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The tragedy unfolding in the Andaman Sea along Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand has drawn the plight of the Rohingyas to international attention and could herald a long-lasting solution to this persecuted and discriminated people, something that has eluded resolution in the last two decades.

Temporarily, Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand, instead of inhumanely refusing to allow the refugees to land, could place these people in some islands or coastal camps and hand over the responsibility to the UN or the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) which should be tasked to run these refugee camps as they do elsewhere.  

Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand cannot run away from this problem as it is an Asean problem and the Rohingyas are fellow Asean citizens. It is no point lauding about the one-ness or Asean-ness of the 10-member grouping when the issue cannot be at least partially resolved.  

Should a major calamity happen as had occurred in the Mediterranean recently that pricked the conscience of the European Union (EU) to take action, Asean’s image, too, will be dented.  Malaysia already has experience in this area as it housed the Vietnamese boat people in the 1980s and Thailand also hosts a large number of Myanmar refugees fleeing from their military government.  

The Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal are bound to get rough with the onset of the Indian South-West Monsoon in June, the choppy waters and strong winds could sink some of the rickety boats and cause a human catastrophe. Only the Rohingyas should be accepted and the Bangladeshis and other should be forcibly repatriated.

The human trafficking syndicates should be probed thoroughly and severe punishment meted out to their kingpins. Hundreds of people have perished at sea due to their callousness and greed.

It is also time that Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand sought a resolution to this problem through an Asean or international framework. The pitiful fact is that no Asean nation wants to offend Myanmar, the source of the problem. Myanmar cannot wash its hands off the problem citing that the Rohingyas are Bengalis, Muslims or other reasons. Most countries in the world are diverse and pluralistic and this is regarded mostly as an asset, not a liability.  

Fellow Buddhist nations such as Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and China should also criticise and pressure the Myanmar government as these nations provide various funds and assistance including religious aid to Myanmar. This inhumanitarian episode also casts a negative image of Buddhism which is well known for its non-violence.

Placing the refugees in camps is only a partial solution as the long-lasting solution is for Asean to ensure that the Rohinyas are repatriated to Raakhine state, from where they hail under an agreement with the Myanmar government, the UN or Asean. The Rohingyas can be made to agree to confine themselves to the Rakhina state and not pose any religious or ethnic problems.  

After a long period of isolation, Myanmar is opening its way and it should not jeopardise all these due to the Rohingya problem.

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