My recent post on Pulse Linkedin about the Kurdistan Referedum

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/shockwaves-from-kurdistan-josé-chalhoub/

Referendum in Kurdistan: A good explainer

Myanmar and the Crisis of the Rohingyas

Myanmar, formerly called Burma, once the second most secretive and closed country in Southeast Asia, ruled by the deadly Junta for more than 3 decades, now that it found an open and democratic path to development to the world, governed by the peace prize Aung Suu San Kyi, today faces one of its most critical humanitarian crisis, that is, the issue of the muslim minority Rohingyas, in a country populated by a majority of buddhist, which is today under the global scrutiny and monitor, and could face a backlash in terms of development and investments, of course, if the international community takes sincere and decisive action towards this massive slaughter against this longstanding deprived muslim minority, the Rohingyas.

Ironically, this issue comes in a period when Myanmar has been experiencing its best momentum, having been opened to the world, where many foreign and regional players have important vested interests like China, India, having important international companies in many strategic sectors and fields of development like oil, gas, infrastructure, trade, foods, health been poured millions of dollars, taking advantage of this situation.

Thus, this was right after the time when former President Barack Obama lifted sanctions held against former Burma when it was ruled by the State Development Council ( the Junta as it was commonly known) after it found its democratic path and held its first elections, bringing the Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi to power, but who's now facing what might be her toughest task ever and that could be determinant for the future of the country, now already under intense pressure from the international community claiming for a better handling of this situation, which could reach levels of genocide, allegedly sponsored by the government, based on a pure ethnic and religious logic, and already causing displaced people from the rohingyas to neighbouring countries like Bangladesh. 

In this sense, in a moment where islamic extremism and radicalism as an added threat, is significantly expanding into southeast asia being reduced and diminished in Syria and Iraq, these actions against the muslims of the Rohingyas might cause the radicalisation of members of this community and their joining to the ranks of ISIS or Al Qaeda, exacerbating the threats already existing in the region in hotspots of islamic radicalism like Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia, representing more pressure to the regional stability of the continent, already under an important political and security turmoil, and where the main regional players have many elements and assets at stake, being Myanmar the ultimate scenario where political risks once again are rising, and if this issue of the rohingyas is not properly dealt with, then the promise of a renewed future for the country might be shattered and could become into another Darfur, the humanitarian disaster in Somalia.

Sadly, when we have international leaders calling anything against their interests and political convenience “fake news” like this time the peace prize leader of Myanmar Aung Suu San Kyi referring to the constant news feeds coming out of this crisis related to the rohingyas and no significant and concerted actions taken to overcome this situation, and also when the interested players in the crisis in Myanmar like China and India as well as Australia safeguarding only their business interests, we could expect a black future for the country. 

In this sense, it will be interesting to watch and see what the islamic community will do now that Turkey announced to take measures to safeguard the lives of the rohingyas. Are we living some sort of a clash of civilisation that nobody wants to acknowledge? 

Re-eneergised relations. My latest analysis for The Raddington Report

Reenergised relations