If there is one thing that should be abundantly clear at this point it is that the Rohingya refugees currently residing in camps here in Bangladesh deserve to go back to their homeland in Myanmar.
Not only would this fulfill the dreams of an ethnic group who has historically been denied even basic human rights by their own government, it also stands to finally hold the brutal Myanmar regime accountable for the genocidal ways they have treated their own people.
While numerous other nations agree that repatriation is the only way forward for the Rohingya refugees, none of their words have, thus far, translated into any sort of tangible action. Despite repeated pleas to the international community to exert appropriate pressure on Myanmar, nothing seems to ever be done about it.
The international community has given us very little reason to believe that this is a crisis that they wish to be resolved anytime soon. Which is why the current state of affairs is especially frustrating and depressing on equal measures.
There is no doubt that the Rohingya crisis is perhaps one of the most flagrant abuses of human rights in history, and yet very little in the way of international focus is given to it. This is emblematic of the recent global hypocrisy that dictates how certain atrocities require more attention than others.
Despite the international community's lack of any pro-active measures, the Bangladeshi people and its government stepped in to provide the persecuted Rohingya the refuge they so desperately needed. And while words of commendation towards Bangladesh were certainly appreciated, along with the necessary funds in aid, the situation has now reached a point where neither words nor financial aid can fix anything anymore.
It has been far too long since the Rohingya were violently displaced by the atrocities committed against them in Rakhine state and it is time that they were allowed to return to their homeland.
Repatriation is the only option.
