The plight of the stateless Rohingyas : responses of the state, society and the international community / edited by Imtiaz Ahmed

incl. bibliographies and index.

List of Tables, Figure, Boxes and Maps -- Contributors -- Acknowledgements -- Preface -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Tracing the Plight of the Rohingyas -- 2.1 The Birth of the Stateless Rohingyas -- 2.2 The Birth of the Rohingya Refugees -- 2.3 The Life and Death of the Rohingya Refugees in Bangladesh -- 2.4 Conclusion -- 3 Trauma, Memory and Identity -- 3.1 Defining the Basic Concepts -- 3.2 Experiences of Trauma in Myanmar -- 3.3 Traumatised Memories and the Rohingyas -- 3.4 Identity and the Rohingyas -- 3.5 Imaging the Future -- 4 Refugeehood and the State of Insecurity -- 4.1 What is Security? -- 4.2 Politico-Military Dimension of Security -- 4.3 Economic Dimension of Security -- 4.4 Social Dimension of Security
4.5 Environmental Dimension of Security -- 4.6 Conclusion -- 5 Response of the State -- 5.1 Facilitating the Delivery of Basic Services -- 5.2 Maintenance of Law and Order -- 5.3 Dis/Solving the "Refugee Problem" -- 5.4 Legal Dimensions -- 5.5 Emerging Challenges -- 5.6 Conclusion -- 6 Response of Civil Society -- 6.1 Response of the Bangladeshi Civil Society -- Organisations on the Rohingya Refugee Issue -- 6.2 Partnership of the Non Governmental Organisations
(NGOs) with the Government and UNHCR -- 6.3 Re-inventing the Role of CSOs -- 6.4 Conclusion -- 7 Response of International Community -- 7.1 States and the Rohingya Refugee Problem -- 7.2 Regional Institutions -- 7.3 Non-State Actors and the Rohingya Refugee Problem -- 7.4 Conclusion -- 8 Conclusion: What is to be done? -- 8.1 National, Regional and International Responses to the Rohingya Refugee Issue -- 8.2 Repatriation, Protection, Legal and Security Concerns -- 8.3 Livelihood Services and Skills Development -- 8.4 Engaging Civil Society Organisations, Academia, Media and Rohingya Diaspora -- 8.5 Concluding Remarks -- Case Studies -- Bibliography -- Index

"In tracing the plight of the Rohingya refugees, the study shows that the Rohingya refugee problem was created in the course of several historical trajectories. It has been demonstrated that the Rohingyas are both stateless and refugees. First, they became stateless in their homeland and then eventually they had to embrace the status of refugeehood under conditions of persecution, discrimination and torture. The Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh have remained stateless amid their refugeehood. The causes to their refugeehood can be categorised as primary factors (as enumerated in the 1951 Convention), secondary factors (as identified in the 1969 OAU Convention) and auxiliary factors (such as economic, ecological and demographic change). The denial of citizenship rights, denial of freedom of movement, eviction campaigns, forced labour, expulsion from their lands and property, violence and physical torture contributed to the making of the Rohingyas stateless and refugees.
As borne out in this research, refugees face multi-pronged psycho-social and human security threats. Four major dimensions of security have been identified in this study politico-military, economic, social and environmental. While primary responsibility for refugee security rests with the host government, it has been repeatedly stressed that the problem of security should be an issue for which a multiplicity of actors share responsibility refugees themselves, local populations, country of origin, host country, donor states, regional organisations, the UNHCR its operational partners.
For a resolution of the problems faced by the stateless Rohingya refugees, a multi-faceted approach is required. In fact, it is important to materialize a collaborative effort between the government and civil society to contain the social and economic impact of protracted refugee situation. The international community needs to approach the stateless cum refugee issue in the context of broader development agenda and international law. The commitment of all stakeholders, including the government, humanitarian agencies, local communities and donors, is required. Cooperative and combined effort can assist in alleviating problems and assist refugees to participate to the fullest extent possible in their life in Bangladesh and following their return in Myanmar."--Book jacket