Summary
The Rohingya comprise an ethnic minority, primarily of Muslim faith, that has been persecuted in Myanmar for decades by the nationalist Buddhist majority and military and security forces. These groups have murdered countless men, women, and children since August 2017, some buried in mass graves, many tortured and raped. The crisis has been regarded as an act of Genocide, Crimes Against Humanity, and Ethnic Cleansing. According to the Framework of Analysis for Atrocity Crimes, all 14 risk factors have been met. Due to this widespread violence, hundreds of thousands of Rohingya have fled from Myanmar since the 2017 crimes, condemned to live in camps.
Additional Information
Timeline +
Indicators for Continuing Violence +
Rohingya who have recently arrived in refugee camps around Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh have given accounts of continued harassment, sexual violence, arbitrary arrests and detention, and forced labor. Even though the violence has subsided and Myanmar claims its support of repatriation, Myanmar still refuses to recognize “Rohingya” as an ethnic identity, which thus deems them ineligible for citizenship. As such, the Framework’s indicators are still applicable. If the Rohingya were to return to Myanmar, they would risk facing arrest, military retaliation, and ethno-religious violence.
International Response +
Today, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) are addressing the humanitarian concerns regarding Rohingya refugees. UNHCR and the government of Bangladesh continue to work in camps to address critical living conditions, register and document refugees, increase access to information and services, and promote refugee self-reliance. Myanmar encourages Rohingya to return, but there is concern among the international community and Rohingya over their safety if they were to repatriate.
Recommended Readings +
Burke, Adam. "New Political Space, Old Tensions: History, Identity and Viiolence in Rakhine State, Myanmar." Contemporary Southeast Asia (ISEAS - Yusof Ishak Institute) 38, no. 2 (2016): 258-83, 259.
Human Rights Council, Report of the Detailed Findings of the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar, OHCHR, 17 September 2018, https://www.ohchr.org/Documents/HRBodies/HRCouncil/FFM-Myanmar/A_HRC_39_CRP.2.pdf.
“They Gave Them Long Swords:” Preparations for Genocide and Crimes Against Humanity Against Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine State, Myanmar, Fortify Rights, July 2018, https://www.fortifyrights.org/downloads/Fortify_Rights_Long_Swords_July_2018.pdf
Sullivan, Daniel P., Abuse or Exile: Myanmar’s Ongoing Persecution of the Rohingya, Field Report, Refugees International, April 2019.
UNHCR, 2019 Joint Response Plan for Rohingya Humanitarian Crisis: January-December, 2019, http://reporting.unhcr.org/sites/default/files/2019%20JRP%20for%20Rohingya%20Humanitarian%20Crisis%20%28February%202019%29.comp_.pdf