Donate

Rohingya

At a glance

  • Who: Rohingya civilians, a Muslim ethnic native minority
  • Where: Rakhine State, with large refugee communities in Bangladesh and across the region
  • Nature of harm: Ethnic cleansing, statelessness, mass displacement, severe restrictions on movement and rights
  • Status: Ongoing
Rohingya community members at a “Save the Rohingya” rally in Centennial Olympic Park, Atlanta (2017)

Photo by Marc Merlin Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0

What is happening

The Rohingya have been subjected to systematic violence, expulsion, and denial of citizenship in Myanmar. Large-scale military operations drove hundreds of thousands across the border into Bangladesh, where many remain in long-term refugee camps.

Those still in Rakhine State face movement restrictions, limited access to healthcare and education, and confinement to camps or villages. Safe, voluntary return has not materialised.

How it started

The Rohingya have lived in Rakhine State for generations, but were progressively excluded from citizenship and political life, culminating in formal statelessness under Myanmar’s 1982 citizenship law.

In 2016 and 2017, military operations involving killings, sexual violence, and village destruction triggered mass displacement. These events followed decades of discrimination and periodic violence.

How it is enforced

The situation is maintained through overlapping controls:

  • Statelessness: Denial of citizenship and legal identity
  • Military violence: Attacks on villages and civilians
  • Movement restrictions: Checkpoints, travel bans, and confinement
  • Camp confinement: Segregated camps with limited services
  • Aid dependence: Severe limits on livelihoods and self-sufficiency


These measures persist outside periods of open violence.

The human impact

Documented impacts include:

  • Long-term displacement and family separation
  • Overcrowded camps with restricted education and work
  • High vulnerability to trafficking and exploitation
  • Lasting physical and psychological trauma, particularly among women and children


For many Rohingya, life is defined by uncertainty across generations.

What the world says

International bodies and human rights organisations have described the crimes against the Rohingya as among the gravest of the modern era, including findings consistent with ethnic cleansing and genocide. Investigations and legal proceedings have been initiated, while access to justice and protection remains limited.

Report of the UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar

United Nations Human Rights Council

Myanmar: New Atrocities Against Rohingya

Human Rights Watch

What is denied or distorted

Common distortions include:

  • Portraying Rohingya as recent migrants rather than a long-established community
  • Framing mass violence as isolated security responses
  • Treating refugee camps as a sufficient or permanent solution
  • Delaying accountability by emphasising complexity or jurisdiction


These narratives obscure the structural nature of the harm.

Current status

Most Rohingya refugees remain in camps in Bangladesh, particularly around Cox’s Bazar, with limited prospects for resettlement or return. Conditions in Rakhine State remain unsafe, and the conflict within Myanmar has further reduced pathways to protection.

Why it matters

The Rohingya case demonstrates how statelessness enables mass abuse, and how displacement can become permanent when accountability fails. The prolonged crisis tests international commitments to civilian protection and the prevention of atrocity crimes.

Give Now

Agile disaster-response fund for rapid aid—food, shelter and medical support.

Note: We support victims of this crisis as part of our emergency “Where Most Needed” fund which benefits these, and other communities