Gautam Sen
Pope Francis has recently concluded a high-stakes` papal visit to Bangladesh. The visit was preceded by a short visit to Myanmar. The Holy See conducts such papal visits as part of its outreach programme to the world`s Christian community, from those in predominantly Christian majority countries of the developed world to distant Afro-Asian countries even with minority Christian population. The visits were planned nearly a year ago towards upgrading diplomatic ties with these countries and enhancing the status of the Roman Catholic communities in Myanmar and Bangladesh. However, the actual visit to Bangladesh from 26th November to 2nd December, preceded by a four-day visit to Myanmar, was of immense political and socio-religious significance in the backdrop of prevailing misery of the nearly a million Muslim Rohingya refugees of Myanmar sheltered in Bangladesh, a predominantly Muslim country. The very fact that, the visit was organized by the Holy See despite the sensitivity of the refugee problem, some rudimentary dialogue was feasible between the Pontiff and the regime including the Army Chief and Government leaders in Naypitaw, decisively supported by Dhaka, and there was an semblance of a broad political consensus in Bangladesh on the papal visit, were of significant import. Furthermore, the salience of the visit lies in the public utterances of Pope Francis in Myanmar and Bangladesh.
While the pontiff did not publicly mention the word `Rohingya` in Myanmar reckoning the strong allergy of the Burman Buddhist majority and the regime in Naypitaw, to the term in the context of the latter`s refusal to accept the community`s roots in Rakhine in Myanmar, the Vatican head nevertheless, appealed to the Burman Buddhist leaders to overcome prejudice and hatred. Pope Francis however, spoke out with sobriety and eloquence for the Rohingya refugees during his Bangladesh visit mentioning their community identification, in an extremely benevolent manner inter-alia declaring that, their tragedy was very hard, very great, and was having a place in his and the world Christian community`s hearts at large. The Holy See had adroitly set up the papal visits in a sequential manner so that, the wider appeal to the international community on behalf of the Rohingya refugees and naming the community, was made by him only after his Myanmar visit, so as not jeopardize the papal visit to that country. While indirectly appealing to the ruling regime and the majority community in Myanmar to tone down their hard-line posture towards Rohingyas and encourage the latter`s rehabilitation in Myanmar, the pontiff subsequently went on to thank the Hasina regime and the people of Bangladesh for their significant humanitarian response.
It is expected that the pope`s recognition will enhance global awareness of the existing Rohingya refugee-related humanitarian crisis. Bangladesh Government is on a drive to enlist support for strengthening the relief and rehabilitation measures for the Rohingyas in its territory and their eventual repatriation to Rakhine province, at the international level and through the instrumentality of its bilateral relations with other countries. Articulation of his views and appeals by the pontiff are expected to have some impact towards improvement of relief and temporary rehabilitation efforts. However, it is doubtful if the public pronouncements and gentle diplomatic remonstrations of the pope will have a discernible and substantive outcome towards addressing the big question about the displaced Rohingya`s future in a long-term perspective.
The Holy See, the administrative and internationally recognized diplomatic entity of the pontiff, is also expected to positively influence the Rohingya-centered relief efforts through United Nation`s organs and agencies like the United Nations General Assembly and the Security Council where it has permanent observer status, by virtue of being member of many of the subsidiary agencies attached with the United Nations Education, Cultural & Social Organisation, and membership of the organization of the United National High Commissioner for Refugees. Consequently, the pressure on Naypitaw should mount to an extent, to execute relief and at least temporary rehabilitation of the refugees in an unbiased and credible manner. However, the Pontiff and his cardinal secretary of state dealing with such matters, will have to perform a degree of tight-rope maneuvering to ensure that, the Holy See`s postures and diplomatic efforts do not affect their outreach to the Christian communities in the two countries, particularly in Myanmar having a Christian population of more than three million. So far as Bangladesh is concerned, the pall of gloom which periodically affected the Christian minorities owing to sporadic hostile acts eg. kidnapping of Christian clergymen, abductions of Christians, etc. by the Muslim fundamentalists, seems to have temporarily lifted.
The contribution of some of the recent reformist-minded pontiffs, have been quite beneficial towards ameliorating international tension involving minorities and refugees, and not necessarily of Christian faith. The public statements of Pope Francis and the Holy See vis-à-vis the Syrian refugee problem and advocacy of non-discriminatory measures in European countries against the destitute Muslim Arab refugees, is a case in point. The recent Papal visit to Myanmar and Bangladesh and associated pronouncements, may be viewed in this light. It will be most appropriate if the papal efforts are reinforced by similar activities by ecclesiastical leaders of other faiths professing a moderate and humanitarian approach. Political leaders of the day and consequence, in Europe, the Americas, and Afro-Asia, may lend their support to such activities in a low-key manner with a thrust on the humanitarian element, so as not to bring to the fore religious attributes of contentious nature which will only divide people and communities. In the formulation of foreign policy, countries like India, which intrinsically should have a benevolent and assimilative approach on refugee matters by virtue of its historical ethos, nature of its polity and democratic governance, may work out unobtrusive supportive measures. Reinforcing action as above, will checkmate socio-religious extremism and facilitate to an extent, democratic governance and the obviating causes of militancy and resulted international tension.
In material terms, the pontiff`s visit to Myanmar and Bangladesh should help to upscale relief to the Rohingyas, particularly those displaced and traumatized, from the international Christian community. Some assistance may be channelized through the United Nations agencies, non-governmental organizations and even members of the Buddhist community – as has been done in Bangladesh, while the rest is expected to be at the bilateral governmental level. Even if a long-term political solution to the Rohingya issue may not be achievable for quite some time, it will be of essence if the internationally supported relief and even rehabilitation activities, get a boost consequent on the papal visit and the Holy See is able to simultaneously maintain a robust outreach programme to the Christian communities in Myanmar and Bangladesh, not only from ecclesiastical angle but towards their welfare also. The spin-offs in this respect, appears to be already evident in Bangladesh where, a broad political consensus prevailed during the papal visit and thereafter.
(The author is a retired IDAS officer)
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