The “ethnic cleansing” of Myanmar’s Rohingya Muslims, explained

Summary

The video script highlights the ongoing humanitarian crisis involving the Rohingya, an ethnic minority in Myanmar, who have been subjected to brutal violence by the military. Since August 2017, about 400,000 Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh, escaping what the UN describes as a 'textbook example of ethnic cleansing.' This persecution, rooted in decades of discrimination, has seen villages burned, people killed or raped, and their citizenship stripped. Despite international condemnation, Myanmar's government has downplayed the atrocities, leaving the Rohingya stateless and unable to return home.

Takeaways

• 🚶 Thousands of Rohingya refugees are fleeing to Bangladesh daily due to violent military attacks in Myanmar.
• 💣 The Myanmar military has launched a brutal offensive against the Rohingya, killing, raping, and burning villages.
• 📊 Since August 2017, around 400,000 Rohingya have fled their homes in Rakhine State, creating a massive refugee crisis.
• ❌ Myanmar has denied access to human rights investigators, making the situation hard to fully assess.
• 📚 The situation is considered a textbook example of ethnic cleansing, as defined by the UN.
• 🌍 The Rohingya, a Muslim minority in a Buddhist-majority country, have faced decades of discrimination and violence.
• 📜 In 1982, Myanmar passed a Citizenship Act, excluding the Rohingya from recognized ethnic groups, making them stateless.
• 🔥 Repeated military operations, like 'Operation Clean and Beautiful Nation,' have forced hundreds of thousands of Rohingya to flee to Bangladesh since the 1970s.
• 💥 The 2017 crisis was sparked by a Rohingya militant attack on Myanmar police, leading to a brutal military retaliation.
• 🛑 Myanmar’s government, including leader Aung San Suu Kyi, has largely ignored the atrocities, while reports suggest landmines have been planted to prevent Rohingya from returning.

Q & A

How many Rohingya people have fled their homes in Myanmar's Rakhine State since August 2017?

Since August 2017, about 400,000 Rohingya men, women, and children have fled their homes in Myanmar's Rakhine State.

What has the United Nations reported about the situation involving the Rohingya in Myanmar?

The United Nations has reported that the situation appears to be a textbook example of ethnic cleansing, with the military launching attacks on the Rohingya, a Muslim minority in a predominantly Buddhist country.

What is the definition of ethnic cleansing according to the UN?

The UN defines ethnic cleansing as a purposeful policy designed by one ethnic or religious group to remove by violent and terror-inspiring means the civilian population of another ethnic or religious group from certain geographic areas.

Why have the Rohingya been targeted by the Myanmar military?

The Rohingya have been targeted due to a pattern of discrimination that started over 50 years ago, with the military junta promoting nationalism based on the country's Buddhist identity and singling out the Rohingya as a common enemy.

What historical event contributed to the tensions between the Burmese Buddhist population and the Rohingya?

Tensions between the Burmese Buddhist population and the Rohingya go back to the Second World War when each group supported opposing sides.

What was the impact of the 1982 Citizenship Act on the Rohingya?

The 1982 Citizenship Act recognized 135 ethnic groups but did not include the Rohingya, who became stateless people.

What was the immediate cause of the current crisis against Rohingya civilians?

The immediate cause of the current crisis was an attack on August 25th, 2017, by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army that left 12 police officers dead, which sparked brutal retaliation by state security forces.

How has the Myanmar government responded to the Rohingya crisis?

The Myanmar government has been accused of systematically driving the Rohingya out of the country, stripping their citizenship, terrorizing them, and destroying their homes.

What has been the reaction of Aung San Suu Kyi, Myanmar's de facto leader, to the Rohingya crisis?

Aung San Suu Kyi has barely acknowledged the attacks and has downplayed the situation, stating that more than 50% of the villages of Muslims are intact.

What measures has the Myanmar military reportedly taken to prevent the Rohingya from returning?

The military has reportedly planted landmines along the Bangladesh border to prevent the Rohingya from returning.

What humanitarian crisis has the violent campaign against the Rohingya triggered?

The violent campaign has triggered the fastest-growing humanitarian crisis in recent years, with a mass exodus of about 400,000 Rohingya to Bangladesh and 210 villages burned to the ground.