TIME

RO H IN G YA O R

M YA NM AR

R

In dex three .M yan m ar

four.T he R oh in gy a

6 .M yan m ar o r R oh in gya

7.F le d f r o m t h eir o wn c ou n tr y?

eight .W hy?

9.R oh ig n ya p ersp ectiv es

1 1.P eo p le w ho d ie d

1 2.M yan m ar g overn m en t

13.I n fo gra p hic s

1 four.B ib lo gra p hy

Again gro u nd i n fo rm atio n

M yan m ar w as f o rm erly ok now n a s B urm a

th e l a rg est n atio n i n S outh east A sia . W ith

te rrito ry o f 2 62,zero 00 s q uare m ile s a n d  th e

popula tio n a p professional xim ate ly 5 zero m illio n, i t i s

lo cate d b etw een C hin a a n d I n dia .

M yan m ar’s c u ltu re h av e b een i n flu en ced

b y C hin a a n d I n dia a l o t, M yan m ar A s a n

in dep en den t n atio n s in ce J a n uary 1 948

h as b een p assin g t h ro ugh v ario us m ilita ry

ru le s a n d a s e rie s o f d em ocra tiz atio n

m ovem en ts . T inheritor e d ucati o n s y ste m , w as

th e c ase i n o th er B uddhis t c o untr ie s

an d  is b ase d o n r u ra l m onaste rie s w right here

th e S ay advert aw so r t h e a b bots t e ach t h e

primary three R s, a n d h an dic ra fts t o p eo ple o f

all a g es.

M yan m ar i s   o ne o f t h e m ost l ite ra te

c o untr ie s i n i ts   re g io n.W ith

a p professional xim ate ly o f eight zero p erc en t l ite ra cy

ra te     M yan m ar h as b een a n a ctiv e

p artn er o f t h e  U NESC O -le d m ovem en t

fo r  ” E ducatio n f o r A ll,” ok now n

as E FA 2000.E ducatio n i n M yan m ar w as

l il il 1948

C ountr ie s a ro und M yan m ar

B ord erin g th e A ndam an S ea

an d th e B ay  o f B en gal s o u th . I t

is b ord ere d i n n orth a n d

north east b y C hin a, i n e ast b y

L ao s a n d T haila n d, i n w est b y

B an gla d esh a n d th e In dia n

sta te s o f N ag ala n d, M an ip ur a n d

M iz o ra m .

M YA N M AR

The R ohin gya

The R ohin gya, a re a M uslim

m in ority w ho n um bere d a ro und 1 .three

m illio n i n M yan m ar a t t h e s ta rt o f

2 017, a re o ne o f t h e m an y e th nic

m in oritie s i n t h e c o untr y . T hey a re

s ta te le ss a n d o fte n l o oked d ow n o n

b y m an y p eo ple i n M yan m ar.

R ohin gya M uslim s

re p re se n t t h e l a rg est

p erc en ta g e o f M uslim s i n

M yan m ar, w ith t h e m ajo rity

liv in g i n R ak hin e s ta te .

T hey a re s ta te le ss a n d o fte n

lo oked d ow n o n b y m an y

peo ple i n M yan m ar.

THE ROHINGYA

They h av e t h eir o w n l a n guag e a n d c u ltu re a n d s a y t h ey a re

d esc en dan ts o f A ra b t r a d ers a n d o th er g ro ups w ho h av e

b een i n t h e r e g io n f o r g en period tio ns.  B ut t h e g overn m en t o f

M yan m ar, a p re d om in an tl y B uddhis t c o untr y , d en ie s t h e

R ohin gya c itiz en sh ip a n d e v en e x clu ded t h em f ro m t h e

2 zero14 c en su s, r e fu sin g t o r e co gnis e t h em a s a p eo ple . I t s e es

th em a s i lle g al i m mig ra n ts f ro m B an gla d esh .

The m ajo rity o f M yan m ar’s

p opula tio n a re B uddhis t s o i t’s

a lm ost 9 p eo ple i n e v ery 1 zero s o 1

i s M uslim i n e v ery 1 zero p eo ple .

M an y p eo ple i n t h e m ilita ry a re

B uddhis t. T he R ohin gyas s a y s

th at t h e M yan m ar’s g overn m en t

an d t h e m ilita ry h av e t r e ate d t h em

fo r m an y y ears n ow a n d t h is h as

cau se d v io le n ce b etw een t h em

b ecau se o f t h e t e n sio n c au se d . t h e

M yan m ar g overn m en t s a y s   th at

th e R ohin gya p eo ple a re i lle g al

im mig ra n ts f ro m B an gla d esh w ho

d oesn ’t   b elo ng i n M yan m ar.

