Does it make sense to hold a meeting at the end of this month to discuss a problem when even one day's delay in solving it will send thousands to their deaths? Those at risk are an estimated 8,000 so-called boat people, Rohingya Muslims from Myanmar, who are abandoned at sea and at peril of dying, because countries in the region (Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia) are less than eager to come to their rescue. The boat people are victims of repression, hatred and indifference at various levels. Of course, Myanmar's harsh treatment of the Rohingya is the root of the problem. In their own country, they are victims of the kind of persecution that Human Rights Watch says amounts to ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity. In Myanmar, the Rohingya are largely denied basic rights such as citizenship. They are subjected to forced labor and have no land rights. Their movements are restricted, and because they have no legal status, job opportunities are limited. Effectively stateless, they also have little or no access to basic services like education and health care and are vulnerable to arrest and deportation. To make matters worse, the majority Buddhists consider them enemies. They have been chased from their homes and land by extremist Buddhist mobs. In the last three years, more than 120,000 have boarded ships to flee to other countries, according to the UN. If Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia and others in Southeast Asia are refusing to give them shelter, there is nothing surprising about it. They have for years been bowing to the wishes of Myanmar at regional conferences, avoiding all discussions of state-sponsored discrimination against the Rohingya. The situation became more alarming after Thailand began cracking down on human trafficking two weeks ago. This prompted some boat captains and smugglers to abandon their ships and leave the migrants to fend for themselves. Those who have survived a harrowing journey at sea speak of killings, extortion and near-starvation. The United Nations has warned against “floating coffins” and urged regional leaders to put human lives first. It is against this background that Thailand has called for a meeting on May 29. Representatives of a number of different entities are expected to take part in the talks, including Cambodia, Vietnam, Australia, the United States, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), in addition to Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and Myanmar. Critics say another 10 days will be far too long to wait for the waves of weak, hungry and dehydrated migrants seeking to land anywhere as they struggle with a lack food, potable water, and with disease. The meeting may come up with some proposals that would persuade Myanmar's neighbors to “let these migrants land in the name of humanity,” as the IOM has been urging them. But this would be treating the symptoms, not the root cause of the disease. No solution can be permanent or just that ignores Myanmar's responsibility in causing the problem in the first place and its obligation to solve it by letting the Rohingya live in peace and dignity. This is also the time for the world community to realize its mistakes and take some remedial action. They were too easily taken in by the Myanmar junta's promise of political reforms. They rewarded President Thein Sein's administration with renewed diplomatic engagement and direct foreign investment. Only a threat of sanctions will make the junta mend its ways. Myanmar should be told firmly that it must protect everyone within its borders, regardless of ethnicity or religion, and that a failure to do so will result in punishment.
