More than 65,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled to Bangladesh from Myanmar since October last year, after the Burmese army launched a crackdown in Rakhine State. This was in response to what they say was an attack by Rohingya insurgents in which nine police officers were killed. Waves of Rohingya civilians have since fled across the border, most living in makeshift camps and refugee centres. Many tell harrowing stories of the Burmese army committing human-rights abuses, such as gang rape, arson and extrajudicial killing.
American photojournalist Allison Joyce spent some time at refugee camps in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh. IBTimes UK shares her sensitive portraits of Rohingya women, along with their harrowing stories of being raped by the Burmese military, to help bring the plight of these oppressed people to a wider audience.
Nojiba came to Bangladesh two months ago from Delpara village in Myanmar. She describes a happy life living in Myanmar until three months ago when the military suddenly started coming to her village, beating, killing and harassing people. "I felt scared, I prayed and read the Koran, hoping to feel better. I lived in a constant state of fear." Nojiba says. "The day before I fled to Bangladesh the military came again to our village. They found the place in the bush where I was hiding with other women and girls. They took the young girls into nearby houses and beat and raped them. I could hear their screams. One soldier put a gun to my head and said 'Let's go'. I started screaming and fighting back and three men dragged me to a room in a nearby house. They held a gun to my head and two soldiers took turns raping me for an hour." (Courtesy of ibtimes.co.uk)
January 25, 2017
January 24, 2017
Rohingya Children Give Eyewitness Accounts of Atrocities in Myanmar
Rohingya boys and girls as young as 11 and 12 spoke of atrocities they had witnessed that forced them to flee Myanmar’s Rakhine state in recent weeks, with some telling BenarNews they saw Burmese security personnel burn their siblings alive.
A correspondent for BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service, interviewed at least 19 children during visits to refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar, a district in southeastern Bangladesh where some 65,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled from Rakhine state since early October, according to U.N. estimates.
“The military whisked away my brother and killed him, set fire to our house, and tortured the women,” said Tasmin Khatun, 11, using a term that refers to the rape of women. (Courtesy of rfa.org)
A correspondent for BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service, interviewed at least 19 children during visits to refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar, a district in southeastern Bangladesh where some 65,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled from Rakhine state since early October, according to U.N. estimates.
“The military whisked away my brother and killed him, set fire to our house, and tortured the women,” said Tasmin Khatun, 11, using a term that refers to the rape of women. (Courtesy of rfa.org)
January 21, 2017
Myanmar rebuffs Malaysia for organizing OIC meeting on Rohingya
Myanmar rebuffed Malaysia on Saturday for organizing a meeting of Muslim governments to put pressure on Myanamar over the plight of Rohingya Muslims following a military crackdown that sent at least 66,000 people fleeing to Bangladesh.
Hosting a meeting of representatives from the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation on Thursday, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak called on Myanmar to stop attacking, and discriminating against the Rohingya minority.
Najib urged the OIC, which groups 57 Muslim nations, to act to end the unfolding "humanitarian tragedy".
In response, Myanmar, a mostly Buddhist country, said it was "regrettable" that Malaysia had called the meeting, and accused Kuala Lumpur of exploiting the crisis "to promote a certain political agenda" and disregard for the government's efforts to address it. (Courtesy of reuters.com)
Hosting a meeting of representatives from the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation on Thursday, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak called on Myanmar to stop attacking, and discriminating against the Rohingya minority.
Najib urged the OIC, which groups 57 Muslim nations, to act to end the unfolding "humanitarian tragedy".
In response, Myanmar, a mostly Buddhist country, said it was "regrettable" that Malaysia had called the meeting, and accused Kuala Lumpur of exploiting the crisis "to promote a certain political agenda" and disregard for the government's efforts to address it. (Courtesy of reuters.com)
U.N. rights expert criticizes Myanmar over Rohingya crackdown
A United Nations human rights investigator on Friday criticized Myanmar's crackdown on the Rohingya Muslim minority and urged the military to respect the law and human rights.
Authorities say the military launched a security sweep in response to what they say was an attack in October by Rohingya insurgents on border posts near Myanmar's border with Bangladesh in which nine police officers were killed.
Since then, at least 86 people have been killed and the United Nations says at least 65,000 Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh.
