Comparative Study of the Roles of ASEAN and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in Responding to the Rohingya Crisis

https://doi.org/10.22146/ikat.v1i1.27466

Irawan Jati(1*)

(1) Islamic University of Indonesia
(*) Corresponding Author

Abstract


Since 2012, Southeast Asia has witnessed the human rights tragedy of the Rohingya people of Myanmar. Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya have been displaced from their homes and traveled to refugee facilities in Myanmar and Bangladesh, while others have been stranded on the Andaman Sea. The Rohingya crisis is perhaps the most horrific human rights tragedy after the crisis in Vietnam in the 1970s. As the crisis has developed, international communities, including ASEAN and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), have responded to the crisis. As the main regional organization, ASEAN has been hoped to elucidate the crisis tactically through peaceful means. OIC, meanwhile, has been expected to join humanitarian action using a diplomatic approach to other international humanitarian bodies, including the UNHCR. However, it is obvious that ASEAN's response to the crisis has been limited to diplomatic oration and failed to prevent a wider crisis. For OIC, its humanitarian solidarity has lacked access to the target community. Therefore, this paper would like to attempt a comparative analysis to describe the central inquiry; how have ASEAN and OIC responded to the Rohingya crisis? This analysis involves studying ASEAN and OIC publications and related references. The initial argument of this paper is that both organizations have given reasonable responses to the crisis, but have been unable to halt its advance.

Keywords


ASEAN, Human Rights, OIC, Refugee, Rohingya

Full Text:

PDF


References

AICHR Indonesia. (2015). Press Release: Encouraging AICHR to Address the Urgent Issue of Irregular Migration Crisis in ASEAN Special Meeting of the AICHR, Bandar Sri Begawan, 13–15 June 2015. Retrieved from https://aichr.or.id/index.php/en/aichr-indonesia/public-accountability/releases/36-press-release-special-meeting-of-the-aichr-bandar-sri-begawan-13-15-june-2015

Ali, S. (2015). OIC Adopts Pakistan's Proposal on Rohingya's Discrimination. Retrieved from https://en.dailypakistan.com.pk/pakistan/pakistans-proposals-adopts-by-oic-on-rohingyas-discrimination-888/

Arendshorst, J. (2009). The Dilemma of Non-Interference : Myanmar, Human Rights, and the ASEAN Charter. Northwestern Journal of International Human Rights, 8(1). 5. 102–121.

ASEAN Secretariat. ASEAN Ministers Meet on Irregular Movement of Persons. Retrieved from http://asean.org/asean-ministers-meet-on-irregular-movement-of-persons/

Balossi-restelli, L. (2014). Obstinate and Unmovable? The EU vis-à-vis Myanmar via EU-ASEAN. Australian and New Zealand Journal of European Studies. 6(2). 55–73. Bowen, J. (2015). Refugee Crisis Tests the Limits of Southeast Asian Cooperation. Retrieved from http://theglobalobservatory.org/2015/05/asean-rohingya-refugees-myanmar/

Cook, A.D.B. (2010). Positions of Responsibility: A comparison of ASEAN and EU Approaches towards Myanmar. International Politics, 47(3/4), 433–449. Retrieved from http://doi.org/10.1057/ip.2010.7

Deppermann, L. J. F. (2013). Increasing the ICJ' s Influence as a Court of Human Rights: The Muslim Rohingya as a Case Study. Chicago Journal of International Law, 14(1). 9. 291–316.

Dosch, J., & Jatswan S. S. (2015). The European Union's Myanmar Policy: Focused or Directionless?. Current Southeast Asia Affairs. 34(2). 85–112.

Gecker, J., & Eileen Ng. (2015). Rohingya Crisis Highlights Toothless Nature of ASEAN. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.co/aponline/2015/05/19/world/asia/ap-as-rohingya-toothless-diplomacy.html?_r=0.

Goh, G. (2002). The "ASEAN Way": Non-Intervention and ASEAN's Role in Conflict, Stanford Journal of East Asian Affairs. 35(April 1962), 27–28.

Graham, D.A. (2015). Burma Doesn't Want the Rohingya but Insists on Keeping Them. Retrieved from http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2015/06/ burma-rohingya-migration-ban/395729/.

Hukil, R., & Shaunik, N. (2013). Rudderless Drowning in Tears: The Rohingyas of Myanmar. IPCS Issue Brief, (222).

Hunt, B. L. (2015). ASEAN's Refugee Embarrassment: The Rohingya Refugee Crisis is Quite Possibly the Greatest Embarrassment ASEAN has Ever Faced. Retrieved from http://thediplomat.com/2015/05/aseans-refugee-embarassment/

ICG. (2014). Myanmar : The Politics of Rakhine State. Retrieved from http://www.crisisgroup.org/~/media/Files/asia/south-east-asia/burma-myanmar/261-myanmar-the-politics-of-rakhine-state.pdf.

ICJ. (2014). ICJ Welcomes Chance to Review ASEAN Human Rights Commission's TOR. Retrieved from https://www.icj.org/icj-welcomes-chance-to-review-asean-human-rights-commissions-tor/.

Ihsan, M.I.Q., & M. Saifur Rehman. (2015). Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and Prospects of Yemeni Conflict Resolution: Delusion or Plausible Reality. Journal of Political Studies. 22(2). 367–381.

Jones, L. (2009). ASEAN and the Norm of Non-Interference in Southeast Asia: A Quest for Social Order. Nuffield College Politics Group Working Paper. (NA No. NA). Oxford.

