Interview: The Stateless Rohingya

The growing persecution of the Rohingya minority in Myanmar.

By Vanessa Thevathasan
October 24, 2014

The Rohingya are one of the world’s most persecuted ethnic minorities and are internationally recognized as de jure stateless. As Myanmar struggles to form a democratic state during a period of transition after decades of totalitarian military rule, the Rohingya are receiving renewed attention. Vanessa Thevathasan recently spoke with members of The Stateless Rohingya about the plight of the Rohingya and regional responsibility for their human rights.

Photos of Rohingya Community Ireland Activities

community volunteer work

UNHCR Ireland host Statelessness Exhibition

One of the most extreme cases in the exhibition is the Rohingya of Burma, a persecuted Muslim minority in the west of Burma. “For 40 years, a million people have been denied citizenship from the homeland for their birth and the repercussions that has had on them over the decades has been tragic,” he said. “They don’t have freedom to travel, most of them are not recognised as refugees, they live a hand-to-mouth existence and they really have no control over the course of their futures,” he said. In order to gain trust, the photographer spent hours speaking with people before taking out his camera. “They have every right not to trust me.

They have been failed by pretty much everybody,” he said. When they knew his intention “most people want their stories to be heard,” he said. He hopes the photographs will help to make an invisible situation visible. “It’s my way of living up to my end of the bargain to the people,” he said. Nowhere People is showing at the atrium in the Department of Justice, 51 St Stephen’s Green, Dublin from Monday to Friday from 9am-6.30pm, until July 19th; admission is free. http://www.thestateless.com/2012/07/exhibition-records-human-experiences-of.html