by Pathik Hasan

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has sought the global community’s enhanced focus and active support to find a durable solution to the Rohingya crisis as she addressed the 76th UN General Assembly (UNGA).

She said the Rohingya crisis was passing its fifth year now “yet not a single forcibly displaced Myanmar national could be repatriated — I would like to reiterate that the crisis was created in Myanmar and its solution lies in Myanmar”. “Myanmar must create the conditions conducive for their return,” Sheikh Hasina said.

But, she added, “International community must work constructively for a permanent solution of the crisis through the safe, sustainable, and dignified return of the Rohingyas to their home in the Rakhine State”. The premier particularly expected the ASEAN leadership to step up their ongoing efforts alongside the rest of the international community to support all the accountability processes.

She said her government recently relocated some Rohingyas to an offshore island of Bhashan Char “on our part, to ensure their temporary stay in Bangladesh”. The premier said that despite vaccine constraints the Rohingyas were incorporated under Bangladesh’s inoculation campaign to stop the spread of COVID-19 in their camps.

The premier particularly expected the ASEAN leadership to step up their ongoing efforts alongside the rest of the international community to support all the accountability processes.

PM Sheikh Hasina has focused on ASEAN in this regard. On the other hand, according to Khmer Times report on September 26, 2021, Prime Minister Hun Sen has reaffirmed the strong commitment of Cambodia as the Chair of ASEAN in 2022.

In his remarks at the 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (76th UNGA) from Phnom Penh, via Videoconference, on Sept. 25, Hun Sen said that as the incoming chair of ASEAN next year, Cambodia will seek to address the common challenges facing the region.

With strong solidarity from ASEAN Member States and the support of its external partners, Cambodia will aim to further advance the ASEAN Community building process and to sustain ASEAN as a region of critical importance for global trade, investment and supply chains, he added. Cambodia can play a strong role in this regard.

Cambodian media outlets such as Khmer Times, The Phnom Penh Post, can play a strong role to make public opinion to influence the policymakers of Cambodia for resolving the Rohingya refugees’ crisis.

The Khmer Times is a widely circulated English-language newspaper in Cambodia. It is also widely known in South East Asia. Khmer Times is very popular in Cambodia. According to their media outlets, policymakers and decision-makers read the news publication regularly. According to Khmer Times website, its hard-hitting insightful editorials and opinions are keenly followed by the government, lawmakers, diplomats and business people alike.

Khmer Times can play a very important role in resolving Rohingya refugee crisis. It can publish some pertinent news, reports, articles related to Rohingya refugees. It has been publishing many write-ups regarding the Rohingya crisis and its solution. Its writings can impact all southeast Asian leaders including Cambodia leaders to think about the regional leader.

Cambodia is going to take the role of the leadership of ASEAN. As an active member, Cambodia can play a very significant role in solving the Rohingya refugee crisis.  Cambodia’s Khmer Times can play a strong role in this regard.

Accordingly, Cambodia’s Khmer Times can and should play a very significant role to solve the crisis in these such ways:

  • Khmer Times can publish all kinds of news, reports and editorials articles regarding Rohingya refugee crisis to make public opinion that pressurizes the policymakers in solving Rohingya refugee crisis.
  • It can publish satire. It can also publish poll opinions.
  • It can influence Cambodia’s Buddhist society by publishing its nice write-ups.

Khmer Times is a very fine and excellent newspaper in South East Asia. The accuracy, credibility and acceptability of publications in Khmer Times is very high. So, it should create public opinion in favor of Rohingya crisis repatriation to Myanmar on humanitarian grounds.

The government of Myanmar, its decision-makers and people well known about Khmer Times. Thus, it is very easy for Khmer Times to influence the policymakers and people of Myanmar to some extent the decision-makers and leaders of whole South Asian countries.

Khmer has already circulated much news on Rohingyas to build public opinion  such as:

1)     Bangladesh makes yet another call for Cambodia’s assistance in ending the plight of the Rohingya

2)     Cambodia can play a strategic role in resolving the Rohingya crisis

3)     Why Indonesia cannot mediate in Myanmar’s crisis

4)     Bangladesh asks Kingdom to support Rohingya repatriation

5)     Getting to the heart of the Rohingya refugee crisis

  • Rohingyas seek Myanmar recognition
  • The other Rohingya crisis
  • Rohingya in Bangladesh need ‘massive’ assistance
  • Cambodia considers aid for Rohingya refugees
  • UN: Rohingya ‘ethnic cleansing’ continues

As Bangladeshi, we always appreciate the role of Khmer Times regarding the ‘Media Coverage of Rohingya Refugee Crisis in South East Asia’. We hope, Khmer Times will continue it. One day, policymakers in this region will understand this. The Rohingya refugee crisis would be solved one day and the whole region will be stable.  We think that the role of the Khmer Times is very positive in this regard. Khmer Times is on the right track. So Khmer Times has been playing a very significant role in the whole of South East Asia to create positive public opinion in this regard.

We, Bangladeshi citizens, hope and appreciate the significant role of the Khmer Times.

About the writer:

Md Pathik Hasan. Dhaka-based NGO worker and freelance writer (particularly current International issues). The writer Pathik Hasan can be reached at Pathikhasan1141@gmail.com