Rohingya Faced Ongoing War After Mass Atrocities

January 3, 2025 – Six years after the Myanmar military’s brutal campaign of mass atrocities against the Rohingya began on August 25, 2017, over one million refugees in Bangladesh remain trapped in precarious conditions with little hope of returning home safely. Despite widespread international condemnation, the United Nations Security Council has failed to hold Myanmar’s generals accountable for what Human Rights Watch (HRW) describes as crimes against humanity and acts of genocide.

The crisis persists as over 730,000 Rohingya live in overcrowded camps in Bangladesh, enduring increasingly restrictive conditions and escalating violence. Meanwhile, approximately 600,000 Rohingya remain confined in Myanmar under a system of apartheid imposed by the military junta.

“Rohingya on both sides of the Myanmar-Bangladesh border are trapped in stateless purgatory, denied their most basic rights, awaiting justice and the chance to go home,” said Shayna Bauchner, Asia researcher at Human Rights Watch.

Conditions in Myanmar: A Grim Reality

Since the military coup in Myanmar on February 1, 2021, Rohingya communities have faced heightened repression. Thousands have been detained for “unauthorized travel,” while aid blockages and new movement restrictions have worsened conditions in camps and villages. Cyclone Mocha’s devastation in 2023 highlighted the junta’s disregard for humanitarian needs, with lifesaving aid, including medical care, obstructed.

HRW notes that the junta’s systematic abuses against the Rohingya constitute crimes against humanity, including apartheid, persecution, and deprivation of liberty.

Life in Bangladesh: A Struggle for Dignity

In Bangladesh, Rohingya refugees face growing challenges, including barriers to education, restrictions on movement, and limited access to livelihoods. The relocation of 30,000 refugees to the remote island of Bhasan Char has exacerbated their struggles, with reports of inadequate food, medicine, and movement restrictions.

Within the camps, refugees have voiced concerns over declining security and insufficient protection from authorities amid surging violence by armed groups. Many describe a growing sense of hopelessness as restrictions tighten.

“We have lost six years here,” said a Rohingya woman. “I am human. Why have I been treated this way throughout my life?”

Humanitarian Aid Shortfalls and Ration Cuts

The UN Joint Response Plan for the Rohingya crisis in 2023 received less than one-third of the $876 million requested, leading to severe cuts in food aid. Refugees now receive just $8 per month in food assistance, down from $12, a reduction that has deepened malnutrition and despair.

“The ration cuts have hit us hard,” a Rohingya volunteer said. “Think about the children or pregnant women—they are all affected.”

Challenges to Repatriation and Global Inaction

Bangladesh’s government views repatriation as the only solution to the crisis, yet efforts to facilitate returns under a pilot project with Myanmar’s junta have been marred by coercion and misinformation. Rohingya refugees have consistently expressed a desire to return home, but only under conditions of safety, citizenship, and freedom.

The lack of international accountability for Myanmar’s military has further dimmed hopes for resolution. HRW has called on the UN Security Council to impose a global arms embargo, refer Myanmar to the International Criminal Court (ICC), and enact targeted sanctions on the junta’s leadership and military-owned businesses.

“Repatriating Rohingya now would mean sending refugees back to the control of a ruthless junta, setting the stage for the next devastating exodus,” said Bauchner.

Voices of Resilience and a Call for Justice

Despite the immense challenges, the Rohingya remain resilient, holding onto the hope of one day returning to their homeland with dignity and full citizenship.

“I dream of being able to go back to my own country, Myanmar, to my village and home, with full rights of citizenship and everything else that a person deserves,” a refugee shared.

As the crisis enters its seventh year, Human Rights Watch urges the global community to act decisively, providing justice for past atrocities and ensuring the conditions for a safe, voluntary, and dignified return of the Rohingya people.

Source : HRW

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