Why Rohingya refugees are protesting in Cox’s Bazar, 9 years after genocide

What the report says

Hundreds of Rohingya refugees protested in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, on Monday, marking nine years since the 2017 campaign of violence in Myanmar that drove a mass exodus across the border. The demonstrators called for justice, protection and the right to return home with safety and full rights. Al Jazeera reported that more than one million Rohingya remain in Bangladesh, most of them in crowded camps in the coastal district, where living conditions are worsening as international funding declines.

The article says the Rohingya crisis has been widely described by UN officials and others as genocide, and that the group remains stateless after Myanmar denied them citizenship under a 1982 law. It also notes that many refugees who fled in 2017 reported killings, rape, arson and torture during the military crackdown, which is now the subject of a genocide case at the International Court of Justice.

The piece places the protest within a wider regional crisis. Bangladesh is facing aid shortfalls and has increasingly pressed for outside support, while Rohingya communities in other countries have also faced pressure, including reports of evictions in Malaysia and deportations from India. Al Jazeera says aid cuts have reduced food assistance and other services in the camps, adding to insecurity and desperation.

The report also highlights a joint statement from 16 diplomatic missions in Dhaka, along with a call from UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, urging renewed attention to the Rohingya’s right of return and the need for durable solutions.