By Tuncay Şahin
The Rohingya refugee crisis is a complex and protracted humanitarian crisis that stems from decades of discrimination and violence against the Muslim Rohingya community in Myanmar.
The situation is characterised by frequent waves of displacement, failed repatriations and ongoing human rights concerns.
The 2017 exodus was a watershed moment, resulting in a massive influx of refugees into neighbouring Bangladesh and drawing global attention to the crisis.
These Rohingya, over 1.3 million according to the Bangladesh government data, are living in a precarious situation, with an uncertain future and limited prospects for a safe and dignified return to Myanmar.
Desperate to flee persecution, many Rohingya risked their lives on perilous journeys to Malaysia, Indonesia, India and Thailand. Tragically, their future remains uncertain and challenging.
Major timeline of Rohingya refugee crisis
1977 — Myanmar, then known as Burma, launches Operation Dragon King (Naga Min) in Rakhine state. The Rohingya ethnic minority is declared "illegal" and stripped of their citizenship, setting off a cycle of forced displacement.
1977-78 — During Operation Dragon King, mass arrests, persecution, and severe violence force approximately 200,000 Rohingya to flee to Bangladesh. In response, Bangladesh establishes refugee camps, but conditions within these camps are deplorable.
1979 — Most Rohingya refugees repatriate to Burma. Of those who remain in Bangladesh, around 10,000 people, predominantly children, die due to a reduction in food rations.
1989 — Burma is renamed Myanmar following a military crackdown that suppresses a popular uprising.
The State Law and Order Restoration Council increases its military presence in northern Rakhine state, prompting reports of forced labour, relocation, rape, summary executions and torture among Rohingya. Around 250,000 Rohingya flee to Bangladesh.
1992 — In the spring, Bangladesh closes its camps to new arrivals, and repatriation of Rohingya refugees to Myanmar begins in the fall, despite international protests. In the subsequent years, hundreds of thousands of Rohingya are returned to Myanmar, while new refugees seeking to enter Bangladesh are turned away.
2003 — Of the 20 camps established in Bangladesh during the early 1990s, only two remain operational: Nayapara camp near Teknaf and Kutupalong camp near Ukhia. Living conditions are still harsh, with a study revealing that 58 percent of children and 53 percent of adults are chronically malnourished.
2017 — A shadowy Rohingya militant group known as the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) attacks police posts in Rakhine state, resulting in the deaths of at least a dozen officers. In response, the Myanmar military claims to have killed 400 armed fighters, though critics argue that most of those killed are civilians.
The violence triggers the largest mass displacement in the crisis to date, with Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) documenting over 6,700 violent deaths among Rohingya. Many global leaders accuse Myanmar of ethnic cleansing.
Bangladesh and Myanmar agree to begin repatriating refugees, but the UN High Commissioner for Refugees reports that conditions are not yet suitable for their safe return, causing the process to be halted.
UN human rights chief Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein warns of potential "elements of genocide" and calls for an international investigation.
2018 — Thousands of Rohingya refugees hold protests to mark the first anniversary of their exodus. UN investigators call for the prosecution of Myanmar's army chief and five other high-ranking military commanders for genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes. An attempt to repatriate 2,260 Rohingya refugees fails as they refuse to return without assurances of safety.
2019 — The US imposes sanctions on Myanmar's army chief and three other high-ranking officers. Although around 3,500 Rohingya refugees are approved for return, no one shows up to make the journey on August 22.
Gambia files a lawsuit at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) accusing Myanmar of genocide. The International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague authorises a full investigation into the persecution of the Rohingya. Additionally, rights groups file a third case in Argentina un der the principle of universal jurisdiction.
Aung San Suu Kyi represents Myanmar at the ICJ, denying allegations of genocide but acknowledging that the army may have used excessive force.
2020 — The ICJ orders Myanmar to take urgent measures to prevent further alleged genocide and requires the country to report back within four months.
2021 — The Myanmar military seizes power, placing Aung San Suu Kyi under house arrest and subsequently sentencing her to 17 years in prison.
2022 — The US officially designates the 2017 violence against the Rohingya as genocide, citing clear evidence of an attempt to "destroy" the Rohingya population. The ICJ rules that Gambia's case can move forward.
2023 — As clashes between the Arakan Army and the Myanmar military escalate, thousands of Rohingya flee Myanmar in a desperate attempt to escape. Nearly 2,000 Rohingya arrive in Indonesia, triggering a new refugee crisis there.
2024 — With the fall of Sheikh Hasina's government in Bangladesh and the unprotected borders following the flight of the Bangladesh Border Guard (BGB) due to fears of retribution, over 2,000 new Rohingya refugees cross into Bangladesh. Simultaneously, more than 200 refugees are killed in a reported drone attack and bombing while attempting to cross the Naf River.
Sunday marks the seventh anniversary of the Rohingya exodus, a day which the refugees in the camps of southern Bangladesh observe as "Rohingya Genocide Day".
The overcrowded refugee camps in Cox's Bazar, already strained to their limits, struggled to cope with the influx of new arrivals.
Makeshift shelters sprang up, adding to the already sprawling settlements. Aid organisations worked tirelessly to provide food, water, and medical assistance, but the scale of the crisis threatened to overwhelm their capabilities.
The international community responded with a mixture of condemnation and calls for action. However, the military junta in Myanmar remained defiant, denying any wrongdoing and obstructing humanitarian access to Rakhine state.
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