THE plight of the Rohingyas is an infinite tragedy. Rendered stateless people de jure by military dictator Gen Ne Win in the 1980s, they are not at home in their own country, Myanmar, and face atrocious discrimination, even extermination. No other country is willing to readily accept the emigrating Rohingya people.

Yet a simple solution can be found. TheRohingyas are mostly settled on the Burmese coastline.

Their state of Arakan, for example, can be declared autonomous, if not completely independent, and placed under the protection of the United Nations. They will, and should, then build their lives in their homeland instead of being the unwanted boat-people welcomed by none, shunned by all.

In any case, an international precedent exists already: 10 years ago, a former Finnish president, Martti Ahtisaari, negotiated the autonomy of the state of Aceh in Indonesia. It`s time the UN repeated that process and ended this tragic human drama.

Mustayeen Ahmed Khan France