The situation in the camps is deteriorating with each passing day. I am not certain when peace will be realised by everyone in the Rohingya community.
(Female Rohingya refugee, 30)
I am trying to deal with the difficulties of living in a refugee camp, while also processing the trauma of the atrocities that forced me to leave my home. I am still strong, and I hope that the future will be better for me and my family.
(Female Rohingya refugee, 25)
Dhaka, Bangladesh, and Jakarta, Indonesia, 1 October 2024 — Asia Justice and Rights, or AJAR, and Social Action for Voluntary Efforts, or SAVE, welcome Muhammad Yunus’ pledge that the interim government “will continue to support the million-plus Rohingya people sheltered in Bangladesh,” re-emphasising the conditions for “their eventual repatriation to their homeland, Myanmar, with safety, dignity and full rights.”¹ We commend its ongoing commitment to the Rohingya community and encourage it to continue building on this foundation with compassion and decisive action.
With the escalation of fighting in Rakhine State, newly displaced refugees are again fleeing and crossing the Naf River to Bangladesh for safety. For decades, the Rohingya have been subjected to extreme hardship in Myanmar. In May, the number of safety and security concerns reported by camp residents reached its highest level since January 2023². The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees reported that as of 31 July, 989,585 Rohingya refugees were residing in Cox’s Bazar and Bhasan Char³, and in August, there were unofficial reports of thousands of new arrivals in the camps.
In the spirit of the reform ushered by the interim government, led by young people demanding change, AJAR and SAVE wish to bring a number of issues to its attention:
Ensuring access to justice: We urge the interim government to work with civil society and survivors to hold perpetrators to account and ensure justice for all Rohingya, by strengthening access to and coordination with international judicial mechanisms and the civil society groups supporting investigations. We call on the Government of Bangladesh to facilitate investigations into the atrocity crimes and human rights violations committed against the Rohingya. Since 2019, the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar, or IIMM, has been closely monitoring the escalation of violence in Rakhine State⁴. In June, an Argentine prosecutor requested arrest warrants for 25 Myanmar political and military figures, filed under the principle of universal jurisdiction. In July, the International Court of Justice, or ICJ, accepted interventions from seven governments in the case led by Gambia against Myanmar under the Genocide Convention, with hearings expected in 2025. At the same time, the International Criminal Court or ICC continues its investigations, even though its jurisdiction is constrained by Myanmar’s non-ratification of the ICC Statute.
I have a sense of uncertainty regarding our future and am disappointed with the actions taken by the ICC and ICJ. We urgently need security and support from the international community in light of the ongoing genocide perpetrated by the Myanmar government against our community and other ethnic groups.
(Male Rohingya refugee, 29)
Improving safety in the camps: There is an urgent need for better access to legal and judicial services to safeguard the Rohingya refugees in the camps. The risks of exploitation are significantly increased for refugees, particularly women, the elderly and those with disabilities⁵. Rohingya armed groups have abducted refugees from camps in Bangladesh and transported them to Myanmar to join the junta’s military.⁶
I worry about something every day. The camp’s conditions are not favourable. Every day there are murders, shootings and cases of arson. It is becoming all too common.
(Female Rohingya refugee, 27)
Increased mental health support for survivors and young people: We highlight the need to support mental health and healing programmes⁷. The risk of mental health disorders is exacerbated by forced displacement, such as that experienced during the Rohingya refugee crisis⁸. Displacement-related trauma and discrimination, as well as inadequate healthcare, have made women and children particularly vulnerable.
I am feeling insecure because I am unable to obtain the basic rights every human deserves. As a result, I find myself living in a constant state of frustration.
(Male Rohingya refugee, 38)
Special protections for the women and girls: Rohingya women and girls living in the camps are especially vulnerable to exploitation and violence⁹. They are disproportionately affected because of their gender, age, marital status and mental and physical health.¹⁰ This is because the crisis reinforces and perpetuates gender inequalities, and gender-based violence and discrimination.
The education provided in the camps is inadequate. Moreover, unfortunately, I have experienced instances where men have made unwelcome advances, leaving me feeling upset. Men are always disturbing me in the street.
(Female Rohingya refugee, 21)
Opportunities for education: We emphasise that education strategies need to be tailored to meet the needs of children and young adults¹¹. Although there has been progress in the Myanmar curriculum, refugees aged between 15 and 24 face challenges due to the lack of formal education and skills-based learning opportunities¹². The camps are home to more than 400,000 school-aged children, with 25% not attending school¹³.
Education is crucial for ensuring future generations are not lost and illiterate. Despite the loss of our nation, we must prioritise education for our children.
