Get to know the Rohingya

The Rohingya are a Muslim ethnic and religious minority group living primarily in the Arakan (Rakhine) State of Myanmar (formerly Burma). They speak an unwritten spoken language and face systemic ethnic and religious discrimination and persecution by the Myanmar authorities and the Buddhist majority. The United Nations has described them as one of the most persecuted minorities in the world.

The Rohingya embraced Islam in the 2nd century AH during the reign of the Abbasid Caliph Harun al-Rashid.
Between 1430 and 1780, Muslims established the Islamic Kingdom of Arakan.
This kingdom lasted for four centuries and was ruled by 48 Muslim kings.
The Arakan region in western Myanmar is considered the original homeland of the Rohingya Muslims.
The Rohingya trace their ancestry to diverse ethnicities including Mongol, Indian, Arab, and Persian origins.
The global Rohingya population is estimated at around 4 million.
Recent estimates indicate fewer than half a million Muslims currently remain in Arakan.
The Rohingya language includes vocabulary borrowed from Arabic and Urdu.

The 1942 Massacre

In 1942, a large-scale massacre was carried out against the Rohingya by authorities and Buddhist extremists:
Over 100,000 Muslims were killed.
More than 300 mosques were destroyed.
Over 300 Islamic schools were demolished.
At least 20 Muslim villages were burned to the ground.
Numerous ancient Islamic monuments and heritage sites were vandalized or removed.

The 1982 Citizenship Law

In 1982, Myanmar’s authorities passed a law revoking Rohingya citizenship:
The law rendered the Rohingya stateless in their own land and paved the way for further violations.
It denied them access to basic rights such as education, healthcare, property ownership, and more.

The 2012 Massacre

In 2012, Myanmar’s military forces committed another massacre against the Rohingya, bringing global attention back to their cause:
Thousands were killed, tortured, dragged through the streets, and had their homes burned down.
Women were raped, and children were murdered.
Around 100,000 fled to Bangladesh and neighboring countries seeking safety.

The 2015 Boat Crisis

In 2015, thousands of Rohingya fleeing by sea were stranded after Bangladesh, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand refused to accept them:
The humanitarian crisis resulted in the deaths of hundreds due to starvation, thirst, and drowning.
Investigations by Malaysian and Thai authorities revealed a massive human trafficking network.
These networks involved former officials who extorted money from the refugees’ relatives abroad and abused Rohingya women.
When payment was not received, traffickers killed the refugees and buried them in mass graves.
Authorities discovered hundreds of Rohingya bodies in remote, forested border areas.

The 2017 Military Campaign

In 2017, the Myanmar military, backed by Buddhist extremists, launched a wide-scale military operation:
The campaign involved mass killings, gang rape, the murder of children, and the systematic burning of homes and villages.
Thousands were killed, and nearly one million Rohingya were forced to flee to Bangladesh and nearby countries.

Since August 2017, more than one million Rohingya refugees have been living in overcrowded camps in Bangladesh under dire conditions, suffering from food, medicine, and healthcare shortages, and unable to work or rebuild their lives.

The 2024 Arakan Conflict

In 2024, clashes erupted between Myanmar government forces and Buddhist rebel groups seeking autonomy for Arakan, particularly the Arakan Army:
The conflict turned Rohingya towns and villages into battlegrounds.
Hundreds of Rohingya civilians were killed, and around 200,000 were displaced into the forests and wilderness.
The Myanmar authorities forced Rohingya men to fight alongside the military against the rebels, despite the fact that they are still denied citizenship.
Armed Buddhist factions also threatened Rohingya civilians with violence unless they joined their ranks.