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December 28, 2020
Muslim Advocacy Group Condemns Relocation of Rohingya Muslims to Remote Island
Washington, D.C.- Emgage Action, a Muslim advocacy group, condemns the Bangladeshi government’s movement of Rohingya Muslims to Bhashan Char. This is a remote island in the Bay of Bengal that is notoriously prone to flooding. Over 1,600 Rohingya were taken to the island earlier this month, and just below 1,000 are currently being relocated.
While the Bangladeshi government has claimed that the relocation is voluntary, several Rohingya have claimed they were physically abused and intimidated to move. In 2017, over 700,000 Rohinya took refuge in camps located in Bangladesh after being victims of violence by the Mynamar government. The United Nations has stated that this violence could be classified as a genocide.
Various legislation has been introduced to hold military personnel accountable for violence against Rohingya, acknowledge this violence as genocide, and promote voluntary and safe repatriation of the Rohingya back to the Rakhine state. Emgage Action supports the Burma Unified through Rigorous Military Accountability Act of 2019, Burma Human Rights and Freedom Act of 2019, and the Rohingya Genocide Determination Act of 2020.
“The plight of the Rohingya Muslims is inexcusably devastating. We urge policymakers to support the necessary legislation to recognize this genocide and promote voluntary and safe repatriation of the Rohingya back to the Rakhine state. Furthermore, we call for the United States government to engage with Bangladeshi officials to ensure that they are upholding international humanitarian law when it comes to the Rohingya refugees.” -Wa’el Alzayat, CEO of Emgage Action
Emgage Action is a Muslim civic advocacy organization, with national headquarters in Washington, D.C., and state chapters in Michigan, Texas, Florida, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and New York.
