The ugly truth

When it comes to cruelty towards the Rohingya, it seems the Myanmar government knows no bounds. It has now come to the light that a report from the UN’s World Food Program (WFP) had warned that more than 80,000 children living in Muslim-majority areas were starving, and that a spiraling food crisis was ongoing. But Myanmar, in a disgraceful move, forced the agency to take down the reporting, once again covering up the basic facts. It is a dark day indeed when an organisation like the UN has to bow down to the unjust demands of a government. And while we understand that the good people working there find themselves caught between a rock and a hard place, it is still disappointing to learn that the truth was quashed despite widespread knowledge among aid groups. Thankfully, the report has since been republished. But these events expose the extent to which Myanmar will go to twist the narrative of the human rights abuses going on under their watch. The government has continued to not only deny their murderous operations in Rakhine, but has also continued to block humanitarian assistance from reaching the Rohingya communities, who are deprived of food, shelter, or medical supplies. Is it any surprise, then, that almost a hundred thousand children were found to be “wasting” away? But Myanmar can no longer keep lying to the world -- the world must come together and open its eyes to the horrific human rights abuses that are still being perpetrated. The truth cannot be swept under the rug.