April 1, 2016

Myanmar's shame: Living inside Rohingya ghettos

As the sun creeps closer towards its midday peak, the inhabitants of Dar Paing camp move out to the dusty streets to escape the oppressive heat of their single room dormitories.

This is home to thousands of Rohingya Muslims, a stateless people not recognized nor wanted by Myanmar's government.

Located near Sittwe, in the country's western Rakhine state, the camp is alive with sounds -- children recite verses at a makeshift school, while fruit sellers entice customers to their sparse but colorful stalls. But this buzz masks the harsh reality for many people here.
As Zoya prepares lunch for her family in their cramped living space, the loss of her son Mohammed is never far from her thoughts. "I begged Mohammed not to leave," she says, wiping the tears from her eyes. "Your father is sick and I am old, you must stay with us and protect the family," she remembers telling him. But despite her protestations and appeals, the 17-year old escaped the camp and fled to Malaysia by boat. (Courtesy of CNN.com)

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