Who are the Rohingya refugees?
The Rohingya are a Muslim minority ethnic group with their roots in the Arakan kingdom in Myanmar, formerly known as Burma.
The Rohingya are culturally and religiously distinct from the majority Buddhist population in Myanmar.
The Rohingya claim to have lived in Myanmar’s Rakhine State for generations.
But successive governments in the country have disputed their ties, labelling them illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.
Myanmar has refused to recognise them, denying them citizenship since 1982, thus making them the world’s largest stateless population devoid of fundamental rights and security.
Their largest exodus began in August 2017 when a massive wave of violence broke out in Rakhine, driving more than 7.5 lakh people to seek sanctuary in Bangladesh to escape the brutality of security forces.
Entire villages were razed, families were torn apart, and severe human rights violations were reported.
The United Nations has described the 2017 violence as “ethnic cleansing”.
A 2018 UN fact-finding commission claimed the Myanmar government had “genocidal” intent against the Rohingya.
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
Full Name: Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
Established: December 14, 1950
Mandate: Lead and coordinate international action to:
Protect refugees and forcibly displaced communities
Assist stateless people
Help refugees return home voluntarily
Integrate refugees locally in host countries
Resettle refugees in third countries
Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland
Global Reach: Operates in over 137 countries with a workforce exceeding 18,879 (as of 2020 data).
Focus: Safeguarding the rights and well-being of refugees, ensuring they can exercise the right to seek asylum and find safe refuge.
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