UNITED NATIONS, Oct 1 — A Rohingya refugee who fled ethnic violence in Myanmar in 2017 described yesterday the endless cycle of violence and exile faced by the mostly Muslim minority, as the United Nations convened a special conference on their plight.

Holding up a photograph of women and children killed in civilian clothing, Maung Sawyeddollah of the Rohingya Students Network told delegates the victims died in a drone strike by the Arakan Army on August 5, 2024.

“These are not isolated cases, they are a part of a systematic campaign... Where is justice for Rohingya?” he asked.

The Rohingya have faced decades of persecution in Myanmar, with some 750,000 fleeing to Bangladesh during the 2017 military clampdown that is now the subject of a UN genocide case. Ongoing fighting in Rakhine state, their homeland in western Myanmar, has made their return impossible.

“The junta blocks aid, recruits Rohingyas as human shields and continues systematic oppression,” said Wai Wai Nu, founder of the Women’s Peace Network, who herself spent years imprisoned in Myanmar.

She added that the Arakan Army — a predominantly Buddhist armed group fighting the junta — was now targeting Rohingya communities with “massacre, forced recruitment, arson, torture... sexual violence,” mirroring the military’s brutal tactics.

UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said their plight was “unique,” noting the Rohingya are not only discriminated against and deprived of rights, but also caught in a conflict that is not their own. He added that 1.2 million Rohingya in Bangladesh face worsening conditions as international aid shrinks.

‘Dangerous and overcrowded’

“We have also suffered deeply in the dangerous and overcrowded camps because of restrictions on livelihood opportunities,” said Lucky Karim, who lived for six years in a Cox’s Bazar camp. “Our goal is to return to our homeland safely with rights, but how do we get there?”

UN Special Envoy on Myanmar Julie Bishop said fierce clashes between the military and the Arakan Army were proving an “insurmountable barrier” to Rohingya repatriation.

The human rights and humanitarian situation in Rakhine has deteriorated sharply since November 2023, exacerbating life-threatening conditions for the Rohingya.

The coastal state, bordering Bangladesh, has been one of the main frontlines in Myanmar’s civil war since the 2021 coup that toppled the country’s elected government. — AFP