Contesting the ‘Responsibility to Protect’ in Southeast Asia: Rejection or Normative Resistance?

Maulana, Zain; Newman, Edward

doi:10.1163/1875-984x-14010001

Cited by 3 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 12 publications

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“…There are 107 refugee camps in Tamil Nadu. The camps are mostly in rural areas, while some camps were also in the larger towns (Maulana & Newman, 2022).…”

Section: Notesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Lives on Pause?

Rariyam Kandath

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The world is grappling with a problem that is growing hugely in the recent past – that of millions of people being forcibly displaced from their original habitats because of war, internal conflicts over race, or other issues or climate-induced disasters. The numbers displaced has grown to over 100 million, and shows no signs of slowing down, as wars continue to simmer in almost all parts of the world, and as climate change devastates lives and livelihoods. In the words of some academic scholars, the world has a political problem; not merely a refugee problem. I studied two groups in this thesis, Sri Lankan Tamils and Rohingyas. It is clear that the obstacles to peace in their countries of origin, Sri Lanka and Myanmar, are unlikely to be overcome any time in the near future. Sri Lanka is not at war, but refugees have emphatically stated that they do not want to go back because of discrimination that minorities face in the tear-drop nation. Myanmar has not rescinded its anti-Rohingya laws. This means that both refugee groups are forced to be located in the places they currently reside, indefinitely. UNHCR calls this ‘protracted refugee situation.’ This study examines how the Sri Lankan Tamil and the Rohingya communities have survived in a host-nation (India), and what has helped them in these situations. Particular emphasis has been laid on the mental health of these communities as well as attempts have been made to examine how they have managed during COVID-19, the worst pandemic that the world has witnessed in the past many decades. My main research question is: How can we understand the integration process of two refugee groups placed in a protracted refugee situation in Tamil Nadu, India, in relation to the local policies, strategies and practices of government bodies, UNHCR and local NGOs? It is important to reiterate here that this study to examine integration of refugees was attempted even though India is not a signatory to the Convention Relating to the State of Refugees and its Protocol. This is because the Indian Constitution gives guarantees to anyone in India under Article 14 and Article 21. The Indian Courts have repeatedly upheld the rights of refugees, even though successive governments term them as “illegals.” This Constitutional protection combined with political compulsions give states such as Tamil Nadu the leeway required to support refugees. In the case of the Sri Lankan Tamil refugees, several welfare measures have been implemented – even though there are many inadequacies in this support. In short, in the attempt to explore the integration of refugees with the local population, the study looked at government policies, the conditions on the ground, the effect of a catastrophic event such as COVID, as well as the best ways to address the mental health needs of the refugees in a protracted situation.

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“…There are 107 refugee camps in Tamil Nadu. The camps are mostly in rural areas, while some camps were also in the larger towns (Maulana & Newman, 2022).…”

Section: Notesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Lives on Pause?

Rariyam Kandath

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Bibliography

2022

Leiden Journal of International Law

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Social Mobility of Rohingya Women in a Small Refugee Camp in Chennai, India: A Case Study

Radhakrishnan

Wit

Gopikumar

et al. 2022

Journal of Immigrant & Refugee Studies

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Contesting the ‘Responsibility to Protect’ in Southeast Asia: Rejection or Normative Resistance?

Cited by 3 publications

References 12 publications

Lives on Pause?

Lives on Pause?

Bibliography

Social Mobility of Rohingya Women in a Small Refugee Camp in Chennai, India: A Case Study

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