What to do about the Rohingya

[Fingolfin_Noldor]

Given Myanmar's poverty, mineral wealth timber wealth and hydroelectric potential, and the huge ngo -poverty complex bringing aid into the area, I'm really surprised that heavy diplomatic pressure isnt being brought to bear on the Myanmar elite

Hasn't worked for decades?

You know, the only reason why they opened up to the West recently was because they stopped a hydroelectric project that was run by a Chinese company. So they sought diplomatic cover after pissing the Chinese off.

Otherwise, think of them as the North Korea of South East Asia. I mean, hell, the world hewed and cry during the last crackdown in Myanmar, I mean, dead people were strewn all over the marshes, monks and all, but it didn't stop them.

Hell, no one in Asia even respected the sanctions imposed on Myanmar, because Myanmar was rich in resources, and being sandwiched between India and China allowed Myanmar to seek privileges from both sides.

[madd0ct0r]

Just on BBC news, mass graves have been found in Thailand.

Wife predicts similar graves will be found in forests in North Europe. She's been dealing With a lot of trafficked people recently. 3 months in an unheated lorry from China. Thousands.

[AniThyng]

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/mala ... ays-report

Well now that the federal government has caved in and agreed to let the boats in, we move from ping pong on the high seas to ping pong on land as the opposition-led state government of Penang scrambles to not be left holding the bag, because it's clearly much easier to declare the government to be inhumane and cruel when they decided not to let the boats in in the first place then deal with what to do after that.

Penang wants Putrajaya to house the Rohingya and Bangladeshi refugees in land owned by the federal government, reports The Star.

Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said this was because the state had limited space, both on the island and the mainland.

He told the English daily that there were some 50,000 Rohingyas in Penang since the last six years and that state lands could not be used to house them.

Lim also reiterated that Penang needed to be kept abreast of any plans to host the migrants in the northern state.

Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar suggested that Penang temporarily host the 7,000 Rohingya refugees who had fled Myanmar and were now still at sea.

He said Penang was a suitable as it was located in the north and it would be easier to send the people away later from there after a year.

“Maybe the IGP knows something we don’t. Maybe he is thinking of Pulau Jerejak. We are struggling to figure out where in Penang he has in mind.

“Our state is too densely populated to be suitable,” Lim was quoted as saying, referring to the island located off the southeastern tip of Penang that was used to hold detainees under the Internal Security Act.

The Star also reported that several groups and industry bodies said there should be adequate space and resources if Penang was chosen to accommodate the migrants.

Real Estate and Housing Developers Association Penang chairman Datuk Jerry Chan reportedly said Penang could temporarily house the refugees.

Penang Consumer Protection Association president K. Koris Atan questioned Khalid's proposal.

“Why is the IGP suggesting Penang? It should be in a large state like Pahang,” he was quoted as saying.

Penang welfare and caring society committee chairman Phee Boon Poh said the most suitable place was the Royal Malaysian Air Force base in Butterworth as it had the necessary security facilities in place.

On Friday, Lim said the Penang government would cooperate with Putrajaya on matters concerning national security, including the influx of Rohingya refugees.

But he admitted his administration was still in the dark about how the federal authorities were dealing with the boat people, who are now being allowed to stay in Malaysia temporarily. – May 24, 2015.

[Thanas]

Good that they decided to take them in.

[Broomstick]

Yes, preferable to drowning at a sea, but one still has to worry about their subsequent treatment. All that talk of "security" makes it sound like they're regarded more as criminals than refugees, and there is a clear scent of NIMBY at work.

[mr friendly guy]

Well Malaysia does engage in caning of asylum seekers for some offences.

[AniThyng]

I suspect a lot of people just wanted to pontificate and score political cheap shots. I can see why the federal government might be petty enough to suggest DAP-controlled penang host them, because DAP MPs from other states were some of the most vocal in calling the federal government cruel and inhumane for enforcing the border. Oddly enough now those MPs are very quiet.

[cmdrjones]

Tens of thousands shouldn't be such a huge problem for Australia, Germany alone takes in around 200k people a year.

In the interest of being scrupulously fair to the Australians, Germany doesn't have as much uninhabitable desert.

But you could fit Germany several times in the habitable zones of Australia.

Australia: 2,969,907 sq mi
Germany: 137,847 sq mi
(Now look at the climate map Link Looks like at least a fifth of that is ready for habitation.

Australian population: 23,850,700, 7.3/sq mi
German population: 80,716,000, 583/sq mi

SO even if we factor in only a fifth being able to accept settlement (heck let's be generous and only make it a tenth) and you can see how the claim of "we're full" doesn't make any sense.

It's not "we're full" it's: What % of 80,716,000 is 800,000 vs that same % of 23,850,700? Even discounting the whole: 'Why is this our problem' argument?

simple: if Rohingya = Shia FWD to Iran if Rohingya = Sunni FWD to S. Arabia. There we go. All fixed.