Nine Years After Genocide, Rohingya Rally in Cox's Bazar for Justice and Return

On August 25, hundreds of Rohingya refugees gathered in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, to demand justice and the right to return to their homeland, marking the ninth anniversary of the genocide they endured in Myanmar. Since then, more than one million stateless Rohingya have remained trapped in overcrowded refugee camps in the coastal district of Cox's Bazar, where living conditions have deteriorated due to declining international aid.

The presence of the Rohingya in Bangladesh has made this South Asian nation home to one of the world's largest refugee communities.

Who Are the Rohingya?

According to 2021 data, an estimated 120,000 Rohingya, a Muslim ethnic group, are internally displaced within Myanmar. UN Secretary-General António Guterres has described them as “one of, if not the most, discriminated people in the world.”

Before 2017, over one million Rohingya lived in Myanmar. Although Myanmar is an ethnically diverse country with 135 major ethnic groups and seven minority ethnic states, the Rohingya are not officially recognized. They were stripped of citizenship in 1982, becoming the world's largest stateless population. The government of Myanmar, a predominantly Buddhist nation, regards Rohingya as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. They were excluded from the 2014 national census.

Nearly all remaining Rohingya in Myanmar reside in the coastal Rakhine State, which borders Bangladesh.

Why Did the Rohingya Mass-Flee to Bangladesh?

Myanmar's military has repeatedly cracked down on Rohingya in Rakhine State since the 1970s. Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, was under military rule for five decades until the 2015 election, when Aung San Suu Kyi won a landslide victory. Though initially expected to bring change, she remained silent on the Rohingya issue.

In August 2017, a bloody military campaign forced over 700,000 Rohingya to cross into Bangladesh. Many refugees later recounted being raped, tortured, burned, and killed by Myanmar soldiers, with backing from Buddhist groups. Human Rights Watch (HRW) documented the destruction of at least 200 Rohingya villages and approximately 13,000 deaths. Doctors Without Borders (MSF) reported at least 6,700 Rohingya were killed in the first month, including more than 700 children under five.

The Rohingya Situation in Bangladesh

According to UN data, as of July this year, Bangladesh hosts nearly 1.2 million Rohingya refugees. Most live in the Kutupalong and Nayapara camps in Cox's Bazar. Over 75% of the refugee population are women and children. Thousands of Rohingya continue to undertake dangerous journeys by boat or on foot to Bangladesh since the 2017 exodus.

According to the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), more than 6,500 Rohingya made unsafe sea voyages from Myanmar in 2025, with 900 deaths. A report noted that one in seven Rohingya refugees went missing or died in the Andaman Sea and Bay of Bengal last year, the world's highest death rate on any maritime migration route.

Demands of the Protesters

Refugees called on the international community to pressure Myanmar to allow them to return home without fear of renewed violence. Nay San Lwin, co-founder of the Free Rohingya Coalition, told Al Jazeera: “Nine years have passed with justice delayed and no clear path to repatriation with full rights and dignity. The ninth anniversary must spur immediate action, not just statements. All we ask is to return to our homeland with full rights, peace, safety, dignity, and justice.”

International Response

Bangladesh has been praised for hosting over one million Rohingya refugees, but faces pressure as it claims a lack of resources to maintain support, due to severe aid cuts and domestic economic difficulties. Malaysia hosts 192,481 Rohingya refugees, and India hosts 87,022. However, an HRW report last year said Indian authorities deported dozens of Rohingya to Bangladesh as “illegal immigrants.” Rohingya also face forced evictions in Malaysia.

Since the first Joint Response Plan (JRP) was launched in 2018, successive plans have reduced humanitarian aid for refugees, who depend almost entirely on assistance. The JRP 2026 plan is now reduced by 26% to $710.5 million. Last year, the World Food Programme (WFP) announced it was cutting monthly food vouchers for Rohingya in Bangladesh by more than half, from $12.50 to $6 per person, due to “severe funding shortfalls.”

On August 25, 16 diplomatic missions in Dhaka, including the UK, Australia, Canada, and the European Union, issued a joint statement calling for ensuring the Rohingya's right to return home. Secretary-General Guterres also posted on social media, urging the international community to refocus attention on the crisis.

Legally, the 2017 crackdown has been under investigation by the International Criminal Court (ICC) since 2019, but no indictments or public trials have yet occurred. A separate case filed by Gambia at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in 2019 accuses Myanmar of genocide. In 2020, the ICJ ordered emergency measures requiring Myanmar to protect Rohingya and prevent genocidal acts. The case is still awaiting a final ruling.