INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION

PAPER

Fika Dahlia Gilang P

(1502144189)

Kurniati Putri Haeirina

(1502140037)

Communication and Business Faculty

Telkom University

Rohingyas Problem Needs to be Solved

Fika Dahlia Gilang Pratiwi1 Kurniati Putri Haeirina2
Fika Dahlia Gilang Pratiwi, Telkom University, fikadahlia12@gmail.com
Kurniati Putri Haeirina, Telkom University, kurniatiph_27@yahoo.com

Everyone all over the world has the same rights to get a protection and a decent place for
them to live no matter what their ethnic or race is. A little flashback to the past, people already
did the movement to various places to find the place which seems suitable for them to start a
living until some millennium later people still doing an exodus with the same reason that is
looking for the right territory which fit and able to be lived. Conflict about Rohingya arouse our
perspective through a huge lens about the true meaning of homeland. They dont have the clarity
of their identity as a part of any nation. Rohingya look like a lost sheep because no one consider
them as ones country citizens. Rohingya has the same chance with another people in this world
to live and stay peacefully without any conflict that intimidate their safety. World must be aware
of this problem and stand along to find the best solution to overcome this issue without any side
treated unfairly. Intercultural communication, particularly Ethnicity and Race Communication
has a great role for this rohingya matters.

Keywords : Rohingya, Ethnicity, Intercultural Communication

I.

INTRODUCTION

Have we ever imagine living as a member of race who does not has an explication as any
nations part? Have we ever realized the importance of confession of having a piece of land to
build a resting place for some familes? Even some race have to struggle, have to fight, have to
raise a gun pealing a war although at the end they got nothing at all. The pursuit of homeland
bring several results, for those who lucky enough they will find a prosperous land to be digged
its natural resources while the others find the gate of silk road but on the other hand much or a
group of people cant find a hope land properly. Many of those common issues arise as time as
goes by. So that, many innocent people got to be the victim of it. We see that there is a lame
inside this situation. Why there must be a war only because of a reason to live in harmony?
There is an intercultural communication mistake behind it.

II.

DISCUSSION

Rohingya ethnic nowadays become the main topic because theyre being abandoned
refugees until finally they being saved by fishermans in Aceh. Rohingya is the one of minority
ethnic in Myanmar who lived in Rakhine province which named as Arakan in the past. Rohingya
live in the boundary between West Myanmar and Bangladesh. According to some sources,
Rohingya isnt an original ethnic from Myanmar. From their figure, Rohingya look like Bengalis
people in India and Pakistan. Beside that, Rohingya ethnic has a various history. A historian
Khalilur Rahman, said rohingya is originally from Arabic, that is rahma means
forgiveness. At 8th century, an Arabian ship dumped off in Ramree island, the boundary
between Myanmar and Bangladesh. At that time, Arabian trader threatened a death penaly from
Arakans king, they screamed rahma loudly. Its difficult for Arakan people to mention
rahma and it become raham and change into rohang and transformed to rohingya at
last. Another version said that, Rohingya people is the ancestry from Benggala people who
migrated to Burma at 90s they ranaway in the colonialism era.

2.1 CONFLICT
During in Myanmar, Rohingya ethnic cant live in peace. Their existence in Myanmar is
unwanted and make some conflicts arise. Conflicts that happen in Myanmar is a kind of
discrimination to Rohingya ethnic such as :
1.
2.
3.
4.

Vionlencing which led to slaughter and causing casualties

Ejection to Rohingya people
Doing a big demonstration that demanding Rohingya ethnic
The revocation of white card and countrys document which means that Rohingya isnt a
part of Myanmar citizens.

