25 August 2024
As we mark the seventh anniversary of the Myanmar military’s genocidal campaign against the Rohingya, the world stands at a grim crossroads. On August 25, 2017, the military unleashed a campaign of mass murder, widespread rape, and the systematic destruction of Rohingya villages. Seven years later, these atrocities have not only continued but have intensified into a calculated campaign of extermination. The Myanmar military junta operates with unchallenged impunity, while the international community has failed to act decisively.
“Seven years into this tragedy, the Rohingya continue to suffer and die, abandoned by the international community,” said Kyaw Win, Executive Director of the Burma Human Rights Network (BHRN). “The world’s inaction has not only failed to halt the genocide but has emboldened the Myanmar military and other armed groups to commit further atrocities with impunity. How many more lives must be lost before the world takes meaningful action?”
Approximately 600,000 Rohingya remain confined in Myanmar under dire conditions that amount to a state-enforced system of apartheid. Since the junta seized power in a coup in 2021, it has intensified its campaign of terror against the Rohingya, flouting international condemnation and defying orders from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) aimed at preventing further genocidal acts.
In the past year, the situation has been further aggravated by the Arakan Army (AA), which has escalated its attacks on Rohingya communities in a brutal struggle for control in Rakhine State. Trapped between the genocidal military junta and the violent AA, the Rohingya face escalating violence and displacement. Eyewitnesses have reported to BHRN that the AA has attacked Rohingya civilians with guns, rockets, and crude drone bombs. Many have been forced to flee, only to face closed borders and a global community largely indifferent to their plight. The ICJ’s provisional measures, intended to protect the Rohingya from further atrocities, are being flagrantly violated.
In Bangladesh, over a million Rohingya refugees have sought refuge, but their situation remains dire. The camps are overcrowded and suffer from severe shortages of basic necessities, healthcare, and security. As conditions worsen, the prospects for a dignified return home and the quest for justice become increasingly bleak.
Despite extensive documentation of the military’s genocidal actions, the international response has been alarmingly insufficient. The genocide of the Rohingya has been recognized by several countries, including the United States and Canada, and by international bodies such as the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). However, this recognition has not translated into meaningful action. The global community’s inaction sends a dangerous message: genocidal regimes can act with impunity, and the world will stand by as entire populations are exterminated.
The United Nations Security Council’s failure to act reflects a disturbing pattern of global inaction driven by geopolitical interests that shield Myanmar from meaningful consequences. Nations like China and Russia, with strategic interests in Myanmar, have blocked efforts to hold the military accountable. Meanwhile, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has proven ineffective, opting for weak diplomatic engagement rather than taking concrete steps to protect vulnerable communities in Myanmar.
In remembrance of the Rohingya victims and survivors of genocide, the Burma Human Rights Network calls on governments, international bodies, and civil society to take immediate and effective measures to protect the Rohingya. The international community must confront the ongoing crisis in Myanmar with the urgency it demands. The United Nations must take immediate action to hold the Myanmar military accountable for its crimes, including referring the situation to the International Criminal Court. The ICJ’s provisional measures must be enforced, and those responsible for violating them must be held to account. Countries must also impose targeted sanctions against the Myanmar military and its affiliates, cutting off the financial resources that enable their campaign of terror. Corporations with ties to the junta must be held accountable for their complicity, facing global sanctions and legal consequences for their role in supporting a regime that commits atrocities with impunity.
The relentless suffering of the Rohingya calls for urgent, decisive action from the international community. It is time to end the cycle of impunity and secure a future of justice and dignity for every Rohingya.
Organisation’s Background
BHRN is based in London, operates across Burma and works for human rights, minority rights and religious freedom in Burma. BHRN has played a crucial role in advocating for human rights and religious freedom with politicians and world leaders.