BURMA ROHINGYA CONFLICT TOUCHES 'RAW NERVES' IN AUSTRALIA

Whilst Australian Government has been dealing with one 'boat-people crisis' at the moment, there is more looming on its horizon. In recent months, a significant number of asylum-seekers arriving by boat mainly from Sri Linka, Afghanistan and Iran, en-route Malaysia & Indonesia. Now, the displaced Rohingya from western Burma likely to hits Australian shore anytime soon. That will be the 'News' for both incumbent Labor Government and opposition Liberal-National Coalitions.

Regarding political and media responses, there is no other single issue that attract Australian public attention. The issue of refugees and incoming boats is the most potent one to strike raw nerves out of Australian politicians. Racism is just 'skin-deep' in Australia; and politicians here -- dare I say -- there are no shortage of political will or media skills to exploit the refugee issues to their advantage. Sad to say, any meaningful action from politicians, such as addressing the human rights root-causes, can only come as spin-off effects.

Just for those who are making arguments about Rohingya are all Bangalis, do those Rohingya people in this news clip look like Bangladeshi? Why the Burmese government have kept these communities segregated? The practice of ethnic based segregation, also being known as setting-up 'concentration camp', is potentially a very dangerous thing. In former Yugoslavia, we have seen the terrible consequences such ethnic concentration camp: the extremist Bosnian nationalists exterminated 7,000 muslims in 1995. You might say, we the Burmese are not as savage a people as those nationalist-Bosnians. But I do say it so. The racial hatred & racism in Burma is only a 'skin-deep' and it is only a matter of chance the power has gotten into wrong hand these kind of massacre can easily happen. U Thein Sein Government must make urgent effort to stop this practice of Rohingya segregation in Arakan.

Check out this ABC (Australia) news
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-12-28/new-exodus-of-asylum-seekers/4446296

U Ne Oo, Australia.