THE HINDU Editorial Vocabulary- November 25, 2016- Topic 2
A new humanitarian crisis is unfolding in Myanmar after the military
crackdown on “Islamist jihadists” in the Rakhine State, home to more than one
million Rohingya Muslims. The military claims it began the counter-terror
operation after three border security posts came under attack on October 9. But
since then more than 130 people have been killed in the State and 30,000
displaced, triggering a new wave of migration of Rohingyas to neighbouring
countries. The army denies targeting civilians, but satellite images taken
after the start of the crackdown indicate that hundreds of buildings were burnt
down; reports suggest that even those who tried to flee the country were shot
dead. The migrants are not welcome in Myanmar’s neighbourhood either. The
violence itself is not surprising given the record of persecution of the
Rohingyas in Myanmar. Many in the Buddhist-majority country call them illegal
immigrants from Bangladesh though they have been living in Rakhine for
generations. Myanmar’s military started a systematic persecution of the
Rohingyas in the 1970s when thousands were deported to Bangladesh. The rest
were stripped of citizenship by the junta, which often used the Rohingya
problem to drum up support for itself among the Buddhist majority.
What is surprising this time is the silence of the government led by Aung
San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy. Ms. Suu Kyi, the country’s de facto ruler, has not said much
about the military operation in Rakhine, or spoken for the Rohingya cause. When
her party took power in April, ending decades of military rule, many had hoped
that it would signal the dawn of a new era of peace and democracy in Myanmar.
But the government has been largely ineffective in tackling internal security
and humanitarian issues. The operation in Rakhine shows the change of guard in
government hasn’t brought any meaningful difference to Myanmar’s most
disadvantaged sections. True, the army still remains a powerful institution. It
controls the security, defence and border ministries besides wielding
considerable economic power. It is also possible that the generals are
escalating the conflict on their own. Even so, the government cannot remain in
denial about the atrocities. Ms. Suu Kyi bears responsibility for what is happening
in Rakhine now because her party rules, not the junta. For decades, Myanmar
persecuted the Rohingya people while the world ignored their plight. By all
accounts, that situation has not changed.
Vocabulary
Wave: a gesture or signal made by
moving one's hand to and fro.
Example: He gave a little wave and walked off
Synonyms: gesture, gesticulation, signal, sign, motion, salute
Flee: run away from a place or
situation of danger.
Example: A man was shot twice as he fled from five masked youths
Synonyms: run (away/off), run for it, make a run for
it, dash, take flight, be gone
Persecution: hostility and ill-treatment,
especially because of race or political or religious beliefs.
Example: Her family fled religious persecution
Synonyms: oppression, victimization, maltreatment, mistreatment
Stripped: leave bare of accessories or
fittings.
Example: Thieves stripped the room of luggage
Synonyms: empty, clear, clean
out, plunder, rob, burgle, burglarize, loot
Dawn: the first appearance of
light in the sky before sunrise.
Example: The rose-pink light of dawn
Synonyms: daybreak, sunrise, first light, daylight, first
thing in the morning
Wielding: hold and use (a weapon or
tool).
Example: A masked raider wielding a handgun
Synonyms: brandish, flourish, wave, swing, use, employ, handle
Denial: the action of declaring
something to be untrue.
Example: She shook her head in denial
Synonyms: contradiction, refutation, rebuttal, repudiation, disclaimer, negation