Dynamics of the Rohingya Refugee Crisis

Indonesia is currently faced with the issue of the Rohingya ethnicity who are flocking to Aceh to seek refuge. Rohigya itself is an ethnic group of Bangladeshi descent. Rohingya was once a Bengali (Bangladeshi) Muslim community living in the Arakan region of Myanmar. Myanmar is a predominantly Buddhist country. Although Rohingya Muslims have lived in Rakhine since the 12th century, the Myanmar government still refuses to recognize their existence as citizens and considers them illegal immigrants. Since 1970, around 1 million Rohingyas have fled Myanmar due to persecution by the military and Buddhist extremists. In 2016 the UN accused the Myanmar government of ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya (Genocide). The Rohingya Muslim community was affected when Southeast Asia was filled with warring kingdoms. The Rohingya fled to other countries, and tried to find new territories where they could live. However, the Rohingya are known as an ethnic group that has a high crime rate and often breaks the rules when they seek refuge in other countries. Currently, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is trying to figure out how to recognize and protect the rights of Rohingya refugees.