Generations of Rohingya suffer because the West does nothing.
There are children in Rohingya refugee camps who know nothing but life in a refugee camp. They don’t get to go to school. They don’t get a real place to call home. They don’t get to be children. This will have lasting effects on them and everyone in their lives. During the Holocaust in WWII, we were able to claim some level of denial but two American presidential administrations have declared what is happening to the Rohingya is genocide and yet, the situation persists.
Some background:
The Rohingya genocide refers to the violence and persecution against the Rohingya Muslim minority by the Myanmar military (Tatmadaw) and other Buddhist nationalist groups. The most severe phase of this violence erupted in late August 2017, following a series of attacks by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) on Myanmar police posts. The military’s response was a widespread crackdown on the Rohingya population in Rakhine State, which involved mass killings, rapes, torture, and the burning of villages.
The exact date often cited for the onset of this violent crackdown is August 25, 2017. This is the date when ARSA’s attacks took place and the Myanmar military began its “clearance operations” in response.
The results of this violence were devastating:
- Thousands of Rohingya were killed, and many more were injured or traumatized.
- More than 700,000 Rohingya were forced to flee to neighboring Bangladesh, leading to one of the most significant refugee crises in recent history. The refugees settled in overcrowded and often unsanitary camps in the Cox’s Bazar region.
- Those who remained in Myanmar faced ongoing discrimination, with many confined to camps where they are denied freedom of movement and access to basic services.
The international community, including the United Nations, human rights organizations, and several countries including the United States, have condemned the actions of the Myanmar military. In 2019, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ordered Myanmar to take provisional measures to protect the Rohingya.
The anniversary of the Rohingya genocide, particularly the events that started on August 25, 2017, is a somber reminder of the atrocities committed and the need for justice, reconciliation, and long-term solutions to the Rohingya crisis.
The Rohingya Genocide 6 Years Later
Generations of Rohingya suffer because of our inaction
Today marks six years of genocide against the Rohingya
There are children in Rohingya refugee camps who know nothing but life in a refugee camp. They don’t get to go to school. They don’t get a real place to call home. They don’t get to be children. This will have lasting effects on them and everyone in their lives. During the Holocaust in WWII, we were able to claim some level of denial but two American presidential administrations have declared what is happening to the Myanmar is genocide and yet, we get crickets from them here.
Some background:
The Rohingya genocide refers to the violence and persecution against the Rohingya Muslim minority by the Myanmar military (Tatmadaw) and other Buddhist nationalist groups. The most severe phase of this violence erupted in late August 2017, following a series of attacks by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) on Myanmar police posts. The military’s response was a widespread crackdown on the Rohingya population in Rakhine State, which involved mass killings, rapes, torture, and the burning of villages.
The exact date often cited for the onset of this violent crackdown is August 25, 2017. This is the date when ARSA’s attacks took place and the Myanmar military began its “clearance operations” in response.
The results of this violence were devastating:
- Thousands of Rohingya were killed, and many more were injured or traumatized.
- More than 700,000 Rohingya were forced to flee to neighboring Bangladesh, leading to one of the most significant refugee crises in recent history. The refugees settled in overcrowded and often unsanitary camps in the Cox’s Bazar region.
- Those who remained in Myanmar faced ongoing discrimination, with many confined to camps where they are denied freedom of movement and access to basic services.
The international community, including the United Nations, human rights organizations, and several countries including the United States, have condemned the actions of the Myanmar military. In 2019, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ordered Myanmar to take provisional measures to protect the Rohingya.
The anniversary of the Rohingya genocide, particularly the events that started on August 25, 2017, is a somber reminder of the atrocities committed and the need for justice, reconciliation, and long-term solutions to the Rohingya crisis.
What can be done to help the Rohingya?
- Tell Congress to fund the democracy movement in Myanmar. Nothing will happen to allow the Rohingya to go home until the military junta is removed from power. The people of Burma continue to struggle in the aftermath of the Burmese military’s February 2021 coup. The United States must provide the funding required to support pro-democracy stakeholders in Burma, isolate the Burmese military diplomatically and economically, and push for a peaceful end to the crisis and facilitate a pathway to democracy for its people. Write your members of Congress here.
- Make Facebook pay the Rohingya what they owe. Meta (then Facebook) contributed to violence and discrimination by spreading and amplifying anti-Rohingya content through its platform. The billion-dollar company has refused all requests from the Rohingya for providing meaningful remedy. Now, a group of Rohingya youth in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, have filed a human rights complaint against Facebook in the USA for its role in the abuses perpetrated against their community. They have asked for an investment of $1 million USD for educational projects in the refugee camp. You can sign a petition holding the media giant accountable here.
- Tell President Joe Biden to stop selling aviation fuel to Myanmar. The brutal Myanmar military has been bombing its own people from the air. Dozens of people have been killed. Homes, schools, hospitals and churches have been damaged or destroyed. With no fuel for their planes, these deadly raids will stop. Sign a petition to the White House here.
- Stay informed and keep your friends and family up to date. Genocide happens because people ignore it. During the Rwandan genocide, DeeDee Meyers said that “acts of genocide” were occurring but she was not ready to call it full genocide. Why? Because that designation requires action that the Clinton Adminstration was not willing to take.
To ensure our continued freedom and democracy, we need to help the Rohingya and people of Myanmar to reclaim theirs.