M YA NM AR O R

RO HIN G YA

Fle d f r o m t h eir o w n

co untr y ?

There a re a n e stim ate d three .5 m illio n R ohin gya s c atte re d

w orld w id e B efo re A ugust 2 017, t h e m ajo rity o f t h e

estim ate d o ne m illio n R oh in gya i n M yan m ar r e sid ed i n

R ak hin e S ta te w right here t h ey w ere c o unte d a s n early a t h ir d

p opula tio n.

Why

Of a t o ta l o f 1 .1 m illio n R ohin gya

p eo ple r e m ain ed i n B urm a d esp ite

r e p eate d w av es o f v io le n ce s in ce

th e 1 970s, m ore t h an four 20,zero 00 h av e

fle d t o B an gla d esh i n j u st t h e p ast

m onth . N ew a rriv als a re b uild in g

se ttle m en ts n ear e sta b lis h ed c am ps

w right here h undre d s o f t h ousa n ds o f

R ohin gya r e fu gees f ro m p re v io us

ex oduse s a lr e advert y l iv e t h ere . M ost

a re w om en , c h ild re n a n d t h e

eld erly .

C onditio ns a re d ir e f o r t h em . F ood

is s c arc e. A id a g en cie s a re w orn

th in . T he m onso on r a in i s

to rre n tia l. U ntil n ow t h ey a re s until

a b use d .

PER SPEC TIV ES O F T H E

RO HIN G YA

Rohin gya r e fu gees i n te rv ie w ed b y O xfa m i n B an gla d esh

sa id t h at t h ey w ailing n ev er g o b ack t o M yan m ar u ntil t h eir

s a fe ty c an b e g uara n te ed a n d h av e e q ual r ig hts , i n clu din g

b ein g a b le t o w ork a n d t r a v el f re ely .

“W e a re f e arfu l o f t h at i f w e a re f o rc ed t o g o b ack t h ere , t h en

th e v io le n ce a n d o ppre ssio n w ailing h ap pen a g ain st u s a g ain .”

“ W e w on’t g o t h ere ,” s a id M uham m advert A li, three zero. “ W e w on’t

g o b ack . W e w ailing r e fu se t o g o.

“If t h ey f o rc efu lly d ep ort u s, w e w ailing b e i n t h e s a m e s itu atio n

th at w as t h ere b efo re . T he v io le n ce, t h e ok illin g, a n d t h e

p ers e cu tio n [ w ill s ta rt] a g ain .”

S ay eed a Okay ath oum , a three 2-y ear-o ld m oth er, s a id “ it m ak es

[h er] s o h ap py” t o s e e h er d au ghte rs l e arn in g i n t h e c am p’s

s c h ools , a n d t h at b ack i n M yan m ar, B urm ese t e ach ers h advert

re fu se d t o p ro vid e l e sso ns t o h er c h ild re n .

“W e a re w orrie d , b ecau se m an y p eo ple a re t a lk in g a b out

d ep orta tio ns n ow , w heth er i t i s r u m our o r n ot. W e a re

w orrie d b ecau se w e h av e s e en t h e v io le n ce – t h at t h e m en

are ok ille d , t h e w om en a re a b use d a n d r a p ed . W e d on’t w an t

th is t o h ap pen a ll o ver a g ain ,” s h e s a id .

Rohin gya re fu gee M oham mad A yaj s a id t h at h is f a th er,

M oham mad S hak er, 5 eight, h advert d ie d o f a h eart a tta ck l a st w ee ok

afte r s u ffe rin g d ay s o f a n xie ty a n d s le ep le ssn ess a t t h e p ro sp ec t

o f b ein g f o rc ib ly s e n t b ack t o M yan m ar. “ M in ute s b efo re m y

fa th er c o lla p se d , h e s a id t o m e, ‘ H id e y our b ro th ers a n d s is te rs

a n d s a v e t h em f ro m r e p atr ia tio n. D o n ot r e tu rn t o M yan m ar,

w right here y ou w ailing f a ce t h e v io le n ce a g ain ’,” A yaj t o ld

th e O bse rv er.

