Plight of Rohingyas : The Threat of modern Slavery and Human Trafficking

The displaced Rohingyas at sea oscillate from one country to another in hopes of gaining
entry to Malaysia or Thailand since February this year. While some were rescued by the coast
guard when the boats returned to Bangladesh in mid-April and early May, there remained
apprehension that more such trawlers are still being denied access at sea due to the COVID-
19 danger.
The few hundred displaced Rohingyas rescued were severely emaciated, dehydrated and
barely able to walk due to food and water shortages. Several of them had died in the boat and
their bodies were disposed off at sea. Such abysmal conditions forced us to ponder what
propels these displaced people to venture on such dangerous expedition and what eventually
happens to most of them? Malaysia and Thailand appear to be lucrative destinations for these
hapless people for quite some time now. They believe that once they get there it will put an
end to their ongoing anguish of being in cage like circumstances with no economic or social
opportunities available to them. Thus, they agree to commence unsafe sea journeys in search
for better prospects.
However, a ruthless trafficking network lurks behind these anticipated aspirations, which are
preying on such vulnerable conditions. The blight of human trafficking affects roughly 40
million people in South and South East Asia, according to the latest reports. Women and girls
make up 71 per cent of the figures in modern slavery. Especially women and children are
enmeshed in an atrocious network of sexual abuse, forced labour and coerced marriage.
Currently the population of about 885,000 Rohingyas resides in Bangladesh and their
stateless status and displacement has eroded their financial capacity. Restriction of
movement, stalled repatriation efforts between the Bangladesh and Myanmar governments,
coupled with isolation and desperation, have increased smooth flowing of crimes such as
human trafficking. Thus, men, women, and children are either enticed with false job
assurance or are simply kidnapped. Once an offer is accepted, individuals are often trapped,
abused, and not paid the agreed amount and sometimes held for ransom until an exorbitant
sum is paid by their family to rescue them. Physical and sexual violence is widespread among
women and children who are often coerced into prostitution after accepting employment as
domestic workers. Men are coerced to work as bonded labourers under inhuman conditions.
Ironically, the current pandemic of COVID-19 may have saved those people from a fatal
future ahead.
If one delves deeper into the issue, it can be quite intriguing to find the lack of reported cases.
Reports received have always been in bits and pieces and a comprehensive figure remains
absent. In 2019, 529 Rohingyas had been saved from slavery in the camps around Cox's
Bazar, according to police reports. According to aid groups, this could only be the tip of the
iceberg as the figures are uncertain for people trapped in the clutches of human trafficking
networks. The idea of 'shame' is one of the main recurrent factors behind unreported events.
The fear of being labeled and stigmatized in public, coming from an extremely conservative
community, constrains the parents, relatives or spouses from reporting such crimes. Where
rescued, women and children refrain from narrating their harrowing experiences.
Another compelling, albeit quite disturbing, reason is the presence of corruption within
official ranks. Occasionally, officials inside camp areas are active or passive receivers of this
violation, thus under-reporting seem more convenient option. However, if one looks closely,
Human Trafficking is not a new phenomenon in case of displaced Rohingyas seeking better
economic opportunities. Reports of such dangerous journeys as well as inhuman abuses have
appeared frequently between 2012 and 2015. Yet this trend's revival places our minds uneasy
as the strong network of trafficking becomes more apparent. It questions and also puts the
efficacy of national and regional security measures designed to stop such criminal
ecosystems.
At the national level, Bangladesh, along with the United Nations High Commissioner for
Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), is combating
human trafficking with a national action plan 2018-2022 aimed at strengthening compliance
through better interagency cooperation and better training of officials. But human trafficking
trials are below average. Of the 5,000 cases filed since 2013 against traffickers, only 30
human trafficking cases have ended in convictions. Due to poor police investigations and lack
of witnesses several cases were dismissed. The government is trying to set up special
tribunals to speed up human trafficking trials but the current pandemic has slowed the
process.
The identification of government officials and personnel who are gaining from this crime is
essential. The implementation of regulations for combating corruption would be crucial to an
effective response. In this regard, capacity building will be of paramount importance in
enabling proper training and also flagging illegal financial deals. Additionally, victim care is
often unsatisfactory. Protective services should be in place for victims of the crime. Instead of
abusing or mistreating victims as criminals, they need proper treatment, medical attention and
protection. Bangladesh is placed by the US Department of State on the Tier-2 Watch List in
Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report for three consecutive years from 2017-19, and could slip
to Tier-3 if it does not work on the fault lines.
The regional angle becomes relevant in light of the enormity of the issue. An estimated
33,600 refugees and migrants of different nationalities took to smugglers' boats in Southeast
Asia in 2015 according to a UNHCR survey. The discovery of scores of mass graves
supposed to contain the bodies of Rohingya and Bangladeshi migrants in Thailand and
Malaysia's border areas created enormous international pressure. This prompted Thailand to
enforce strict vigilance and suspend its officials responsible for facilitating the crime and
punishing the involved traffickers. It has also prompted Malaysia to issue migrants and
asylum seekers legal permits.
The 2016 Bali Declaration under the Bali Process, a regional structure dealing with
smuggling, trafficking, and transnational crime, was enforced which encouraged member
countries to provide migrants, victims of human trafficking, refugees and asylum seekers
with security and protection. The current events, though, are going against that narrative.
Crime against displaced persons is still permeating. The global trafficking crisis has shown
how little the country is prepared and equipped to deal with such a state-to-state migration of
displaced people. A major lacuna may be required to draw up a regional legal framework, as
most South and South East Asian countries, particularly the destination nations like Malaysia
and Thailand, are not signatories to the 1951 Refugee Convention. Efforts have been made to
strengthen domestic legislation as well as federal crisis-management agreements.
In response to the current crisis, Indonesia and Australia who are co-chairs of the Bali
Process were approached. The situation needs close monitoring if it’s displaced or stateless
people are to be better protected by regional cooperation. To those seeking opportunity and
security through migration, robust legal machinery is needed. The present situation should be
dealt with as urgently as it demands. Therefore integrated approaches are the need of the hour
at both national and regional level. If ignored, these crimes along with the pandemic will
continue to spill over.