The Rohingya are a Muslim ethnic and religious minority living mainly in Arakan State in Myanmar. Their origins include Mongol, Indian, Arab, Persian and other ethnic groups. They speak an unwritten spoken language and face ethnic and religious discrimination and persecution by the authorities in Myanmar and the Buddhist majority, making them the world’s most persecuted minority.
Arakan State, now known as Rakhine State, lies in western Myanmar, formerly Burma.
Arakan, western Myanmar
The Rohingya embraced Islam in the second century of the Hijri calendar, during the reign of the Abbasid caliph Harun al-Rashid.
King Bodawpaya invaded Arakan and annexed it to Burma, beginning a period of repression and displacement.
In 1942, the authorities and Buddhist extremists carried out a major massacre of the Rohingya.
The 1962 coup was followed by increasingly repressive policies against the Rohingya.
In 1982, the authorities in Myanmar enacted a law stripping the Rohingya of their right to citizenship.
A new campaign of forced displacement drove large numbers of Rohingya to seek refuge in Bangladesh.
In 2012, Myanmar forces carried out a major massacre of the Rohingya, bringing their plight back to Arab, Muslim and international attention.
In 2015, what became known as the boat crisis emerged when thousands of fleeing Rohingya were stranded at sea after Bangladesh, Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand refused to receive them. Hundreds of refugees died at sea from hunger, thirst and drowning.
In 2017, the Myanmar authorities, assisted by Buddhist extremists, launched a large-scale military campaign.
The campaign killed thousands and displaced around a million people towards Bangladesh and other neighbouring countries.
With support from the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, The Gambia brought a case accusing Myanmar of genocide against the Rohingya.
In 2024, regular government forces clashed with Buddhist rebel factions seeking autonomy for Arakan State.
