Perhaps one of the least talked about persecuted people are the Rohingya Muslims, a minority Muslim group that resides in Myanmar and Bangladesh. The government of Myanmar has been refusing to recognize this group as citizens of the country, causing many of them to flee to Bangladesh or other Southeast Asian countries such as Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, and the Philippines. However, Bangladesh also refuses to fully accept these people, simply referring to them as “Muslim nationals of Myanmar.”
Currently, Bangladesh is set on sending the refugees back to Myanmar. In 2015, the country’s government came up with a plan that involved relocating the 69,000 refugees to the island of Thengar Char, which would have been completely unethical considering the fact that it floods come high tide. While this plan was rejected, as it should have been, it has since been brought back. The Bangladeshis are intent on getting rid of these people, saying that until Myanmar takes them back, they will provide temporary shelter and provisions for the Rohingyas on Thengar Char. While Myanmar has agreed to take them back into the country, they will not do so without conditions; only those that entered Bangladesh after October 9 are allowed to re-enter Myanmar.
The prejudice that this group of people is forced to face on a consistent basis is absolutely insane. Something equally alarming is the simple lack of media attention the western world gives to this issue. There is over a million Rohingya Muslims in the world, and they are not recognized anywhere. The journey into southeast Asian countries is incredibly dangerous as well and many are picked up to be trafficked if not killed. While attention from other groups such as the Syrian or Palestinian refugees should not be detracted, it is just as important to devote at least some time and resources to this advocate for this oppressed group of people.