TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - In 2012, not long after bloody riots broke out in Rakhine State between Muslim residents, specifically the Rohingya, and local Buddhists, Ko Ko Hlaing still considered the communal conflict in Myanmar's second poorest region, to be nothing more than a minor problem. Speaking to a colleague, 59-year-old Hlaing, who is the political advisor to Myanmar's president, said that it was a 'piece of cake' of a problem, compared to others in the country.
The former army officer may have underestimated the situation. Three years later, the impact of the conflict led to the deaths of 192 people and caused more than 140,000, most of them Muslim Rohingyas, to seek refuge away from their homes. The 'minor' problem has now placed Myanmar again in the international limelight. This time, the pressure comes from neighboring Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia, countries which have had to bear the brunt of thousands of illegal Rohingya boat people. Last week, in his office in Bahan, Yangon, Hlain was interviewed by Tempo reporter Purwani Diyah Prabandari on the Rohingya and related issues. Excerpts:
After the increasing international pressure, mainly from Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand, over the Rohingya boat people, what action has been taken by the Myanmar government?
We are trying our best to solve the problem. As described by people in other countries, we need to tackle the root cause. But the root cause is very complicated.
How complicated?
Actually it is caused by acute poverty problem. In Myanmar, the problem is more complicated, it's a poverty and a political problem. So, we are trying our best to solve these problems. But the Myanmar government cannot solve the problem alone, in a very short time.
How do you plan to resolve it?
We have a short, medium and long-term plan. For the short term, there are 100,000 people still living in the relief camps. We need to support them from a humanitarian point. We must solve the communal conflict in the region. At the same time, we must consider the resettlement and reintegration of those people in the camps. But it is a very sensitive political time.
Why not reconcile the two contending groups first?
We are planning a reconciliation process. But it takes time. Also, the political situation is very sensitive, like the rise of Buddhist nationalism.
Why has that happened? It seems the problem is no longer just about the Rohingya but about Muslims in general.
There are two things. One is the rising religious extremism in Islam. It's been happening since 2001, when the Taliban government in Afghanistan destroyed the famous Buddhist statue. This was the flashpoint. All Buddhists in the world suffered the loss. Myanmar has a huge Buddhist monk population, 500,000 monks among the 51 million population. The Buddhist monks could not bear such severe treatment towards their holiest shrine. That's why the Buddhist community has negative sentiments against Muslims in general.
The other thing is that in 2001, the military regime still ruled our country, people had to obey them. There were sporadic clashes but they were easily controlled. But after this new government (was installed), politics opened up. There was freedom of speech. Everyone spoke and hatred rose up, until the incident in Rakhine in 2012.
But before that there was already hatred and tension between the two communities.
The history of hatred between the two communities is a long one, even going back to the time of the pre-war period. In the World War II, pro-British Muslim communities fought the Japanese. The Rakhine people were very patriotic, rebelling against the British and working with the Japanese. In the 1940s, the problem was the partition of India (and Pakistan). Bangladesh at that time wanted to join Pakistan, starting an armed mujahidin. They wanted to join East Pakistan, secede from Burma. That's why the Rakhine Buddhists became very allergic to the Muslim movement. From that time on, the two communities have always been tense.
But why is the government allowing the Rohingya to live like in prison?
That's the challenge for us. But if we brought them to their former place, there would be another bloodletting. Their lands are next to non-Muslim Rakhines. Many international communities said that they cannot accept segregation. Yes, segregation is not good. But integration is also dangerous at this time.
Read the full interview in this week's edition of Tempo English Magazine
