August 2017 was marked by a tragedy that impacted thousands of people that has since grown into one of the biggest refugee crisis in recent times. The Rohingya Crisis was sparked on the 25th August 2017 with an unexpected military action by the Myanmar military services that has been called a „textbook example of ethnic cleansing“ by the United Nations. Thousands of civilians of the Rohingya minority were forced to flee from their homes and cross into Bangladesh for safety.
The animosity towards the Rohingya minority in Myanmar is an ongoing issue. Since 2014 the government of Myanmar is refusing to recognize the Rohingya minority and is refusing to grant them citizenship, even going as far as excluding them from the 2014 census. The 2017 attack on the Rohingya minority is the most recent of a history of abuses the Rohingya people had to suffer under the hands of the Myanmar government.
At least 6 700 Rohingya, including 730 children were killed during August 2017 attack. The Myanmar government grossly underestimates the death toll of the attack and has stated that they ceased any further operations. This statement has been negated by BBC correspondents in the area, stating the operations continued.
It is crucial for the United Nations to come to a conclusive solution to this issue in order to prevent any further suffering of the Rohingya people and also to create a precedence for any similar situations in the future.
marina.latariya@icloud.com
Marina Anastasia Latariya