Behind that discriminative actions, there are some reasons why Myanmar seems doesnt have
any humanity tolerance, because Myanmar is still the one of developing country, as we know
that developing countries still have a lot of problem, for example : social matters.
In 2015, Myanmar registered for having 53.259.000 inhabitants as the citizens, while
Rohingya has 1,3 millions as the population and live at Rakhine province. The amount of people
isnt little and Myanmar got to take a responsibility of it, so it triggers a new huge problem.
Rakhine province eventhough is rich for it natural resources, is known as a poor region in
Myanmar, with the existence of Rohingya the original inhabitants of Rakhine think that theyre
being threatened for their life prosperity, such as : scrambling for a job and place to live.
Myanmar also has a reason why they dont consider Rohingya as a part of them, because they
claimed that Rohingya people is the immigrant from Bangladesh. Its such an irony because
Bangladesh also doesnt consider rohingya as their population. So, right here occurred an
obscurity of status and identity because theres any country who wants to declarate Rohingya as
their part.

Figure 1 : the real portrait of rohingyas misery

Source : http://themuslimvibe.com

Figure 2 : Myanmar Buddhist monks stage a protest against visiting UN Special Rapporteur on Myanmar
Yanghee Lee in Yangon on January 16, 2014
Source : AFP Photo/Soe Than Win

Figure 3 : Rohingya refugees in Aceh, Indonesia

Source : http://ichef.bbci.co.uk

The problem that we see until today exactly make us think that the problem that being
happened has a correlation with some religion factor, because Budhism is the majority in
Myanmar while rohingya people are moslem however if we see it deeper, religion isnt the main
reason of this problematic, just take those things as the examples :
-

The respresentative of Budhism in Indonesia said that, the problem in Myanmar and
implicating the Rohingya ethnic doesnt have a relation with religion stuff at all. Because
Budhism believe that violence is opposite with their belief, since for Budhism peaceful
life is the most important thing. We also think that the problem has a bigger connection to
the humanity issue and also has a correlation to economical and political matters.

A big amount of Rohignya causing the population explosion which is adding more social
problem in Myanmar.

Rakhine is the second poorest province in South-East Asia. Eventually the existence of
Rohingya involving a new problem in Rakhine. Rakhine is pretty overwhelmed with their
previous problems. Since poverty makes people become more sensitive in everything.

Last, Myanmar revoke the white card which is the only identity of Rohingya. That
white card no longer accepted in Myanmar since March 31 st 2015, with the revocation of
white card, Rohingya dont have a right to join in election.

With those description, we can jump to the conclusion that theres a lack in intercultural
communication side. Myanmar seems not able to accept another ethnic to stay in their country.
Myanmar should see its neighbourhood countries as the refrence of the real figure of
multicultural country. Indonesia as example, Indonesia is well known of its Chinese people who
lived in various islands of Indonesia. If we go back to the past, Chinese ethnic in Indonesia has
the same fate with Rohingya. At the past they also being discriminated, like the rejection,
slaughter, rapped etc. Chinese ethnic feel the injustice and recognition from Indonesia. Chinese
people were also a problem for Indonesia, but after a long communication and negotiation finally
the Chinese ethnic and indigenous people can live in harmony and built such an integrity as
Indonesian.
Another comparation, is another country in Asia, thats Singapore. Singapore has some
ethnicity and races inside that able to live in peace altogether and can contribute to develop
Singapore until today. Myanmar, particularly its elites able to think broad-minded in this
situation. Beside considering Rohingya as the problem of that country, how about to change the
bitter fact to be a new chance where Rohingya can be their treasure to develop Myanmar.
Many countries have a sympatic of this issue so that they bring this problem to be
discussed in some confrences or meetings to find a bright solution for it. United Nations has
deliver some warnings to Myanmar to give the best solution for Rohingya. Respresentatives of
some countries have done some vital conversation to examine this problem. Even some
countries, such as : Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand want to accommodate the refugees of
Rohingya who ranaway from Myanmar to find a better life. However that things still dont fully
solve this problem. Formal or non-formal meetings, international confrences that bring several
countries all over the world, still not truly bring any hope. This case seems intimidating
Myanmar, but we have to realized that Myanmar also has a lot of its problem.
Aung San Suu Kyi, an activist from Myanmar whose right now a member of Myanmar
parlementary said that this problem is a sensitive problem which cant be solved overnight and
this problem must be solved really carefuly. Respresentative from some countries have voicing
some solutions for Myanmar, but they cant applied it yet.

