When I came across this article and starting reading it, what stuck out to me most was how it directly related to the simulation we just completed. The refugee crisis in Myanmar has been going on for months now, but the attempt to come to a solution by the international community is a new development. Familiar names such as the UNHCR and other peacekeeping groups are playing a role in this repatriation similar to the roles they would’ve played in our attempted resolution in class. The mention of monitors to safeguard the Rohingya’s return is comparable to our class’ talk of putting UN peacekeepers to guard the Rubits as they crossed into Gilbia. However, a major difference between our simulation and this real life situation is that there are about 600,000 refugees who have fled to Bangladesh. And to think Gilbia thought 100,000 was a lot…Anyway, I’m surprised that Myanmar has agreed to allow all of these refugees to come back into their country. The hate and violence that the Rohingya encountered was identical to that of ethnic cleansing, and now they’re being herded back into the homeland they wanted to vacate. The article doesn’t indicate that Myanmar’s government has done anything to ensure the safety of these people as they reenter the country. Sure, they can say that they’ll make sure the Rohingya don’t stay in makeshift temporary housing for long, they can say that they’ll give them an identification card, but what changes are going to be made to ensure the safety of the refugees? I think that should be a priority of all countries and organizations involved.