(Female Rohingya refugee, 28)
Refugee-led civil society voices for peace and justice: We urge the Government of Bangladesh to provide support and create space for Rohingya civil society. The capacity of refugees to pursue formal education and employment opportunities, to move freely or to form organisations and gather as civil society, has been restricted by past Bangladeshi government policies. Rohingya civil society should be encouraged to engage in community efforts to improve quality education, livelihood opportunities and access to justice mechanisms to ensure the violence is not repeated¹⁴.
Every day in this refugee camp, my worries about my child’s future grow.
(Female Rohingya refugee, 24)
As the crisis develops and expands, it is imperative to assist the Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh. AJAR and SAVE are dedicated to collaborating with Rohingya communities and partners to promote justice and accountability for the atrocities and human rights abuses committed. We continue supporting Rohingya-led documentation efforts, advocating for accountability, and facilitating ways to strengthen Rohingya voices. We stand ready to support the interim government in the implementation of necessary measures, offering our expertise and the voices of the Rohingya community to guide the path forward.
¹ Aljazeera, ‘Bangladesh’s Yunus promises support to Rohingya in first policy speech’, 18 August 2024, available at: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/8/18/bangladeshs-yunus-promises-support-to-rohingya-in-first-policy-speech.
² Reliefweb, ‘Rohingya in Bangladesh: Seven years, seven insights’, 22 August 2024, available at: https://reliefweb.int/report/bangladesh/rohingya-bangladesh-seven-years-seven-insights#:~:text=Protection%20and%20safety%20concerns%20in,over%20refugees%20and%20their%20leaders.
³ UNHCR, ‘Operational Data Portal: Refugee Population in Cox’s Bazar’, 31 July 2024, available at: https://data.unhcr.org/en/country/bgd?_gl=1*4pzo08*_rup_ga*MTU5NjIzNTg3OS4xNzI0OTAzNjQ1*_rup_ga_EVDQTJ4LMY*MTcyNTkzNDc0MC41LjAuMTcyNTkzNDc0MC42MC4wLjA.*_gcl_au*MjA4MjI5NjQ2My4xNzI0OTAzNjQ0*_ga*MTU5NjIzNTg3OS4xNzI0OTAzNjQ1*_ga_GXCGDY7CTV*MTcyNTkzNDc0MC4zLjAuMTcyNTkzNDc0MC42MC4wLjA.
⁴ United Nations, ‘Statement on the escalation of conflict in Rakhine State, Myanmar’, 23 May 2024, available at: https://iimm.un.org/statement-on-the-escalation-of-conflict-in-rakhine-state-myanmar/.
⁵ Reliefweb, above n 2.
⁶ Fortify Rights, ‘Myanmar/Bangladesh: End Abduction, Forced Conscription of Rohingya Civilians’, 26 July 2024, available at: https://www.fortifyrights.org/bgd-inv-2024-07-26/.
⁷ Galuh Wandita, Mohammad Pizuar Hossain, Tati Krisnawaty and Angelina Lizar, Yearning for Our Rights and Longing for Our Homeland: Rohingya Youth Respond to Atrocities (Asia Justice and Rights, and Liberation War Museum, 2024) pp. 1-17, available at: https://asia-ajar.org/resources/books-research/yearning-for-our-rights-and-our-homeland/.
⁸ Asad Islam, Tanvir Ahmed Mozumder, Tabassum Rahman, Tanvir Shatil, and Abu Siddique, ‘Health Healing in crisis: Investing in women’s mental health and child development in refugee camps has huge benefits’, VoxDev, 25 April 2024, available at: https://voxdev.org/topic/health/healing-crisis-investing-womens-mental-health-and-child-development-refugee-camps-has.
⁹ Asia Justice and Rights, ‘We live our lives in uncertainty: Rohingya women’s voices of survival and hope as refugees’, available at: https://preview.asia-ajar.org/wp-content/uploads/dlm_uploads/2021/08/Policy-Paper-Refugees.pdf.
¹⁰ UN Women, ‘Gender brief on Rohingya refugee crisis response in Bangladesh’, 2017, available at: https://asiapacific.unwomen.org/en/digital-library/publications/2017/10/gender-brief-on-rohingya-refugee-crisis.
¹¹ Wandita and others, above n 7.
¹² Reliefweb, above n 2.
¹³ Ibid.
¹⁴ Daniel P. Sullivan, ‘Hope amid despair: Finding solutions for Rohingya in Bangladesh,’ Refugees International, 13 December 2022, available at: https://www.refugeesinternational.org/reports-briefs/hope-amid-despair-finding-solutions-for-rohingya-in-bangladesh/.
To read the statement in Bangla: