Rohingya Muslims continue to run for their lives. For decades they have lived in the Buddhist part of Myanmar. The government treated them shoddily, and, in 2016, an insurgent Rohingya group attacked a Myanmar police outpost in Rakhine state and triggered swift and brutal military action. Since then, the armed forces continue to pursue and attack the Rohingya, killing thousands and destroying several of their villages. Hundreds of thousands have fled to Bangladesh, Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia.

The violence continues

There are numerous mass graves where Rohingya victims are found.

The Myanmar army made the most recent discovery in a village north of Rakhine. Officials confirmed that two mass graves, filled with mostly women and children’s bodies, were found on September 24. The Guardian also reported the mass killing of Rohingyas at the Tula Toli village on September 7. Various media outlets described victims’ suffering, including gang rape and torture. Some eyewitness accounts revealed that many Rohingyas, including children, were burned alive. There were also numerous incidents of drowning, in which fleeing boats capsized.

Refugee crisis

According to The Guardian, The UN’s Secretary General António Guterres described the situation as “the world’s fastest developing refugee emergency and human rights nightmare.” While many Rohingya found refuge in foreign lands, the majority are blacklisted by already overpopulated and distrusting nations.

In February, Bangladesh turned away more than 200,000 Rohingya from its shores and sent them to a remote island in the Bay of Bengal. Six months later, India announced it would deport nearly 40,000 Rohingya refugees, and Nepal increased its border security to keep Rohingyas away in September. While there are mixed views on the treatment of these refugees, Secretary Guterres admits that the crisis “is a breeding ground for radicalization, criminals, and traffickers.

” He also warned that the intermingling of such large and desperate numbers could result in “inter-communal strife.”

The world reacts

Numerous countries renounced Myanmar’s treatment of Rohingyas. On Thursday 28, Guterres urged Government authorities to allow the “unfettered passage” of Humanitarian Aid to those displaced. He also called for the “safe, voluntary, dignified and sustainable return” of Rohingya refugees.

His comments were made at a UN Security Council meeting on Myanmar. In August, Pope Francis said he was saddened by the entire situation and would keep praying that “his brothers got their full rights.”

Malaysia’s Prime Minister also labeled the persecution as “genocide.” His country canceled two football matches with Myanmar in December, in protest against the military crackdown. The US also expressed its concern in September with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, calling for an immediate end to the violence. He demanded that the international community speak out in support of “what we all know the expectation is, for the treatment of people regardless of their ethnicity.”

Suggestions of penalties and direct sanctions against Myanmar’s military were made by the US and other concerned nations. While those solutions are yet to be tried, one thing is sure: time is not on the side of the Rohingyas.
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