1 June 2021
PRESS RELEASE
Join the movement by wearing BLACK in solidarity on Sunday, 13 June 2021 and remember to share your photos and messages of solidarity with us on twitter @ProtectRohingya & on instagram @protecttherohingya using the Hashtag: #Black4Rohingya
The Rohingya have suffered decades of systematic persecution in their home country of Myanmar. They are denied citizenship, freedom of movement, access to education and health services; they have been subject to land confiscations, arbitrary arrests, forced labour, extortion, torture, rape, mass killings and other forms of collective punishment. On 25 August 2017, the genocide forced a million Rohingya to flee over the border to Bangladesh. International human rights organisations documented the destruction of over 300 villages, mass rapes and gang rapes, killings – including of infants and young children – and brutal beatings and disappearances committed by Myanmar military.
The Rohingya in Rakhine State remain in the most dire conditions at the mercy of the security forces which unleashed the atrocities against them in 2017. It is not yet safe for refugees in Bangladesh to return.
As refugees in Bangladesh, the Rohingya have faced increasing restrictions and insecurities, including fires, aid cuts, violence, human trafficking risks, and the fear of being relocated to Bhasan Char, a previously uninhabited, remote flood prone island. They have faced food scarcity, a lack of clean water, and limited access to medical care and education. Without the right to work, there are few income generating opportunities.
Fencing and fire:
In 2019 the Bangladesh government began construction of 140 km of fencing to enclose the Rohingya refugee camps. The fence made it harder for refugees to enter and exit the camps, creating mistrust and negatively impacting public safety and service access, especially for those living with disabilities, older people, and children. The fencing has further denied Rohingya freedom of movement and placed them at serious risk.
During camp fires earlier this year, Rohingyas were unable to escape or save their possessions due to the fence. 50,000 people were displaced, many were injured, 400 people were reported missing, 15 people were confirmed dead although the actual number of fatalities remains unknown. Many of those were injured while trying to escape the blaze by climbing over or cutting through barbed wire fencing.
Coup
Since 1 February 2021 the people of Myanmar have taken to the streets to protest the brutal military coup, they continue to do so despite massive danger to their lives, the National Unity Government has called for international support in denouncing the coup and protecting the people of Myanmar. They are also calling for sanctions to be placed on military officials and military-owned companies, and the imposition of a global arms embargo. The Rohingya have to be included in this new Myanmar and the genocide being perpetrated against them must not be forgotten. Accountability for the mass atrocities against the Rohingya is essential for Myanmar to move forward as a democracy.
Please join the movement #Black4Rohingya on 13 June 2021 by wearing black and sharing your photos and messages of solidarity across media platforms. You can also print out our posters and use them in your photos.
#Black4Rohingya is a Protect the Rohingya initiative, initially held in 2013 in order to commemorate those Rohingya who were massacred in Arakan State in the second week of June 2012.
Petition Link: The United Nations Security Council MUST hold the Myanmar military (Tatmadaw) accountable ! https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/the-united-nations-security-council-must-hold-the-myanmar-military-tatmadaw-accountable
Twitter: @ProtectRohingya
Instagram: @protecttherohingya
Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/
Website: http://protecttherohingya.org
Contact: +2772 1786 102
Poster campaign: @blacksheepdotworks Companies and products to boycott: https://burmacampaign.org.uk/take-action/dirty-list/
