Pakistani terror groups are preying on vulnerable Rohingyas – India, Myanmar must act

Shantanu Mukharji

LeT plans to use the radicalised lot to foment trouble in Kashmir and Bangladesh.

In a significant and candid move, India has recently warned Myanmar that Pakistan-based terror groups are vigorously promoting radicalisation among the Rohingya community and this threatened both India and Myanmar.

Such warning from India to Myanmar was conveyed directly to the nation's national security adviser (NSA) U Thanog Tun during his recent visit to India. He held extensive meetings with his counterpart Ajit Doval.

It was also impressed upon the Myanmar NSA that though security measures were imperative to ensure peace, yet a crackdown alone on Rohingyas would be glaringly counterproductive.

It may be recalled that Myanmar has been ruthlessly dealing with the 1.2 million Rohingyas who are generally inhabited in Rakhine state. Buddhists, otherwise considered pacifists, have been brutal in driving the Rohingyas across Bangladesh and on its part, Bangladesh refuses to accept them as Muslims or people of Bengali origin, as is often said by the Buddhist leaders.

Meanwhile, alleged atrocities on the Rohingyas have drawn increased international criticism and universal condemnation. As recent as February 8, Pope Francis prayed for Rohingya refugees, condemning violence against them just because they were Muslims.

The Pope's scathing criticism comes in the wake of a UN report which maintains continuous brutal killings of the Rohingyas. So far, 69,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled Myanmar since the outbreak of violence on October 9 last year.

India's cautionary advice to its neighbour to keep an eye on the vulnerability of the Rohingyas to being indoctrinated by the ultras is indeed a sound and mature one. And timely too!

Among the multiple terror groups of Pakistan, Lashkar-e-Tayyeba, under the leadership of the notorious Hafiz Saeed, has been targeting the Rohingyas to draw them into the LeT fold and appropriate them for Indian targets, as also strike at Bangladesh individuals and facilities that are not perceived to be pro-Islam.

The LeT also has plans to misuse this radicalised lot to foment trouble in Kashmir and, as trained militants, they can embark upon tasks of infiltration and subversion.

Out of the 1.2 million Rohingyas , even if a minuscule number is converted as terrorists, it would be fraught with disastrous consequences, adding much strength and muscle to the terror groups. This will also help Pakistan wean Myanmar away from India, implying that there would be more sympathisers in Pakistan for the Rohingyas.

Myanmar intelligence may be primitive, bereft of state-of-the-art techniques and technology, but India can certainly help identify and neutralise elements carrying the potential to cause harm to security interests. Intelligence, therefore, is key and the first step to counter the radicalisation move.

Another danger looming large on the Bangladesh side is the inherent presence of terror groups, including Jamiat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) and Hefazat-e-Islam and their affiliates. JMB has been more than active in carrying out terrorist activities, and last year Dhaka saw a slew of IS-inspired terror fatalities bearing the stamp of international modus operandi.

A tie-up of Bangladesh-based terror outfits, especially JMB with LeT with the specific objective to induct and use Rohingyas, is a distinct possibility, renewing robust terror assaults in the not so distant future.

The Rohingyas provide fodder to such blueprints. A definite action plan with India and Bangladesh on board needs to be activated to pre-empt any upcoming misadventure. Myanmar alone will be a disadvantage point to deal with the threat.

Significantly, we should also remember that Myanmar has been the hub for the shelter of many terror groups, irrespective of them belonging to Pakistan. Some of them are ULFA, NSCN (K), PLA, UNLF, etc. The first two named are proactive in ambushing the Indian Army and security forces at regular intervals and on Indian soil.

State complicity in harbouring these groups is also not ruled out. Against this backdrop, if the Rohingyas join terror camps on the Indo-Myanmar border, it is very likely to give a new dimension to the security scene, necessitating strong action.

Importantly, Saeed has been accusing India of aiding the Myanmar regime in its “persecution” of the Rohingyas. Such statements are self-explanatory, exposing how vital the Rohingya lot is to Pakistani terror groups. Any move by them to radicalise the Rohingyas needs to be combated, and on a war footing.

Finally, we can safely assume that the LeT or its affiliates cannot succeed in their mission without the tacit as well as overt backing of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence.

Hence, to counter the evil designs of this devilish masterplan, it would appear appropriate to utilise an equally ruthless intelligence outfit, armed with professional tradecraft to silence the hostile quarters.

The author is a retired IPS officer who has held key positions in the Government of India handling sensitive security issues within and outside India.