Lay, K.M. (2009). Burma Fuels the Rohingya Tragedy. Far Eastern Economic Review, 172(2), 57–59.

Lipes, J. (2012). Rohingya Raised at ASEAN Meeting. Retrieved from http://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/rohingya-07132012163418.html.

Matthew, S., & Taylor, L. (2014). Policies of Persecution Ending Abusive State Policies Against Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar. Retrieved from http://www.fortifyrights.org/downloads/Policies_of_Persecution_Feb_25_Fortify_Rights.pdf.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Thailand (MFA). (2015). Press Release: Summary of the Special Meeting on Irregular Migration in the Indian Ocean 29 May 2015, Bangkok, Thailand. Retrieved from http://www.mfa.go.th/main/en/media-center/14/56880-Summary-Special-Meeting-on-Irregular-Migration-in.html.

Myanmar Peace Monitor. (2012). Humanitarian Assistance to Rohingya. Retrieved from http://www.mmpeacemonitor.org/peace-process/rakhine-state-crisis-efforts.

Myanmar Red Cross Society. (2012). Cooperation Agreement between Myanmar Red Cross Society and Turkish Red Crescent. Retrieved from http://myanmarredcrosssociety.org/cooperation-agreement-between-myanmar-red-cross-society-and-turkish-red-crescent/.

Nemoto, K. (1991). The Rohingya Issue : A Thorny Obstacle between Burma (Myanmar) and Bangladesh. Retrieved from http://www.burmalibrary.org/docs14/Kei_Nemoto-Rohingya.pdf.

Nolan, B. (2015). ASEAN 'Cannot Stay Out of Rohingya Crisis'. Retrieved from http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/06/18/asean-cannot-stay-out-rohingya-crisis.html.

OIC. (2012). OIC is Concerned over the Report of Violence against Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar. Retrieved from http://www.oic-oci.org/oicv2/topic/?t_id=6937&ref=2862&lan=en&x_key=rohingya.

_________. (b). (2012). OIC Secretary General Condemns Renewed Violence against Muslims in Myanmar. Retrieved from http://www.oic-oci.org/oicv2/topic/?t_id=7358&ref=3011&lan=en&x_key=rohingya.

__________. (2013). Final Communiqué of the OIC Contact Group on Myanmar Muslim Rohingya Minority. Retrieved from http://www.oic-oci.org/oicv2/topic/?t_id=7964&ref=3219&lan=en&x_key=rohingya.

__________(b). (2013). Ihsanoglu Tasks Myanmar's Government on Responsibility to Eradicate Discrimination against Muslims. Retrieved from http://www.oic-oci.org/oicv2/topic/?t_id=8255&ref=3329&lan=en&x_key=rohingya.

__________. (2015). OIC Contact Group on Myanmar adopts Plan of Action on Rohingya Muslims. Retrieved from http://www.oic-oci.org/oicv2/topic/?t_id=10498&t_ref=4142&lan=en.

Othman, M. F., & Othman, Z. (2010). The Principle of Non-Interference in ASEAN: Can Malaysia Spearhead the Effort towards a More Interventionist ASEAN, Proceedings of the Seminar on National Resilience (SNAR), Political Managements and Policies in Malaysia, 35–62.

Reliefweb.Int. (2015). Chairman's Statement: Emergency ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Transnational Crime Concerning Irregular Movement of Persons in Southeast Asia. Retrieved from http://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/Chairman-Statement-Emergency-ASEAN-Ministers-Meeting-on-Transnational-Crime-2-July-2015-1.pdf.

Robinson, I.G., & Rahman, I.S. (2012). The Unknown Fate of the Stateless Rohingya. Oxford Monitor of Forces Migration, 2(2), 16–20.

Saw, U.K.M. (1993). The "Rohingyas", Who are They?: The Origin of the Name "Rohingya". International Conference on Tradition and Modernity in Myanmar. 89–100.

Singh, B. (2014). ASEAN, Myanmar and the Rohingya Issue. Himalayan and Central Asian Studies, 18(1–2), 5–20.

Southwick, K. (2015). Preventing Mass Atrocities against the Stateless Rohingya in Myanmar: A Call for Solutions. Journal of International Affairs, 68(2), 137.

Svoboda, E., et al. (2015). Islamic Humanitarianism?: The Evolving Role of the Organization for Islamic Cooperation in Somalia and Beyond. Humanitarian Policy Group Working Paper.

London. Tha, T.B. (2007). A Short History of Rohingya and Kamans of Burma. Retrieved from http://www.networkmyanmar.org/images/stories/PDF17/Short-History.pdf

The Jakarta Post. (2012). OIC, PMI to Launch Humanitarian Mission for Rohingya, Rakhines Refugees. Retrieved from http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2012/12/04/oic-pmi-launch-humanitarian-mission-rohingya-rakhines-refugees.html

__________(b). (2012). OIC Collects $25 Million for Rohingya and Rakhine. Retrieved from http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2012/10/05/oic-collects-25-million-rohingya-and-rakhine.html.

Thiri, T. (2013). OIC Delegation Visits Rohingya Refugee Camps amid Protests. Retrieved from http://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/oic-11152013183756.html. Vinh, V.X. (2014). ASEAN's Approach to Myanmar. Himalayan and Central Asian Studies. 18(1–2). 21–35.



DOI: https://doi.org/10.22146/ikat.v1i1.27466

Article Metrics

Abstract views : 7915 | views : 11850

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Copyright (c) 2017 Irawan Jati

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

View My Stats