At least 500,000 Rohingya have fled to neighboring Bangladesh since August of this year. Officially, Burma's government does not recognize the Rohingya as lawful citizens. The government claims they were brought to Rakhine from Bangladesh during the time when Burma was a British colony, and the government says they are living in Myanmar illegally.
But there are other factors too, the lie behind the brutal genocide of the Rohingya – economic considerations access to natural resources, as well as the broader global context of warfare and anti-Muslim sentiment.
To discuss Rohingya refugee crisis and genocide, I speak with two media makers and activists in Asia, in the receiving countries for Rohingya refugees. Both of these activists have spent time in the Rohingya refugee camps and are active in the struggle against the violence, oppression and genocide of the Rohingya.
This week's show features Parsa Sanjana Sajid who is a writer, editor, and researcher in Bangladesh. She teaches at the Independent University, Bangladesh and edits Fragments Magazine. Also, Mahi Ramakrishnan who is a documentary and film maker in Malaysia, who has been covering the Rohingya crisis for many years, and has made three documentaries about the issue.
Jiselle Hanna