Rohingya Refugees Mark 8 Years Since Exodus, Demand Safe Return to Myanmar

Tens of thousands of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh on Monday marked the eighth anniversary of their mass flight from Myanmar, renewing demands for a safe and dignified return to their homeland in Rakhine state.

Gathering at an open field in Kutupalong, Cox’s Bazar — home to the world’s largest refugee camp — the Rohingya carried banners reading “No more refugee life” and “Repatriation the ultimate solution.” The day was observed as “Rohingya Genocide Remembrance Day.”

“We want to go back to our country with equal rights like other ethnic groups in Myanmar,” said Nur Aziz, 19, one of the protesters.

Bangladesh’s interim leader and Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, speaking at a three-day conference on the crisis in Cox’s Bazar, urged global powers to help secure the refugees’ return. “The relationship of Rohingyas with their homeland cannot be severed,” he said. “Their right to return has to be secured… We urge all parties to chart a practical roadmap for their speedy, safe, dignified, voluntary and sustainable return.”

The Rohingya exodus began in August 2017 after Myanmar’s military launched a brutal crackdown in Rakhine following insurgent attacks on security posts. The offensive, marked by mass killings, arson and sexual violence, drew accusations of ethnic cleansing and genocide from the UN and other international bodies.

Since then, more than 700,000 refugees have fled to Bangladesh, joining an estimated 300,000 who had already crossed over during earlier waves of persecution. Attempts at repatriation have repeatedly failed as Myanmar remains unstable and unsafe, while aid cuts have worsened conditions in the camps.

Yunus called on regional and international stakeholders — including China — to continue providing humanitarian aid and to press all parties in Myanmar, including the Arakan Army, toward resolving the protracted crisis.