Rohingya in Myanmar’s Rakhine State Face Grave Threats of Violence, Persecution

The Rohingya minority in Myanmar’s Rakhine State are confronting a dire situation, with the United Nations warning of the risk of “genocidal violence” similar to the atrocities they suffered in 2016-2017, the Independent reported yesterday.

Thomas Andrews, the UN special rapporteur on the crisis in Myanmar, described the current conditions in Rakhine as “terrifying” and said they “carry echoes of the lead-up to genocidal violence” several years ago. That earlier crackdown by Myanmar’s military sent over 700,000 Rohingya fleeing across the border to Bangladesh.

Now, the Rohingya face renewed threats as fighting has escalated between the Myanmar military and the Arakan Army, an ethnic Rakhine armed group. Tens of thousands of civilians have been displaced by the conflict that reignited late last year.

Compounding the danger, the UN has reported “frightening and disturbing” incidents of violence against Rohingya, including killings, property burnings, beheadings, and disappearances. The military has also been forcibly conscripting Rohingya youth and mobilizing them against the Arakan Army, raising fears of retaliation and a “downward spiral of violence.”

Activists have blamed the Arakan Army for much of the destruction, but the group has denied targeting Rohingya civilians. The United States has expressed deep concern over the renewed violence and called on all parties to protect civilians.

Experts warn that the Rohingya once again face the specter of mass atrocities in Rakhine State, where they have long endured systematic discrimination, restrictions on movement, and denial of citizenship rights.