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Rohingya Mark Nine Years of Exile, Demanding Return to Burma
🇵🇾 Paraguay /Culture & Society

Rohingya Mark Nine Years of Exile, Demanding Return to Burma

From ABC Color · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News From a news agency Context piece
  • Rohingya families marked nine years since fleeing Myanmar, gathering in Bangladesh to demand justice and a return to their homeland.
  • Over 1.2 million Rohingya refugees remain in Bangladesh, lacking recognized citizenship and a clear path for repatriation.
  • Myanmar continues to refer to the Rohingya as "Bengalis," a term used to delegitimize their claim to citizenship and right of return.

Thousands of Rohingya families in Bangladesh commemorated nine years since their forced displacement from Myanmar, using the occasion to demand justice and reiterate their desire to return home. The commemorations, held in refugee camps in Cox's Bazar, served as a somber reminder of the ongoing plight of over 1.2 million Rohingya who fled a brutal military crackdown in August 2017.

We want justice for what Myanmar has done to us. We want to return to our home

— SoyodullahPresident of the United Rohingya Council, speaking at a commemoration event.

Refugees recounted harrowing experiences of the military offensive that drove them across the border, with many breaking down in tears while remembering lost family members. Soyodullah, president of the United Rohingya Council, emphasized the community's call for justice from Myanmar and their longing to return to their ancestral lands. "We want justice for what Myanmar has done to us. We want to return to our home," he told EFE.

We join together to remember our brothers and sisters murdered by Myanmar. We want justice

— Kala ChanAn elder leader from Camp 5, emphasizing the community's duty of remembrance.

Adding to their statelessness, Myanmar's authorities persist in labeling the Rohingya as "Bengalis," a designation used for decades to portray them as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. This linguistic tactic is seen by Rohingya leaders as an attempt to deny their historical presence and right to citizenship in Myanmar. "Myanmar says we are Bengalis, but that is not true. We are Rohingya," stated Shafi Ullah, a leader from Camp 9 in Balukhali.

Myanmar says we are Bengalis, but that is not true. We are Rohingya

— Shafi UllahA leader from Camp 9 in Balukhali, refuting Myanmar's official designation.

The prospects for repatriation remain bleak, further complicated by Myanmar's internal conflict. The Arakan Army's advances in Rakhine State have placed Rohingya refugees caught between warring factions. Reports from the United Nations and human rights organizations detail ongoing abuses, including new displacements, forced recruitment, and other violations attributed to both the junta's forces and other armed groups. This escalating violence has led to new arrivals in Bangladesh and stalled repatriation efforts.

We want to return to our own country, Myanmar, with our rights guaranteed

— Shafi UllahA leader from Camp 9 in Balukhali, expressing the desire for guaranteed rights upon return.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Color in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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