M oham mad I s m ail, w ho l iv es i n J a m to li r e fu gee c am p i n

C ox’s B azar w ith h is w if e a n d s ix c h ild re n , s a id : “ A ro und m e

th ere a re 1 three o th er f a m ilie s w ho h av e b een t o ld t h at t h ey a re o n

th e l is t b ut d o n ot ok now h ow . L ik e m e, t h ey a ll d o n ot w an t t o

g o b ack t o B urm a, a n d a re v ery c o nfu se d a n d a n xio us. W e d o

n ot ok now w hat i s g oin g t o h ap pen t o u s.”

W hile M oham mad A bul Okay ala m , B an gla d esh ’s r e fu gee r e lie f

an d r e h ab ilita tio n c o m mis sio ner, t o ld t h e O bse rv er a ll r e tu rn s

w ould b e “ to ta lly v olu nta ry ”, t h ere i s e v id en ce t h at p re ssu re i s

b ein g p ut o n R ohin gya r e fu gees o n t h e l is t, w ho a re b ein g t o ld

b y B an gla d esh o ffic ia ls t o b e “ re advert y t o l e av e”. “ T he C IC t o ld

m e: ‘ Y ou w ailing g et t h e c all a n y d ay t h is m onth a n d y ou w ailing

h av e t o c ro ss t h e b ord er’,” o ne R ohin gya s a id . S ev period l

re fu gees r e p orte d a n i n cre ase d p re se n ce o f s e cu rity f o rc es i n

th e c am ps.

MSF s a y s i t c o nducte d s ix s u rv ey s o f r e fu gees e sc ap in g

th e v io le n ce, w ho o vera ll r e p orte d eight d eath s f o r e v ery

1 zero,zero 00 f le ein g. ” E xtr a p ola tin g t h e d ata , e sse n tia lly w e

can s a y t h at y ou ok now , o ur m ost c o nse rv ativ e e stim ate i s

th at b etw een 9 ,zero 00 a n d 1 three,7 00 p eo ple d ie d ,” M SF

A ustr a lia E xecu tiv e D ir e cto r P au l M cP hun t o ld t h e A BC.

M ore t h an 6 ,7 00 R ohin gy a, i n clu din g 7 30 c h ild re n a t

le ast u nder t h e a g e o f 5 , w ere ok ille d i n t h e f ir s t m onth o f

a c ra ck dow n t h at s ta rte d i n A ugust i n M yan m ar R ak hin e

sta te , a cco rd in g t o M ?d ecin s S an s F ro nti? re s ( M SF).

M ore t h an 6 ,7 00 R ohin gy a, i n clu din g 7 30 c h ild re n a t

le ast u nder t h e a g e o f 5 , w ere ok ille d i n t h e f ir s t m onth o f

a c ra ck dow n t h at s ta rte d i n A ugust i n M yan m ar R ak hin e

sta te , a cco rd in g t o M ?d ecin s S an s F ro nti? re s ( M SF).

R ohin gya p eo p le d ie d

Muhith w as o uts p oken i n h is

c o ndem natio n o f M yan m ar a n d

he d esc rib ed t h e g overn m en t a s

ev il. H e a ls o c ritic is e d i ts

a p professional ach t o r e p atr ia tio n, s a y in g

it w ould “ ta ok e 1 5 [ R ohin gya

re fu gees] a d ay w hen t h ere i s 1

m illio n”.

“T hey a re e v il, a r o gue

govern m en t,” h e s a id . “ W e h av e

no w eak ness i n d ip lo m acy ,

ev ery one i s s u pportin g u s. B ut,

B urm ese a re n ot t r u stw orth y.”

M yan m ar

g overn m en t

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Know concerning the Disaster.” BBC Information, BBC, 24

Apr. 2018, www.bbc.com/information/world-asia-

41566561.

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www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/41242024.

three.“What Forces Are Fueling Myanmar’s

Rohingya Disaster?” Council on Overseas

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www.cfr.org/backgrounder/rohingya-crisis.

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still-don-t-feel-safe-go-home-voices-rohingya-

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don-t-feel-safe-go-home-voices-rohingya-

refugees)

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ya-muslims-bangladesh-myanmar-malaysia-

coxs-bazar-rakhine-a8625931.html.

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(

14/rohingya-death-toll-in-the-thousands-says-

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McPherson, Poppy. “6,700 Rohingya Muslims

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The Guardian, Guardian Information and Media, 14

Dec. 2017,

www.theguardian.com/world/2017/dec/14/6700-

rohingya-muslims-killed-in-attacks-in-myanmar-

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