III.

METHOD

We use the exploratory method as the refrence of our paper, since the problem of Rohingya
left undone without any kind of proper solution, while the major aim is to find the best answer
for this difficult phenomenon.

IV.

SOLUTIONS

In our point of view, we have some suggestions which probably have a capability to be the finest
solutions :

United Nations must crack down Myanmar who had intimidating Rohingya for several
times. Although United Nations dont have any policy to emphazing, because Myanmar
must take an action which suits with United Nationss vision and mission that is about
keep the world peace. United Nations also must to applied a policy where a member of
United Nations got to help Rohingya, if ones country reject it, United Nations will be
reducing its support, and for those countries who want to help them, United Nations
should rewarding them.

Beside United Nations, ASEAN also has to take a role for this problem, since Myanmar
is the one of ASEANs member. Eventhough ASEAN applied non-intervension for each
member, but Myanmars problem in no longer internal problem but its regional already.
So, there should be a diplomation where ASEAN members have to be solid to help the
refugees and together ask Myanmar to take an action and follow the international voice.
ASEAN can take an example from European Union on treating the African refugees,
though its hard to take the diplomation action but thats the best way to solve the
problem, because if this problem is being undone, therell be a new complicated problem,
especially in ASEAN region. Furthermore, in upcoming years therell be Asean
Economic Community (AEC) where the refugees can be controlled by an illegal
employment agency which can causing another serious matters.

ASEAN should ratificating the United Nations conference 51 with United Nations 67
about refugees status, so the Rohingya wont be considered as illegal refugees. Beside
that, Bangladesh also have to take an action to this problem, because Myanmar consider
that Rohingya is illegal immigrant from Bangladesh. (Claudy Yudika, International
Relations Student of Lampung University, personal communication, 20 September 2015)

Moslem countries all over the world or Organization of Islam Cooperation (OIC) should
communicating one to another since its an Islamic problematic. If Myanmar refuse to

solve this case, Moslem countries have to give a big contribution since its their part of
ethnic. Together accommodates Rohingnya in their country.

V.

CONCLUSION

Practically, this is the right time for us to open our eyes and minds. We have to think in
the most racial way to overcome the problem between Rohingya and Myanmar, people all
around the world must be aware of this humanitys tightrope and together we walk on the
same track to reach the greatest consensus so that theres no longer pathetic story about a
group of people that being intimidated, called Rohingya.

Refrences
Website Refrences:
BBC Indonesia, 2015. Mengapa Etnis Rohingya Meninggalkan Myanmar?
http://internasional.kompas.com/read/2015/05/22/19023781/Mengapa.Etnis.Rohingya.M
eninggalkan.Myanmar.
ROL (Republika Indonesia), 2015. PBB: Solusi Rohingya adalah Kewarganegaraan
http://www.republika.co.id/berita/internasional/global/15/05/29/np4ds2-pbb-solusipengungsi-rohingya-adalah-kewarganegaraan
ILMU AGAMA, 2013. AWAL KISAH TRAGEDI PEMBANTAIAN ETNIS MUSLIM
ROHINGYA DARI DULU HINGGA KINI

https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?
id=199424060142620&story_fbid=442382312513459
CNN Indonesia, 2015. Selain Isu Agama dan HAM, Rohingya Mengungsi Karena
Ekonomi
http://www.cnnindonesia.com/internasional/20150616191853-106-60417/selain-isuagama-dan-ham-rohingya-mengungsi-karena-ekonomi/
Kompas, 2015. Menelisik Akar Persoalan Rohingya
http://print.kompas.com/baca/2015/06/03/Menelisik-Akar-Persoalan-Rohingya
INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS TIME, 2015. Myanmar: Aung San Suu Kyi
says Rohingya issue needs careful handling
http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/myanmar-aung-san-suu-kyi-says-rohingyaissue-needs-careful-handling-1506733
Book Refrence :
Samovar,Larry A, Richard E.Porter dan Edwin
R.McDaniel.2010.Komunikasi Lintas Budaya.Jakarta. Penerbit Salemba
Humanika.