My first trip since relaunching the website will lead me to Bangladesh to document the still unfolding refugee crisis on the border with Myanmar.
For decades the marginalised minority of Rohinga muslims have been suffering under the public animosity of the Burmese Buddhist majority. Many people in Myanmar, including the leaders of the military junta, are not considering the Rohinga “real” Burmese citizens. Matter are worsened by a rebellion led by Rohinga militants against the central government. After an attack of rebels against an army outpost, the military leadership in Burmas capital Yangon has decided to start a punitive expedition into Rohinga territory a few months ago. The damage caused by this operation was even labelled by the United Nations a “genocide”. As the Burmese military has a proven track record of horrible human rights abuses while fighting other insurgencies, they seem to have pushed it to a special horrible degree.
On assignment for the UNHCR, I will travel to the Bangladeshi border where many of the Rohinga’s have found refugee but apparently lead an abysmal existence as there is not enough food, sanitation or shelter as the monsoon rains have come in.
