Despite worldwide outrage and calls for help, the plight of the Rohingya Muslims of Myanmar is still pitiable
KARACHI: Despite worldwide outrage and calls for help, the plight of the Rohingya Muslims of Myanmar is still pitiable. According to recent reports, around 11,000 more Rohingya fled to Bangladesh. What is worse is that many of the females — even minors — fleeing the atrocities have been sexually assaulted by soldiers of the Myanmar army.
Unfortunately, many little girls are even afraid to report that they have been raped out of fear of being ostracised in the camps they are now living in. Considering themselves to have lost their ‘purity’ young girls are silent over these atrocities and are hesitant in seeking help through Unicef officials present at the Cox’s Bazaar of Bangladesh to rehabilitate them. As a result, it’s increasingly important to counsel other refugees in the camps along with counseling the rape survivors. By making others more accepting of these girls, making them realise that the fault doesn’t lie with them and they are not be blamed, or in fact have not been, what they call, ‘impure’ will only help in the process of healing for these young girls. Enabling a surrounding that is more comforting will greatly help in the rehabilitation process.
Aisha Malik
Published in The Express Tribune, October 12th, 2017.
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