BanglaCricket Poll: Should Bangladesh Open Her Borders to Rohingya Refugees Fleeing Ethnic Cleansing in Burma?

[Sohel]

Of course this poll reflects the opinions of only a privileged fraction of the Bangladeshi population. Namely a small percentage within the small percentage of Bangladeshis online, including many NRBs.

Arguments:

1. YES because of our moral obligation, especially in light of our history and the values embedded in the Constitution.

2. NO because we already have enough socioeconomic problems and the Burmese government must solve its own.

3. YES BUT only until the Burmese government solves a problem of its own making.

[Zeeshan]

Third option. Good thread btw. (Poll coming?)

[Sohel]

Originally Posted by Zeeshan
Third option. Good thread btw. (Poll coming?)

It's there now bro.

[Ashfaq]

The third option is extremely naive. Burmese junta and subsequent "Democratic" government had decades and they only exacerbated the issue. It may not be possible at all to solve this issue because the common Burmese man might have lost the sense of decency (worst case scenario).

We must be prepared to think Rohingyas will be here permanently should they be allowed to cross border into Bangladesh. In that scenario, given that I live in a cozy little flat in the capital, it's really easy for me to be a bleedin' heart and campaign for opening the border. But, the people in Teknaf, those who will have to make the actual sacrifices, may not be inclined to do so. We aren't Canada, or even India. We are barely surviving. Opening our door to millions of hungry mouths is just foolish, as inhumane as that sounds.

Better option is to cut out the root of the problem. The government of Burma must be made to realize that it has duties to all of it's subjects. Opening the border, I'm afraid, will make the situation worse for everybody.

[Sohel]

With all due respect to everyone's vote and opinion on this poll, I doubt that the third option is any more naive than the idea that the Burmese government would suddenly think twice about persecuting a part of its own population once we close our borders, because the "extra suffering" would compel the international community to put more pressure on them to cease and desist, and then begin to resolve the real issues behind the atrocity.

I can think of Rwanda, Sudan, Bosnia and of course a little country called Bangladesh where that theory proved not so realistic. If anything, the refugee camps in more open environments, and the stories coming out of there got the international community to act when it did.

I voted for the third option simply because these people must be provided with relative security before any sustainable settlement of the conflict even begins to appear on the horizon. That eventual just solution requiring time and patience may or may not happen, but closing our borders would only exacerbate the tragic situation there as it stands now. Opening our borders on the other hand, can kick start the process in light of the current UN and Western focus on Burma's supposed "transition" into democracy.

Let us not get into the issue of who lives where and has the leisure to think and state what in the process. Neither this thread nor its poll is really about that []. I was far more interested in sampling idealistic, cynical and positivist votes with regards to this particular issue in this forum, nothing more.

[Night_wolf]

with our past it'll be a shame if we dont let them take refuge

[Naimul_Hd]

Letting them in Bangladesh is NOT the solution. There are thousands of rohingya in Burma, how many of them will you let in ? There are already more than 120,000 rohingyas living in CTG and sadly most of them are involved in Jamat Shibir activities.

If Bangladesh needs to help them, better start communicating with top level officials of Burmese Govt and make them stop such brutality.

[Sohel]

14 or roughly 74% in favor, 9 conditionally, and 5 or roughly 26% opposed so far.

[Naimul_Hd]

The 3rd option looks good on paper and majority of people would go for it but its highly impractical, hence i omitted that option.

[simon]

Originally Posted by Naimul_Hd
The 3rd option looks good on paper and majority of people would go for it but its highly impractical, hence i omitted that option.

Just what I wanted to say.
it's either Yes or No.

[Sohel]

The Palestinian right of return too is considered "impractical" yet decent people everywhere, not just amongst the Palestinians, will never give up on that right because it is simply the right thing to do. Doing the right thing is never easy, but will lead to achieving something truly great. The struggle has its own rewards no matter how long it takes to obtain the desired outcome. That's what all good things in human history teaches us.

Had we thought of only cowardly expediency and convenience under the cynical guise of "practicality", Bangladesh won't be here today after the military-Islamist-PPP genocide of 1971. Millions of our people who found shelter -- thanks to the generosity of our neighbors in West Bengal, Assam, Tripura and Mizoram, themselves not at all well off -- won't be here today. We won't be here today if millions more who stayed back didn't risk their lives, dignity and property to shelter and aid our Freedom Fighters also doing something perceived as "impractical".

Some of us believe in dying on our feet rather than living on our knees just for the sake of that "practicality".

[Naimul_Hd]

Originally Posted by Sohel NR
The Palestinian right of return too is considered "impractical" yet decent people everywhere, not just amongst the Palestinians, will never give up on that right because it is simply the right thing to do. Doing the right thing is never easy, but will lead to achieving something truly great. The struggle has its own rewards no matter how long it takes to obtain the desired outcome. That's what all good things in human history teaches us.

Had we thought of only cowardly expediency and convenience under the cynical guise of "practicality", Bangladesh won't be here today after the military-Islamist-PPP populist genocide of 1971. Millions of our people who found shelter, thanks to the generosity of our neighbors in West Bengal, Assam, Tripura and Mizoram -- themselves not at all well off -- won't be here today. We won't be here today if millions more didn't risk their lives, dignity and property to shelter and aid our Freedom Fighters also doing something perceived as "impractical".

Some of us believe in dying on our feet rather than living on our knees for the sake of that "practicality".

rightly said.

But in case of Bangladesh, our neighboring country knew that we would go back to our country. We were there for temporary reason cause we were fighting for our freedom, same thing goes to Palestine.

But in this case of Rohingya, they are fleeing away from their country. So, the chances of their return is very unlikely. They dont wanna go back to Burma. Hence the problem arises. Can we afford to give shelter and feed such big number of Rohingyas in Bangladesh knowing that they wont go back ? That's the question. If they were fighting for their freedom then it would make sense giving shelter but here they are refugees whose lives are in danger living in Burma.

[simon]

Originally Posted by Naimul_Hd
rightly said.

But in case of Bangladesh, our neighboring country knew that we would go back to our country. We were there for temporary reason cause we were fighting for our freedom, same thing goes to Palestine.

But in this case of Rohingya, they are fleeing away from their country. So, the chances of their return is very unlikely. They dont wanna go back to Burma. Hence the problem arises. Can we afford to give shelter and feed such big number of Rohingyas in Bangladesh knowing that they wont go back ? That's the question. If they were fighting for their freedom then it would make sense giving shelter but here they are refugees whose lives are in danger living in Burma.

Very well said again.

[Sohel]

The probability of their return in a safe environment where their human rights are secured is a debatable and speculative matter, and we cannot fail to do the right thing based solely on cynical speculation. As similar as they are to us, as the Palestinians in Lebanon and Jordan (before the expulsion of PLO troublemakers from those countries) are to the locals there, they have their own cultural identity firmly rooted in Arakan. Not being wanted by their cousins in Bangladesh makes the urge to return even stronger.

A part of their leadership is being used by Islamists because others like us are not doing the right thing. Let us help our neighbors for all the right reasons.

[Alien]

Didnt understand the third option. If Burmese solves the problem of their making we wont have a refugee problem anymore because it's "solved".

[Naimul_Hd]