Why amplifying Rohingya voices is essential

Throughout history, humanity has often failed to take adequate notice of some of the worst atrocities that were committed. The story of the Rohingya falls squarely into this category. As a group, they are among the most persecuted, and yet their cries for justice and help have long gone unheard.

On August 25, 2017, the Myanmar military launched a brutal crackdown that would lead to the exodus of about 700,000 Rohingya who fled persecution and mass ethnic cleansing on their own land. They crossed miles of treacherous terrain to find themselves at the borders of Bangladesh, where most of them are currently housed in camps strewn across Cox's Bazar. While some countries surrounding Myanmar turned away many of the Rohingya refugees, Bangladesh took in all who turned up and gave them shelter and support. August 25 has since come to be known as the "Rohingya Genocide Remembrance Day", to be observed every year.

This was but the latest in Myanmar's long history of systematic oppression of this community, however. Since 1942, the Rohingya have suffered almost apartheid-like conditions in their country. They have been disenfranchised, and denied support, education and economic opportunities. Beyond that, they have been subjected to myriad human rights abuses, including forced labour, not unlike slavery. Myanmar's distaste for the Rohingya is a result of an ethno-religious clash with the objectives of the Myanmar junta, which has been trying not only to curb the establishment of democratic rule in the country, but also to unite the nation under a more Buddhist identity.

This infectious problem was first noticed during World War II, as the Rohingya sided with the Allied forces while the Myanmar military chose to side with the Empire of Japan. Since then, the abuse and ostracisation of the Rohingya people have been prevalent. They were denied any opportunity to self-identify or find any form of economic emancipation. And, while this infection festered, the world failed to take notice. Although the rise of the democratic movement in Myanmar seemed to have brought some semblance of hope for a cure, especially for marginalised communities like the Rohingya, the recent coup staged by the military stunted any possibility of justice, accountability or reconciliation in the foreseeable future. While the world was distracted by the 2020 American presidential election and its aftermath, whispers of a coup to seize power in Myanmar, democratically won by the NLD party, were already in the air. But the global community failed to take notice again. Today, some 600,000 Rohingya still remain in Myanmar, living in constant fear for their lives.

The Rohingya are currently screaming into a void, unable to find ways to voice their concerns and thoughts or attract meaningful support. What binds us to their plight is Bangladesh's experience of similar tragedies before and during the 1971 war. What binds the Rohingya's plight to that of the millions of other persecuted or forcibly displaced peoples, like the Palestinians, the Syrians and many more, is their (lack of) ability or opportunity to tell their story. It is one thing for a nation to host those who have been displaced, but that is neither a sustainable nor a justifiable way of managing the problem. What is required is the demand for justice and the accommodation of that process.

In the years leading up to the Nuremberg and Tokyo trials, there was a sufficient degree of mandate and political will galvanised against the atrocities committed during World War II. The stories of the families who suffered at the hands of their oppressors, and later were allowed to come forward, were a means to ensuring that their stories lived to see the days of trial and stand as testimony when required. This was equally true of the years of advocacy in favour of trials against the war criminals of 1971 in Bangladesh. Many of these stories were frequently published in media across multiple platforms. However, it was imperative that the people who suffered were empowered to speak for themselves, along with their allies and advocates from across the globe.

The Rohingya require the same form of support and access to such modes of narrative building. This could happen primarily by giving them access to modes of media allowing them to speak freely in demand for justice and accountability against those who oppressed them in Myanmar. However, to make their advocacy effective, access to education and a guide for advocacy are necessary. The world can collectively help further the cause by simply joining their demand for justice. The momentum towards justice delivery must be kept up.

The effectiveness of international law largely depends on cooperation. The global community, if correctly informed, can be persuaded to push for the restoration of democracy and the rights of the Rohingya in Myanmar. Bangladesh has long demanded such restorations. As a host country, Bangladesh's support of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and other such supranational legal bodies and trial initiatives is instrumental in ensuring that justice is served to the Rohingya quicker than instances in the past. Such courts have presented their interest in the matter in recent years; the logistical support necessary should not be difficult to obtain.

As we recall the unspeakable horrors of August 25, 2017 today, it is imperative that we remind ourselves why remembering these stories of atrocities inflicted on the Rohingya and other refugees around the world is important. While Bangladesh may not have the resources to offer them a permanent home, it is possible for us to amplify their voices, demanding justice for their people by being their permanent allies—much like our own allies did in the past. Their message and stories must be heard and amplified so that they can no longer be ignored or, worse, forgotten. So that even if it is in the distant future, those who have suffered, and the generations after them, are able to use these narratives to demand the justice they long for.

Ahmed Shafquat Hassan is a Research Assistant, Centre for Peace and Justice, Brac University.