Rohingya refugees demand justice, dignity at Cox’s Bazar protest

What the report says

Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh staged a large protest in Cox’s Bazar on Tuesday, calling for justice, dignity and greater international support as they marked nine years since their mass displacement from Myanmar. According to Al Jazeera, the rally was organised by the United Council of Rohingya refugee group and aimed to draw attention to what it described as an ongoing humanitarian crisis.

The demonstration focused on conditions in the overcrowded camps, where more than 1.2 million Rohingya are sheltering in about 30 settlements in the world’s largest refugee camp complex. Aid groups quoted in the report said the situation has worsened because of reduced funding, smaller food rations and cuts to services. Al Jazeera also reported warnings from Oxfam and Save the Children about pressure on essential services and the risk of worsening hunger.

The refugees’ demands reflect the continued uncertainty over return to Myanmar. Bangladeshi authorities say they are already overstretched and have called for the Rohingya to go back safely and with dignity, while diplomatic missions including the EU, the UK and Canada said conditions in Myanmar still do not allow safe repatriation. The article also noted that the 2017 military crackdown in Myanmar remains the subject of a genocide case at the UN’s top court. The protest underscores how the Rohingya crisis remains unresolved, with refugees still relying heavily on international aid and protection.