Residents and refugees accuse the military of killing, raping and detaining civilians while burning villages in northwestern Rakhine State. (Courtesy of reuters.com)
Authorities say the military launched a security sweep in response to what they say was an attack in October by Rohingya insurgents on border posts near Myanmar's border with Bangladesh in which nine police officers were killed.
Since then, at least 86 people have been killed and the United Nations says at least 65,000 Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh.
Residents and refugees accuse the military of killing, raping and detaining civilians while burning villages in northwestern Rakhine State. (Courtesy of reuters.com)
January 20, 2017
Interviews: One in Three Rohingya Women Refugees Say They Were Raped
One in three women interviewed by BenarNews this week in Bangladesh’s refugee camps for Rohingya Muslims who fled violence in Myanmar claimed they were raped by security forces before their escape.
A BenarNews correspondent, who spent four days visiting the camps in southeastern Cox’s Bazar district, reported that 17 of the 54 Rohingya women she interviewed said they were raped while Myanmar’s military launched a brutal crackdown in northern Rakhine state, after nine police officers were attacked and killed by an armed Rohingya insurgent group in October.
Numerous reports of rape and other atrocities had emerged since the post-attack crackdown, which led to some 65,000 Rohingya entering Bangladesh, but this is the first time that numbers were cited based on random surveys of the extent of sexual assaults on women. (Courtesy of benarnews.org)
A BenarNews correspondent, who spent four days visiting the camps in southeastern Cox’s Bazar district, reported that 17 of the 54 Rohingya women she interviewed said they were raped while Myanmar’s military launched a brutal crackdown in northern Rakhine state, after nine police officers were attacked and killed by an armed Rohingya insurgent group in October.
Numerous reports of rape and other atrocities had emerged since the post-attack crackdown, which led to some 65,000 Rohingya entering Bangladesh, but this is the first time that numbers were cited based on random surveys of the extent of sexual assaults on women. (Courtesy of benarnews.org)
January 19, 2017
Myanmar civil bodies want ‘truly independent’ probe in Rakhine state attack
More than 40 Myanmar-based civil society organisations today called for a “truly independent” international investigation into the situation in Rakhine State, where state-sponsored attacks against Rohingya Muslim civilians have escalated in recent months.
Muslim and Buddhist communities in Rakhine State have faced human rights violations with impunity for decades, according to a news release issued by the Fortify Rights, a regional human rights body based in Thailand.
The joint statement by the 41 organisations recommends the establishment of a “commission of inquiry to fully assess the totality of the situation in Rakhine State and provide clear recommendations for the current government to effectively address and prevent further problems.” (Courtesy of thedailystar.net)
Muslim and Buddhist communities in Rakhine State have faced human rights violations with impunity for decades, according to a news release issued by the Fortify Rights, a regional human rights body based in Thailand.
The joint statement by the 41 organisations recommends the establishment of a “commission of inquiry to fully assess the totality of the situation in Rakhine State and provide clear recommendations for the current government to effectively address and prevent further problems.” (Courtesy of thedailystar.net)
Rohingya FC vs. Myanmar: a peacebuilding plan
After years of neglect in the field of politics, a group of Rohingya refugees in Kuala Lumpur has moved to the football pitch to begin building a better future for its community. For two years, the Rohingya Football Club has won friends and supporters around Malaysia for the Rohingya cause, and now, team the hopes to one day do the same in its homeland.
“The main objective of the Rohingya FC is to be a national team that represents the Rohingya people,” team chairman and co-founder Muhammad Noor told Coconuts Yangon. “We want to tell Rohingya youngsters that they can be whatever they want in the world. We want to promote the social development of our people.”
Inspired by the Olympic Refugee Team, Rohingya FC was founded in January 2015 by bringing together Rohingya football enthusiasts from around Malaysia to represent their community on a single team. (Courtesy of yangon.coconuts.co)
“The main objective of the Rohingya FC is to be a national team that represents the Rohingya people,” team chairman and co-founder Muhammad Noor told Coconuts Yangon. “We want to tell Rohingya youngsters that they can be whatever they want in the world. We want to promote the social development of our people.”
Inspired by the Olympic Refugee Team, Rohingya FC was founded in January 2015 by bringing together Rohingya football enthusiasts from around Malaysia to represent their community on a single team. (Courtesy of yangon.coconuts.co)
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