These photographs are a depiction of the resilience and resourcefulness of a people traumatized by their own country and their own government. The Rohingya are a Muslim minority group who have been residing in the area formerly known as Arakan State (now Rakhine State in western Myanmar) since before the 16th century. Since the introduction of the 1982 Citizenship Act, implemented by the formerly ruling military in the country, they have no longer been recognized as citizens by their own government and have been rendered stateless. They have been stripped of their citizenship and denied their political and human rights. Today, there are roughly 3 million Rohingya scattered across the globe who have no place to call home. According to UN statistics, the Rohingya are one of the most persecuted minorities in the world. Furthermore, recent investigations have pointed to a planned, decades-long genocide committed by the Myanmar military and government against the Rohingya.
Stateless, many Rohingya flee their homeland in order to escape religious, political and cultural persecution, particularly after the violence that erupted in Sittwe in 2012. They risk their lives, illegally crossing borders by foot or on perilous boat journeys, where they are often subject to the whims of human traffickers. Those who manage to make it out alive and free from arrest usually end up in squalid, makeshift refugee camps or in the shadows of impoverished villages, as shown in this collection of photographs. Clean water, medical care and proper education are scarce or utterly nonexistent.
Even with a supposedly democratic party taking office in November of 2015, led by Aung San Suu Kyi, the Myanmar government has done nothing to quell the severe human rights abuses that the Rohingya face on a daily basis. The Rohingya need our help. The genocide must end. The Rohingya must be recognized.
#SaveTheRohingya #WeAreRohingya
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