9th Anniversary of 25 August Rohingya Genocide Remembrance Day

Today, the Rohingya Civil Unity and Humanitarian Service (RCUHS) joins Rohingya communities around the world in remembering the martyrs, victims and survivors of the genocide and persecution that forced hundreds of thousands of Rohingya to flee their homes in 2017.

Nine years ago, on 25 August 2017, the Myanmar military launched a devastating campaign of violence across Rohingya areas of Arakan State. Villages were destroyed, families were separated, civilians were killed, and hundreds of thousands of Rohingya were forced to flee to Bangladesh. We remember the victims of massacres in Tula Tuli, Inn Din, and many other villages across Arakan State.

But the suffering of the Rohingya did not begin in August 2017. For decades, our people faced various forms of persecution and systematic discrimination, restrictions on movement, denial of citizenship and identity, exclusion from education and employment, and the gradual destruction of our social, political, and economic rights. The atrocities of 2017 were part of a much longer history of persecution on our Rohingya people in Arakan State.

On this day, we remember all the martyrs and victims of the genocide. Behind every number is a person, a family, a home, and a story. Many survivors continue to live with the consequences of displacement, loss, and uncertainty. Thousands of Rohingya remain displaced, while those inside Arakan State continue to face serious insecurity and violations of their fundamental rights being committed by the Arakan Army militants.

As a Rohingya civil and humanitarian organization, RCUHS believes that our future depends on unity, education, dignity, and the active participation of our people. We must support one another, protect our community’s knowledge and identity, strengthen our institutions, and help develop qualified and capable people who can contribute to the future of our community.

We also call upon the international community not to allow the Rohingya crisis to become a forgotten crisis. The Rohingya need more than expressions of sympathy. We need meaningful protection, justice and accountability, recognition of our fundamental rights, and conditions that allow every Rohingya to live safely and with dignity. Any future return to our homeland must be voluntary, safe, dignified, and sustainable, with our rights fully respected.

May Almighty Allah grant Jannatul Firdaus to all our martyrs and give strength and courage to the survivors of the genocide. Ameen.