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Fleeing Myanmar

Published November 28, 2014
A Rohingya fisherman throws a fishing net into the river near the border fence separating Bangladesh and Myanmar in Maungdaw town in northern Rakhine State, November 9, 2014. - Reuters
A Rohingya fisherman throws a fishing net into the river near the border fence separating Bangladesh and Myanmar in Maungdaw town in northern Rakhine State, November 9, 2014. - Reuters
Hla Tun Oo, 30, an ethnic Rakhine, is pictured in the Maw Ya Waddy village near Maungdaw town in northern Rakhine State, November 10, 2014. Hla Tun Oo has just returned to Maw Ya Waddy after seven years working at a factory in Malaysia. In June 2012, while he was gone, the Rakhine village was burned to the ground by a Rohingya mob. - Reuters
Hla Tun Oo, 30, an ethnic Rakhine, is pictured in the Maw Ya Waddy village near Maungdaw town in northern Rakhine State, November 10, 2014. Hla Tun Oo has just returned to Maw Ya Waddy after seven years working at a factory in Malaysia. In June 2012, while he was gone, the Rakhine village was burned to the ground by a Rohingya mob. - Reuters
18-year-old Kyaw Min Zin (R) and his friend Chit Naing, both Rakhine Buddhists, surf the internet using a Bangladeshi network at a spot where the phone signal from neighbouring Bangladesh is believed to be received better, in Maungdaw town in northern Rakhine State, November 9, 2014. - Reuters
18-year-old Kyaw Min Zin (R) and his friend Chit Naing, both Rakhine Buddhists, surf the internet using a Bangladeshi network at a spot where the phone signal from neighbouring Bangladesh is believed to be received better, in Maungdaw town in northern Rakhine State, November 9, 2014. - Reuters
People walk between stalls at a market in Maungdaw town in northern Rakhine State, November 11, 2014. The market is one of the few places where the Rohingya Muslim and Rakhine Buddhist communities meet. - Reuters
People walk between stalls at a market in Maungdaw town in northern Rakhine State, November 11, 2014. The market is one of the few places where the Rohingya Muslim and Rakhine Buddhist communities meet. - Reuters
People walk between stalls at a market in Maungdaw town in northern Rakhine State, November 11, 2014. The market is one of the few places where the Rohingya Muslim and Rakhine Buddhist communities meet. - Reuters
People walk between stalls at a market in Maungdaw town in northern Rakhine State, November 11, 2014. The market is one of the few places where the Rohingya Muslim and Rakhine Buddhist communities meet. - Reuters
People walk past an old building in Maungdaw town in northern Rakhine State, November 11, 2014. - Reuters
People walk past an old building in Maungdaw town in northern Rakhine State, November 11, 2014. - Reuters

For years, tens of thousands of Rohingya Muslim boat people have fled Maungdaw town, a remote corner of western Myanmar, for nearby countries. Ethnic Rakhine Buddhists, bitter rivals of the Rohingya, are also leaving Rakhine State to seek jobs in Malaysia and Thailand. The exodus reflects a wider economic malaise. Myanmar's quasi-civilian government has launched many reforms since taking power in 2011, but hasn't created enough jobs.

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Comments (11) Closed
Dinesh
Nov 29, 2014 07:37pm
Thanks to the anti-national congress party, some of these people have managed to get into India. There are rohingya settlements in Hyderabad.
Recommend 0
arshad
Nov 29, 2014 10:37pm
Take them to Pakistan.
Recommend 0
Nazrul Isalam
Nov 30, 2014 05:33am
Its so pathetic that Hasina is not helping them!
Recommend 0
Ash
Nov 30, 2014 11:01am
Impressive pictures. Why ethnic divide? Why can't they live together?
Recommend 0
Tamilselvan
Nov 30, 2014 10:44pm
This is similar to the ethnic divide being done by ISIS in Syria and Iraq but it's done by various muslim sects. Heart goes out to the displaced people whoever and wherever they are
Recommend 0
Mukhtar Naqvi
Dec 01, 2014 09:58am
@Dinesh Not some of them but most of them. India is the only country which provides refugee status to these Rohingiyas. So when they are forced out them end up in India.
Recommend 0
rehan
Dec 01, 2014 11:15am
More than 1.1 Million Muslims have been displaced so far due to extremist Buddhists . But of course, since the extremists are non Muslims , so the problem is a "wider economic issue" . That's how Media conditions minds .
Recommend 0
SALAHUDDIN
Dec 02, 2014 05:45am
The hypocritical biased Western media will never report how Myanmar has so heinously treated indigenous Muslims. This is a country which flaunts its Buddhism as being a religion of peace. Yet when the tables are turned Hindus and Buddhists malign Muslims as being soft on terrorism. This is state sponsored terrorism against Muslims who never deserved such harsh and inhumane treatment by their own government. Malaysia being a Muslim country should accept these Muslim refugees, educate them, provide them with jobs and resettlement assistance.
Recommend 0
umar hassan
Dec 02, 2014 02:28pm
Touching.......but is there any place for them? a peaceful one? Humanity is vanishing from hearts and selfishness is climbing at an alarming rate. A point to ponder for muslim organizations and groups!!!!!
Recommend 0
umar hassan
Dec 02, 2014 02:46pm
touching.....
Recommend 0
Tanveer
Dec 03, 2014 06:17am
Why don't we take them in???Good only in thumping our chest!!!
Recommend 0

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