Mumtaz Moosa | mumtaz@radioislam.org.za
21 June 2024 | 15:30 CAT
1 min read

The ongoing violence in Myanmar continues to devastate the Rohingya community, with renewed fighting and air strikes adding to their already heavy burden. The latest surge in violence, initiated by armed groups seeking to overthrow the government and oppose the military coup, erupted in late October 2023.

The Rohingya, who constitute a Muslim majority, face not only bombings but also coercion into joining the military despite being denied recognition as citizens and enduring prolonged persecution by Myanmar authorities, particularly the military.

Trapped amidst warring factions, the Rohingya find themselves in a dangerous predicament. Collaboration with the Myanmar military risks retaliation from the Arakan Army (AA), while any association with the AA exposes them to the wrath of the Myanmar military.

In response, the military has employed ruthless measures, particularly in the Rohingya-inhabited camps in Rakhine state. These measures severely restrict their movements, rendering escape from Myanmar nearly impossible for many.

The Rohingya, an ethnic group of Muslim majorities, have remained unacknowledged among Myanmar’s 135 recognised ethnic groups since 1982. In 2017, a brutal crackdown forced over 700,000 Rohingya refugees to flee to Bangladesh, where they recounted horrifying experiences of rape, torture, arson, and murder at the hands of Myanmar’s security forces.

As the violence escalates, the plight of the Rohingya continues to worsen, demanding urgent international attention and action.