The Plight Of The Rohingya

In Myanmar's northwest, ethnic and religious tensions continue to fuel violence against Muslim Rohingyas, a minority group denied citizenship and legal rights by the government. A new report from Human Rights Watch says Burmese security forces are also complicit. Since the recent unrest began in June, about 80,000 have been displaced, and neighbouring Bangladesh is refusing the entry of Rohingya refugees fleeing the violence. Earlier this month Myanmar’s President Thein Sein, who has been lauded for leading recent political reforms, even suggested that the Muslim minority should be moved out of the country. 

In this episode of The Stream, we speak to Wakar Uddin, Chairman of the Burmese Rohingya Association of North America and John Sifton (@johnsifton), Asia advocacy director for Human Rights Watch.