Rohingya Refugees in Bangladesh Rally for Safe Return to Myanmar
On August 26, tens of thousands of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh marked the seventh anniversary of the military crackdown in Myanmar by holding rallies in camps. These rallies took place in Cox’s Bazar, where refugees of all ages held signs and chanted slogans calling for an end to violence and their safe return to Myanmar. Many wore ribbons that said ‘Rohingya Genocide Remembrance.’
The Rohingyas, a mostly Muslim minority in Myanmar, have long faced prejudice and conflict. The 2017 military crackdown forced at least 750,000 Rohingyas to flee to Bangladesh. This crackdown is now the focus of a genocide case at the International Court of Justice in The Hague.
Recently, thousands more Rohingyas have fled to Bangladesh from the Rakhine state in western Myanmar due to escalating combat between the military dictatorship and the Arakan Army, an ethnic armed group. The situation worsened after the military overthrew Aung San Suu Kyi’s elected government in February 2021, leading to mass protests and armed insurrection.
On August 22, Human Rights Watch reported that Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar face the gravest threats since 2017, with mass killings, arson, and unlawful recruitment by the Myanmar military and the Arakan Army.
Doubts Revealed
Rohingya -: Rohingya are a group of people who mostly follow Islam and come from Myanmar. They have faced a lot of unfair treatment and violence.
Refugees -: Refugees are people who have to leave their home country because it is not safe for them to live there anymore.
Bangladesh -: Bangladesh is a country next to India and Myanmar. Many Rohingya people have gone there to find safety.
Myanmar -: Myanmar is a country in Southeast Asia where the Rohingya people originally come from.
Military crackdown -: A military crackdown is when the army uses force to control or punish people. In this case, it happened in Myanmar against the Rohingya people.
Cox’s Bazar -: Cox’s Bazar is a place in Bangladesh where many Rohingya refugees live in camps.
2017 -: In 2017, a lot of violence happened in Myanmar, causing many Rohingya people to flee to Bangladesh.
Human Rights Watch -: Human Rights Watch is an organization that checks if people are being treated fairly and safely around the world.
Arakan Army -: The Arakan Army is a group in Myanmar that fights against the government. They are also a threat to the Rohingya people.