case of India geography didn't play its best role as India has to go through a 'chicken's neck' between Bangladesh and Nepal to connect with its eastern states with the western part which is called Shiliguri Corridor. This traffic takes a lot of time that's why Bangladesh gave India a rail transit to make the communication faster. But it's not enough for India. This is why India has a very big project named 'Kaladan Multi-Model Transit Transport Project' under construction in Rakhine State to connect it's eastern states with Kolkata by ship to Myanmar, then by road to Mizoram. There are other Indian projects ongoing in Myanmar such as Sittwe-Gaya Gas Pipeline, Thathay Chawng Two Dam Hydropower project, India -Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway Project and several other highway projects all of which will connect India's special economic zone in Sittwe, a part of Rakhine State in Myanmar.
Considering all the commercial and strategic activities of India and China in Myanmar it was exaggerative for both of their national interest to stand against the Rohingya genocide. But these countries have forgotten humanity in the addiction of economic advantage and it's a serious labefaction of humanity too.
But why this topic is being highlighted now in 2020? Because the ongoing China-India rivalry which might lead these two nuclear countries to war has sparkled a new tension on the safe return of Rohingya refugees in the Rakhine State.
The recent deadly clash between Chinese and Indian forces in the Ladakh region of Kashmir has put Bangladesh in both political and economic dilemma. Though the tension is decreasing gradually as China is pulling back troops from disputed territory.
India was having land area issues with China, Pakistan, Nepal and even with Bhutan. Now at that very time, India wanted Bangladesh which country is considered as India's most friendly one to support India or stand beside their side as both nations are maintaining a historical friendship. On the other hand, China wanted Bangladesh to stand on its side as China is Bangladesh's largest trade partner and holding the rank of the highest investment.
Bangladesh didn't want to lose Chinese investment neither they want to lose India as Bangladesh have unavoidable geographical ties with India. Continuous diplomatic pressure from both India and China made Bangladesh state their position as neutral about the Ladakh standoff. This made India more angry than China. India started killing more people in the deadliest land border on earth Bangladesh-India border. In June 2020, just between five days Border Security Force(BSF) of India has killed 15 Bangladeshi citizens on various points of border. This kind of action from India is a clearcut sign that India had apprehension about the possibility that Bangladesh may take a turn from them.
Now the situation is like If Bangladesh supports India then China will use Myanmar as proxy to threaten Bangladesh to stand on their side. Again if Bangladesh supports China then India will increase border killing and other bilateral problems.
As we have seen above that both India and China have huge economic and strategic influence in Myanmar then making one of them angry may lead Myanmar to go on a long term border standoff against Bangladesh which will turn off the light of the hope of getting back home of Rohingya refugees.
Now it's time to see how Bangladesh deals with its economic ally China and political ally India which will build the future whether the next generation of Rohingyas spends their childhood in Bangladesh as refugees or on the lap of the motherland in Myanmar.
The author is a student at Department of Criminology, University Of Dhaka.
