Rohingya Refugees Rally in Bangladesh, Demand Safe Return to Myanmar

Tens of thousands of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh held rallies marking the seventh anniversary of the military crackdown in Myanmar, demanding their safe return as reports of ongoing violence continue.

Marking the seventh anniversary of the military crackdown in Myanmar, tens of thousands of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh held rallies in Cox's Bazar camps, pressing for their safe return to Myanmar. Refugees of all ages brandished signs reading 'Hope is home' and 'We Rohingya are the citizens of Myanmar' while chanting slogans against the ongoing violence.

According to Al Jazeera, many participants wore ribbons inscribed with 'Rohingya Genocide Remembrance'. The Rohingyas, a mostly Muslim minority, have long been subjected to systemic prejudice and ethnic conflict in Myanmar, which precipitated their mass exodus.

Since the military crackdown in 2017, at least 750,000 Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh. The crackdown is now the subject of a genocide case at the International Court of Justice. Recent reports indicate an increase in Rohingya refugees fleeing the escalating conflict between Myanmar's military dictatorship and the Arakan Army, an ethnic armed group in Rakhine State.

Myanmar plunged into political turmoil when Aung San Suu Kyi's government was overthrown by the military in February 2021, leading to mass protests and eventually armed insurrections against the military's heavy-handed rule.

Earlier on August 22, Human Rights Watch reported that Rohingya Muslims face escalating threats, with recent months seeing the Myanmar military and ethnic Arakan Army committing mass killings, arson, and unlawful recruitment against Rohingya communities in Rakhine State. (ANI)

(With inputs from agencies.)