The western media is very selective on the timing of which ethnic group they to choose to focus and expose to their audience. When the military in Myanmar took control of the country their actions towards their Rohingya population was exposed to a global audience amidst cries of racist atrocities and ethnic cleansing. Let’s be honest these victims, now over one million refugees in Bangladesh have long been forgotten so when another six are killed as happened this week in inter factional Rohingya disputes, the global media ignores them.
Last week’s violence was the latest in a series of deadly clashes between the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) and the Rohingya Solidarity Organization (RSO), two rival groups operating in the overcrowded camps. I bet very few people interested in world news has ever heard of these two militias. I’m certain here in the United Kingdom, the BBC has devoted very little time to either of these two murdering militias.
In the last eighteen months scores of Rohingya have been killed including at least forty children by these armed groups. Members of the Bangladesh Army have also been killed and injured in their attempts to maintain law and order and all this totally ignored by mainstream media.
Similarly, indigenous black Africans in the Sahel subjected literally to daily atrocities by a variety of Islamic groups are also ignored by our global mainstream media given the subjectivity and bias within their DNA.
The Government of Bangladesh has numerous challenges exacerbated by the fallout from COVID pandemic, climate change, global inflation and the Rohingya situation all putting intolerable pressure on her economy and population. The situation if left unattended, if ignored by the global media and the United Nations (UN) is going to create more chaos and further conflict within Bangladesh.
Bangladesh government and military need assistance or domestic extremism will flourish as it does when an unwanted population becomes restless. The government of Bangladesh has so far managed to effectively control internal extremism but it is easy to see how the Rohingya refugees will be the weapon with which anti-Government actors will use to create discontent if not utter chaos.
There are immediate steps all morally decent, interested parties can and should take to resolve this potential catastrophe.
Bangladesh should learn from the propaganda campaign launched against Israel and so poorly challenged by all previous Israeli administrations. Israel is a world leader in many things – agricultural production enhancement, water irrigation, military hardware, medical innovations, technology and science but in the field of public relations she is way behind the curve. One hopes that Bangladesh and those responsible in her government for information output do not suffer a similar public relations disaster. But they must act quickly and here are some pointers starting with the United Nations and linked NGOs.
Bangladesh must at every opportunity arrange for UN debates on her refugee crisis and must engage with the most high-profile Human Rights organizations and Charities to visit, regularly report and feedback to the UN, Arab League, EU and African Union. Moreover, pressure must be put on these organizations to ensure that the global media are always present on every debate and each visit made.
I recently learned that the UN unbelievably cut funding for those Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh whilst yet again increasing funding for the Palestinians who live in relative luxury in Gaza where there is, paradoxically an obesity problem. A recent audited financial analysis from UNHCR (UN refugee agency) calculated that every US$ 20 billion was allocated in 2022 for 100 million refugees or US$200 per refugee. Astoundingly the agency for Palestinian refugee’s UNWRA received a budget of US$ 2billion or US$100,000 per refugee. The Rohingya face starvation and Bangladesh should be at the forefront of readjusting this morally indecent funding gap.
Bangladesh must ensure a consistent and constant stream of popular media presenters to create the pressured environment where UN funding is more than sufficient to assist them. They must also pressure their international relationships to make them aware of their problems and also assist in publicizing within the respective forums and global media. If this means criticism of the excessive and disproportionate focus on Palestinians then so be it. It will only add to the respect both domestically and internationally for the current administration.
Bangladesh has excellent relationships with China and given the recent economic rapport between China and the USA, I refer to Yellen’s recent successful visit, she can leverage on both these members of the Security Council. Undoubtedly the UK and France will fall into line and Russia will do what China tells Vladimir Putin to do.
On a wider issue I believe that China’s influence with Bangladesh and her economic ties with Israel, could act as a trigger, enhancing Bangladesh – Israel relationship normalization. The USA with Trump’s Abraham Accords set this remarkable political achievement in motion and Biden has not veered from this. Israel has also noted with surprise and satisfaction that Bangladesh has dropped the clause “except Israel” from her e-passport requirements and surely both countries would gain economically if relations developed.
Bangladesh could make use of Israeli agricultural and irrigation techniques as just a starting point. And just maybe If Bangladesh has a decent public relations ministry, Israel too could learn a valuable lesson.
Lastly the ties that bind the Jewish community with the Bangladeshi community are much closer than the divisions. Respect and connections to religion, love for the countries of origin, strong family ties, community support, traditions, food, culture and importance to education. Moreover, the Bangladeshi community have followed in the footsteps of the Jewish communities in the main cities of the UK. I was recently in the East End of London which was virtually a Jewish area after WW2 inhabited by Jewish immigrants fleeing Nazi persecution. As the Jewish community developed and new waves of immigrants came into the UK, the East End is now a thriving hub of Bangladeshis. So much in common and yet quite far apart. Let’s try to bridge the divides. Blitz has played and is playing a major role in this thrust for harmony and hopefully will lead to normalization of relations between Israel and Bangladesh. First steps have started.
