Rohingya Students Harassed | M.S. Anwar

How do you define a school on the first thought? What do you think a school is? You will not be wrong if you define it an institution where instruction is given, especially under a certain age of eighteen, an institution for instruction in a particular skill (or field) or a source of knowledge. But you will certainly be wrong if you eternally define it as the institution where good, noble, true and meritorious education is given or you think school anywhere give such kind of education. The schools in Burma have been the institutions where hatred towards different people, created stories and lies are taught. Such anti-social thoughts in the education system were introduced by the late dictator of Burma, Gen. Ne Win. 

As the ethnic cleansing going on against Rohingyas in Arakan, the schools mainly High Schools in the violence hit areas such as Maung Daw, Buthidaung and Akyab etc had been closed. Recently, few High Schools in Buthidaung and Maung Daw were resumed. But an awkward and shocking thing is that Rakhine students and Rohingya students are segregated. How many of you could have imagined segregations in schools especially in today’s era of great civilization? The classes for Rakhine students are enrolled from 7 AM to 11AM and that of Rohingya students are from 12 Noon to 4PM. The more shocking things which can paralyze your brain for a while are going on against Rohingya students. Rohingya students have been constantly harassed in the high schools today. [Note: 1) Most of the high school students in Myanmar are under the age of 18 and hence not adults. 2) There are hardly any Rohingya teachers in the middle schools or high schools in Myanmar] 

Rohingya students are constantly insulted by the Rakhine teachers in schools. Rakhine teachers harass them saying “you people are not one of us. You people are supposed to hand over to third countries and will be done so. Why do you come to our schools?” Besides, they are forced to salute and bow down in front of the national flags. (Note: Bowing down anyone but God is against the Islamic belief.) Those who fail to bow down in front of the flag are manhandled and forced to do so by holding and pressing their scruffs (or napes) by the school authority. Sometimes, they are taken to the headmaster office, insulted and beaten. Therefore, they have been directly attempting to their belief and attacking their religion. 

When some Rohingya students in Maung Daw High School questioned why they had (have) to bow down in front of the flag, the headmaster replied that it was the direction from the authorities of the Higher Education. In inability to bear up anymore insults in the segregated classes, Rohingya students are not attending schools any longer. While penning down this piece, I broke into tears many times hearing and feeling how under-aged Rohingya students are demoralized and dehumanized in an school (High School of Maung Daw as an instance) where I, myself, have studied and passed my university entrance examination. Of course, there were discriminations against Rohingya students at our time but not to that extreme degree as it is today. After all, what do the under-aged students know and have to do with problems going on in Arakan? Why are they treated so badly? I can just say that they are treated so because they look different from the mainstream Mongoloid people and practice a different religion in an overwhelmingly Buddhist country full of fanatic followers. 

I still wonder what kind of institutions they actually are! What knowledge do they pass over to the people? In the segregated classes aimed for the future, students can achieve nothing but the inheritance of extreme hatred and fanaticism which will ultimately prompt more violence. By demoralizing and dehumanizing under-aged Rohingyas students in schools, regarded as the source of knowledge that are extremely valued by societies, the status of Rohingyas being human is insulted and assaulted!!!