‘Rohingyas are not Bengalis’

Bangladesh has strongly rejected Myanmar’s recent submissions to the International Court of Justice, saying references to the Rohingyas as “Bengalis” distort history, undermine their identity, and seek to justify atrocities committed during the 2016–17 violence. 

“The Government of Bangladesh calls upon Myanmar and others having authority over Rakhine to demonstrate a genuine commitment to the recognition of Rohingyas as an integral part of their society and State, and facilitate their return by creating conducive atmosphere in Rakhine and their reintegration with equal rights, in safety and with dignity,” read a statement issued by the foreign ministry yesterday evening. 

In the detailed statement, Bangladesh said Myanmar’s portrayal of the Rohingyas as illegal migrants before the International Court of Justice is aimed at reinforcing a false narrative of internal security threats to divert attention from atrocities committed against the community.

The government said the Rohingyas are a distinct ethnic group with deep historical roots in Arakan, predating modern borders and the incorporation of the region into the Barman Kingdom in 1785. Their presence is well documented in historical records, colonial demographic accounts, and independent scholarship, it added.

Bangladesh said the term “Rohingya” evolved historically from the old Arakan capital Mro-Haung or Rohang, and was later adopted by the community for self-identification amid systematic marginalisation in Myanmar. Attempts to portray the Rohingyas as foreigners or recent migrants are inconsistent with historical facts, the statement said.

The Rohingyas were an integral part of Myanmar’s political and social life until the promulgation of the 1982 Citizenship Law, which excluded them from citizenship on ethno-religious grounds, Bangladesh noted. Despite sustained marginalisation, the community retained voting rights until they were fully disenfranchised during Myanmar’s 2015 general elections.

Bangladesh said Myanmar has persistently denied the Rohingyas their constitutional guarantees, culminating in their mass eviction from Rakhine State during the 2016–17 period, rendering them stateless as part of a planned process to destroy the community.

The statement said the systematic labelling of the Rohingyas as “Bengalis” denies their inherent right to self-identify and has been used to justify exclusion, persecution and ethnic cleansing. Bangladesh noted that despite such claims, Myanmar had recognised the Rohingyas as “lawful residents of Burma” in the 1978 bilateral repatriation agreement with Bangladesh and assured their reintegration in subsequent accords.

Bangladesh said Myanmar’s continued failure for over eight years to create a conducive environment in Rakhine for the safe, voluntary and dignified return of the Rohingyas violates bilateral arrangements signed in 2017–18 and may indicate intent to permanently destroy the community.

The government also recalled its protest on July 18, 2023, against Myanmar’s unsubstantiated claim that half a million Bangladeshis took refuge in Rakhine during Bangladesh’s 1971 Liberation War, noting the absence of any documentary or demographic evidence.