INTRODUCTION
The Ministry of External Affairs of India released an advisory asking citizens to avoid traveling to Rakhine in Myanmar and directing those already there to leave immediately. The notice follows an alarming deterioration of civilian security in the region, with the failure of telecommunication systems and severe scarcity of essential commodities. The instability in Rakhine is neither novel nor surprising. The inception of the crisis can be traced back to decades of systemic discrimination and persecution of Rohingyas in Myanmar by the military, the Tatmadaw. The ‘othering’ of the Rohingyas has its roots in the ambiguity regarding their origin and migration to Myanmar. They are an ethnic minority, predominantly Muslims, who claim to have historical roots in the Arakan region of Myanmar for centuries. The Burmese, however, consider them to be outsiders, immigrants from Bangladesh who were brought to Myanmar in the aftermath of British
colonialism.
The ethnic and religious differences culminated in the 2017 genocide of the Rohingyas by the Myanmar government, leading to a large-scale exodus of survivors to neighbouring lands, particularly Bangladesh. Rakhine has since been rife with military violence between the Myanmar armed forces, the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army and several pro-democracy armed ethnic groups (fighting against the military coup of 2021).
ANALYSIS
The Ministry of External Affairs advisory throws light on the perpetuation of this crisis and its catastrophic impact on Rakhine. The exclusion of the inhabiting community has also impacted the growth and development of Rakhine state. It is one of the least developed states in the country, with a poverty rate much higher than the national average. The state was already marred by widespread poverty, unemployment, and lack of necessary infrastructure. The occupying population was largely neglected and deprived of most of their fundamental rights, including that of movement and education.
India shares a 1,643 km long border with Myanmar, which passes through the north-eastern states of Manipur, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland. The two countries share a porous border and have had a free movement regime (FMR) in place since 2018 as part of India’s Act East policy. The Indian government has decided to fence the entire border, given the security turbulence in the neighboring country.
With the constant struggle between the Myanmar military Junta and pro-democratic armed ethnic forces, the violence is not confined to Rakhine. Last October, three minority ethnic groups launched a combined offensive against the Junta, and the conflict has only escalated since.
According to the Indian army, over 600 Myanmar army personnel have crossed over, fleeing armed attacks by pro-democratic factions, including the Arakan Army. Mizoram has taken the maximum brunt of such crossovers facilitated by the porosity of the border. The Indian army had given them asylum on humanitarian grounds and had repatriated over 416 army personnel. In addition to the army, the violence in the Chin state had led about two thousand civilians to flee across the border to Mizoram in November. The state is already seeing an influx of people in the wake of tribal disturbances in Manipur, and none of the north-eastern states can afford to accommodate or provide for an additional population, given that their own resources are limited. A chaotic situation in the neighborhood is only likely to fuel the instability and tribal differences in Manipur and add to the ongoing citizenship issues in Assam.
India has always been forthcoming in its pursuit of economically assisting its immediate
neighbors, but no definite strides can be taken in that direction till the Burmese land remains politically fragile and rife with violence among its inhabitants.
DISCLAIMER
This report is structured on the basis of the information available in the public
domain. Any statements, projections, or advisories issued are only circumstantial and declared with the purpose of creating awareness and providing guidance among the readers and the general public. InQuest assumes no responsibility or liability for any discretion or action taken or concluded by the subject reader, and the general audience.
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