After 6 years of escaping death to unhumanitarian life, Jamal stood among crowds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims in the camps of Bangladesh, holding a banner that read, 'We are citizens of Myanmar, we were born there.' He was demanding, like many others, a safe return to their homeland in Rakhine State, Myanmar. They were forcibly displaced when the Myanmar military launched a widespread attack against them on August 25, 2017.

In various events within the refugee camps in Bangladesh, on the sixth anniversary of their displacement, the Rohingya expressed the difficulty of continuing to live in temporary conditions. They are concerned that the camps might turn into a permanent situation, jeopardizing their right to a safe return to their homeland.

Abdullah, residing in the camp, says, "We were born in Rakhine in Myanmar, our historical homeland, and our home. We have the right to return and live safely there, rather than a life in displacement. However, the Myanmar authorities consider us illegal immigrants and have deprived us of our citizenship rights under the 1982 law."

He adds, "Here in the camps, we live in difficult conditions, whether in terms of lifestyle or in caring for our children. It’s our right to aspire to a normal life, like the rest of the world, in our homes and our homeland."

6 Years of Displacement

The Rohingya Muslims were subjected to a widespread military campaign by the Myanmar army on August 25, 2017. At that time, around 740,000 were forced to flee to Bangladesh to escape mass killings. These refugees joined the existing Rohingya refugees in camps in Bangladesh, bringing the total number of displaced Rohingya Muslims to over a million. 

Who are the Rohingya?

The Rohingya are a Muslim ethnic group among more than 135 ethnic groups in Myanmar (Burma). The Rohingya are considered the Indigenous people of the Arakan region in western Myanmar. 

Historical Homeland

Historically, Arakan was an independent Islamic kingdom, which Islam have reached during the reign of the Abbasid Caliph Harun al-Rashid. Muslims ruled it from the year 1430 until 1784. Arakan had its own coins with inscriptions in the Arabic language, bearing the word of monotheism (Tawheed). However, it was later occupied by Burma and turned into one of its provinces.

ve photos, within refugee camps in Bangladesh, of the Rohingya Muslims on the sixth anniversary of their forced displacement. They are demanding a safe return to their homeland after the Myanmar military displaced nearly a million refugees.

 Burma or Myanmar?

Myanmar was originally called Burma. The name "Burma" was associated with the dominant ethnic group in the country, the Burmans or Bamar people. The new name for the Republic of the Union of Myanmar became official as was enacted by the military rulers of Burma in 1989. Myanmar has more than 135 ethnic groups, the majority of which are Buddhists, with the presence of Christians. It shares borders with India, China, Laos, Thailand, and Bangladesh.

 Historical Roots

In 1824, Britain colonized Burma and incorporated it into British India. During this period, discriminatory and racist policies against Muslims were implemented in favor of Buddhists. These policies continued even after Myanmar's independence in 1948. In 1942, there was a major massacre of Rohingya Muslims, around 100,000 Muslims were killed, and more than a quarter million were displaced. The forced displacement of Rohingya Muslims continued, particularly following the military coup in 1962, where the violations and forced displacement of the Rohingya have continued throughout the years. For example, in 1962, about 300,000 Muslims were displaced and forced into Bangladesh. In 1978 and 1991, around half a million people faced the same atrocity. In 1988, about 150,000 were relocated to make space for the Buddhists villages construction, let alone the migration of the tens of thousands since 2012 and October 2016 incidents. The most significant military attack took place on August 25, 2017, leading to the displacement of around 740,000 Rohingya people.

 Demographic Changes

There were deliberate efforts to resettle Buddhists in the villages abandoned by Rohingya Muslims after forcibly displacing and pushing them to flee to neighboring countries. These villages were reestablished and developed for the Buddhists.

 Stripping of Citizenship

The mistreatment of the Rohingya Muslims went beyond forced displacement. In 1982, the Myanmar government passed the Citizenship Law, which unjustly stripped them of their citizenship rights, treating them as foreigners from Bangladesh. As a result of this law, they were denied property ownership, the ability to engage in trade, and the opportunity to hold positions in the military and government agencies. They were also deprived of the right to vote in parliamentary elections, establishing organizations, engaging in political activities, pursuing university education. Additionally, their freedom of movement, travel and marriage was restricted.

 The second photo: The Rohingya: 6 Years of Displacement - August 25, 2017

As you look at the Rohingya camps, the Naf River is enough to understand the suffering of the barefooted crossing it, fleeing death in Myanmar, to hardly reach the other shore in Bangladesh living inhumanely, enduring the humiliation of displacement.

#Rohingya #RohingyaGenocide #Refugees

 Rape as well

As part of the series of violations and abuses, Rohingya women were also severely affected, as many of them have been subjected to repeated and mass rape. It is sufficient to mention an investigative study that included Rohingya refugees, which revealed that one out of every three women had been raped by Myanmar forces.

Since their forced displacement in 2017, international efforts have not succeeded in finding practical solutions to ensure the return of the Rohingya to their homeland in Rakhine, Myanmar, and their suffering in displacement continues without any signs of hope to return.