缅甸当局必须停止迫害罗兴亚人

In the first three months of this year, some 25,000 people, mostly from the persecuted Rohingya Muslim minority, left the Bay of Bengal by boat in search of a better life. Instead, they have suffered the most appalling treatment at the hands of ruthless smugglers and unsympathetic governments. At least 300 have died from “starvation, dehydration and beatings”, according to the UN. Between 6,000 and 20,000 are now adrift at sea, turned away from Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia in what one human rights campaigner likened to a sickening game of “human ping pong”. The situation is desperate. If action is not taken, dozens or possibly hundreds of people could die.

今年头3个月，约有2.5万人——大多是受到迫害的穆斯林罗兴亚(Rohingya)少数民族——乘船离开孟加拉湾，以寻求改善生活状况。然而，他们却遭到了残忍的走私犯和一些无情的政府最骇人听闻的对待。联合国(UN)称，至少有300人死于“饥饿、脱水和毒打”。现在还有6000到两万人相继被泰国、马来西亚和印度尼西亚拒绝入境，不得不继续在海上漂流，一位人权活动人士将这种相互推诿比作一场令人作呕的“人类乒乓球”比赛。形势极为严峻。如果不采取行动，数十人乃至数百人可能都会面临死亡。

This is a tragedy in three acts. Many of the refugees bound for Malaysia are either from the western Rakhine state of Myanmar or from refugee camps in Bangladesh. The Rohingya, many who have been in Myanmar for generations, are effectively stateless. Ironically, as Myanmar’s military boot has lifted, anti-Rohingya sentiment has stiffened among the majority Buddhist population. The Rohingya, referred to dismissively as “Bengalis”, are popularly considered foreign interlopers with an alien religion and a high propensity to breed. In 2012, mobs killed at least 170 and drove some 140,000 into desperately ill-provisioned camps. As hope fades, the incentive to flee rises.

这是一场三幕悲剧。这些前往马来西亚的难民，很多都来自缅甸若开邦(Rakhine)西部或者孟加拉国的难民营。尽管许多罗兴亚人已经在缅甸生活了好几代，但罗兴亚人事实上是没有国籍的。讽刺的是，随着缅甸告别军政府统治，占人口多数的佛教徒中的反罗兴亚情绪更为高涨。罗辛亚人被轻蔑地称为“孟加拉人”，缅甸当地人普遍视他们为从外国闯入、倾向于生育更多孩子的异教徒。2012年，暴民杀害了至少170人，并使14万人被迫居住于供给极为不足的难民营。随着希望逐渐破灭，罗兴亚人外逃的动机也不断增强。

The second act is carried out by human traffickers. Many refugees are imprisoned in “ransom for release” camps in Thailand. Those who cannot pay may be beaten, raped or left to starve. Belatedly Thai authorities have cracked down after finding a mass grave in one of the camps. Smugglers, who can no longer store their human cargo in Thailand, have cut their boats loose at sea. Act three is what happens when those boats try to make landfall in Malaysia, Thailand or Indonesia. All three countries have pushed them away. In the short term, the focus should be on those in immediate peril. The three countries concerned must urgently mount rescue operations and bring the migrants safely to shore. Aid organisations can then take care of their pressing needs while a longer-term solution is found for those who can prove they are political refugees.

第二幕是由人贩子导演的。许多难民被关押在泰国“拿赎金放人”的营地。那些无法支付赎金的人可能遭到毒打、强奸或者被活活饿死。泰国当局迟迟未采取措施，直到在其中一个营地发现集体坟墓后才对此类行为进行了打击。无法再把人扣留在泰国的走私犯便任船只在海上漂流。第三幕悲剧是那些试图在马来西亚、泰国或者印度尼西亚登陆的船只遭遇的事情。这三个国家都拒绝让这些船只上岸。短期来看，我们应重点关注那些现在就身处危险之中的人。上述三国必须紧急展开救援行动，将这些移民安全带到岸上。之后援助组织可着手解决他们的紧要需求，与此同时对那些能证明自己是政治难民的人，也有长远的解决方法。

The only lasting solution to the mass exodus is to be found in Myanmar itself. Rohingya are leaving in droves because they see no future. This is probably the point. Authorities may hope that, if conditions are bad enough, Rohingya will simply leave. One organisation called the strategy a “soft elimination”. Myanmar’s political leaders should reverse course. Authorities should regularise the Rohingya’s status, made even more precarious after temporary identity cards expired at the end of March. Ideally that would mean full citizenship for most. In the interim, authorities could issue residency cards that allow freedom of movement. If Rohingya can start making a living and send their children to school they may conclude they have a future in Myanmar after all.

大规模难民外逃的唯一长久解决之道需要从缅甸自己身上寻找。罗兴亚人大批离开，是因为他们看不到未来。这或许就是问题的关键。当权者可能寄望于，如果状况足够糟糕，罗兴亚人就只能离开。一个组织将这种策略称为“软性消灭”。缅甸的政治领袖应转变策略。自3月底临时身份证过期后，罗兴亚人的处境已变得更加危险，缅甸当局应让罗兴亚人的身份合法化。在理想情况下，这将意味着赋予大多数罗兴亚人正式的公民身份。在过渡时期，当局可以发放允许持有者自由流动的居留卡。如果罗兴亚人能够谋生，能够送子女去上学，他们或许会认为自己在缅甸还是有未来的。

The international community can play a role. Myanmar must be made to understand it cannot persecute a minority with impunity. There should be a cost in terms of how quickly — or whether — remaining sanctions are dismantled. Fellow governments in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations can probably play the biggest role of all. It was their softly-softly approach that nudged Myanmar out of its military isolationism in the first place. Malaysia and Indonesia, both Muslim-majority countries, have a particular duty to persuade Myanmar that its anti-Rohingya policies are unacceptable. Only if official persecution stops will some good have come from this tragedy.

国际社会可以在其中发挥作用。国际社会必须让缅甸知道，迫害一个少数民族不可能不受惩罚。应该让缅甸为这种行为付出代价，这种代价体现为多快解除对缅甸的制裁，抑或是否解除制裁。在各方中，东盟(ASEAN)十国中其他国家的政府或可发挥最大作用。追根溯源，正是这些政府细致耐心的策略一点点推动缅甸走出了军事孤立主义。马来西亚和印度尼西亚的人口都以穆斯林为主，这两个国家尤其有义务说服缅甸相信其反罗兴亚政策是不可接受的。只有官方停止迫害罗兴亚人，这场悲剧的发生才可以说有些意义。