Page 324 - A Helping Hand for Refugees

This column has frequently spoken of the drama of the people of
Myanmar. It has many times described how in the wake of the clashes
in 2012, Rohingya Muslims were exposed to genocide, abandoned on
the high seas while trying to escape the country in rickety boats, had
their Myanmar citizenship taken away and were deprived of their
human rights. Those aware of the drama of the Rohingya Muslims will

realize what the general election in Myanmar last week will mean to
these people.

Myanmar has recently emerged from a junta regime lasting some
50 years. Although elections in 2010 in theory put an end to the mili-
tary regime in question, the presence of a junta that backed the ruling
party could still always be felt. Last week's elections, however, resulted
in a major success for the NLD, under the opposition leader Aung San

322 A Helping Hand for Refugees