In the aftermath of Rwanda Genocide, the international community vowed to stop any such brutality under the slogan ‘Never Again.’ The pledge of not to witness carnage on the Rwandan scale is lying in tatters as the global community has failed in stopping the Myanmar’s government from persecuting the Rohingya Muslims.
The world’s inaction against the oppressive regime of Myanmar is a clear-cut indication of the fact that international law does not mean anything to a state if one of the global powers backs it. In the present case, along with other regional powers, China is standing behind Myanmar. To counter the obligations of international law, Suu Kyi and her country invoke the rule of law and national sovereignty.
In a statement issued on Monday, the Security Council had demanded Myanmar to “ensure no further excessive use of military force” and expressed concern over violation of human rights in Rakhine State. But it seems that international opinion does not hold any meaning to Myanmar’s government. The statement of UN has been brushed aside as a statement from Suu Kyi’s office reads, “the (Security Council) Presidential Statement could potentially and seriously harm the bilateral negotiations between the two countries which have been proceeding smoothly and expeditiously.”
Though the Myanmar’s officials are trying to make it an issue of bilateral importance between Bangladesh and Myanmar, the matter in hand is of international concern. The insistence of a senior official of Bangladesh’s foreign ministry that UN’s involvement in negotiation is necessary if a durable solution is an objective makes it clear that it is a matter where UN needs to play a role.
The response from the office of Aung San Suu Kyi to UN is nothing but a disregard for various documents and treaties of the UN that aim to protect human rights. It is a test for the conscientiousness of the global community to find a solution aimed at protecting the lives and properties of the victims of state-directed violence. If the United Nations fails in finding an answer to the Rohingya crisis, as it had happened so many times in the past, the international body will further lose its credibility that is already in ruins.