A review of UNHCR’s response to the protracted situation of stateless Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh

The Rohingya

Rohingya is a generic term referring to the Sunni Muslim inhabitants of Arakan, the historical name of a Myanmar border region which has a long history of isolation from the rest of the country. Since 1989, this region has been officially designated as the Rakhine State. However the majority of people of concern are from the northern part of the Rakhine State, from the three townships of Maungdaw, Buthidaung and Rathedaung.

It is thought that the Rohingya are of mixed ancestry, tracing their origins both to outsiders (Arabs, Moors, Turks, Persians, Moguls and Pathans) and to local Bengali and Rakhine. They speak a version of Chittagonian, a regional dialect of Bengali which is also used extensively throughout south-eastern Bangladesh.

The Rohingya are virtually friendless amongst Myanmar’s other ethnic, linguistic and religious communities. They were not formally recognized as one of the country’s official

national groups when the country gained independence in 1947, and they were excluded

from both full and associate citizenship when these categories were introduced by the 1982

Citizenship Act.

As well as being stateless, Myanmar’s Rohingyas are confronted with other forms of persecution, discrimination and exploitation. These include (but are not limited to) forced

labour, extortion, restriction on freedom of movement, the absence of residence rights,

inequitable marriage regulations and land confiscation. The Rohingya also have limited

access to secondary and tertiary education as well as other public services.

As a result of such deprivations, large numbers of Rohingya have left Myanmar and

taken up residence elsewhere. While there is a general lack of precision with respect to the

number of people involved, there are estimated to be up to 400,000 in Bangladesh, a similar

number in the Gulf states, some 200,000 in Pakistan, 20,000 in Thailand and 15,000 in

Malaysia. UNHCR estimates some 750,000 Rohingyaremain in northern Rakhine state and

other parts of Myanmar.

Amnesty International's T. Kumar to Speak at the Islamic Society of North America's Convention

Amnesty International's T. Kumar to Speak at the Islamic Society of North America's Convention Advocacy Director T. Kumar to Speak on Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar (Burma) Contact: Carolyn Lang, clang@aiusa.org, 202-675-8759 /EINPresswire.com/ (Washington, D.C.) -- Amnesty International Advocacy Director T. Kumar will address the Islamic Society of North America's 49th Annual Convention "One Nation Under God: Striving for the Common Good," in regards to the minority community of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar (Burma) on Saturday, September 1, at 11:30 am at the Washington DC Convention Center.

Iran Ready to Dispatch Medical Teams to Myanmar

TEHRAN (FNA)- Head of the Basij Organization of Iran's Medical Society Mohammad Rayeeszadeh voiced the society's readiness to dispatch medics, nurses and relief and rescue forces to help Myanmar's Muslims who are under the daily attacks of the majority in the Southeast Asian country. "The Basij (volunteer) organization of the Medical Society is prepared to dispatch emergency teams of physicians, nurses and rescue workers to Myanmar," Rayeeszadeh told FNA on Saturday.

2,600 tonnes of aid delivered to Myanmar Muslims

Khalifa Foundation has distributed urgent aid totalling 5,200 tonnes Gulf News March 04, 2013 Burma: The Khalifa Bin Zayed Humanitarian Foundation (KZHF) has distributed another 2,600 tonnes of food aid to Myanmar Muslims, completing its third and last phase of the urgent aid totalling 5,200 tonnes of relief items among 850,000 beneficiaries. As per directives of President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the assistance was purchased from the local markets of Myanmar in cooperation and coordination with the Embassy of Kuwait to be shipped by sea to “Rakhine (Arakan)” for distribution among the affectees there.

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