21 May 2026 | 11:40 CAT
1-minute read

The plight of the Rohingya remains one of the world’s longest-running humanitarian crises, with growing concerns over safety, accountability and the future of millions of displaced people.

Speaking on Radio Islam International’s Asia Pacific Report this morning, Rohingya activist and human rights defender Hafsar Tameesuddin warned that the crisis has moved into what she described as a new and troubling stage.

Tameesuddin said that despite reduced global attention, conditions for Rohingya communities inside Myanmar and in refugee camps in Bangladesh continue to deteriorate.

“The Rohingya crisis is not over. It just has entered another dangerous phase.”

She highlighted recent findings into violence against Rohingya civilians in Myanmar’s Rakhine State, including reports of killings and continuing abuses against communities trapped in conflict areas. According to Tameesuddin, civilians remain caught between armed groups and worsening instability, while survivors continue to wait for justice.

Beyond Myanmar, she said the situation in Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar refugee camps has also become increasingly difficult. Nearly a million Rohingya refugees have spent years living in displacement, with many facing uncertainty over their futures.

Tameesuddin described how aid reductions and social challenges within the camps have intensified hardship, particularly for women and children.

“It means children are now growing up without citizenship, without recognised future.”

She said younger generations are spending their formative years without the security, opportunities and sense of belonging many take for granted, while ongoing concerns such as trafficking, exploitation and gender-based violence continue to affect camp residents.

Tameesuddin also expressed concern over discussions around repatriating Rohingya refugees to Myanmar, warning that any return process would be unsafe unless critical conditions are met.

She argued that safety, legal recognition and justice remain essential prerequisites before refugees can be expected to return.

“Return without restoring the citizenship of Rohingya and equal rights would simply recreate the same conditions that produced this genocide in 2017.”

According to Tameesuddin, a sustainable solution must include the restoration of citizenship rights, access to homes and livelihoods, accountability for abuses, and meaningful participation from Rohingya communities themselves.

Nearly a decade after mass displacement forced hundreds of thousands from their homes, many Rohingya families continue to live in uncertainty, with little indication of when a durable resolution may emerge.

Listen to the Asia Pacific Report with Hafsar Tameesuddin on Sabaahul Muslim, presented by Moulana Habib Bobat.