FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The Administrative Office of the Rohingya Centre of the United Kingdom (RCUK) expresses grave alarm at the worsening humanitarian catastrophe facing the Rohingya people in Arakan (Rakhine State), Myanmar.
Since November 2023, over 113,000 Rohingyas — rightful sons and daughters of Arakan — have been forced to flee their homes. This figure has been officially verified by the Government of Bangladesh and United Nations agencies through biometric registration.
The cause of this mass displacement is clear: a renewed campaign of violence and ethnic cleansing, now being driven not only by the Burmese military, but also by the Arakan Army (AA) — a terrorist rebel group seeking to dominate Arakan by violently removing the indigenous Rohingya population.
Today, the Rohingya community is trapped between two forces of oppression, both bent on erasing the Rohingya identity, history, and rightful claim to Arakan.
First-hand testimonies reveal horrifying crimes: mass killings, torture, forced recruitment of youths, looting, and the systematic destruction of Rohingya villages. The scale of these atrocities is unimaginable and the suffering is real — yet the world’s silence persists.
RCUK stands firm in stating:
- The Rohingya are the rightful and indigenous people of Arakan. No armed group, no false narrative can change this truth.
- Both the Burmese Military and the Arakan Army must be recognised as perpetrators of crimes against humanity against the Rohingya people.
- The international community must urgently defend and empower Rohingya voices and leadership.
RCUK calls on the United Kingdom and the wider international community to take decisive action:
- Adopt a comprehensive Rohingya Protection Strategy, focusing on immediate civilian protection and long-term rights;
- Establish an internationally supervised Safe Zone within Arakan, ensuring security for all Rohingya civilians who remain under threat;
- Support new Rohingya leadership — leaders drawn from the community itself, committed to justice, equality, and peaceful coexistence;
- Convene an urgent roundtable with full and equal Rohingya participation, focused on protection, political solutions, and safe, voluntary repatriation.
We warmly acknowledge the United Kingdom’s historic support for Rohingya refugees, particularly those in Bangladesh and Myanmar. However, today, funding alone is no longer enough. The Rohingya people deserve not only survival — but protection, justice, and a future in their homeland.
The Administrative Office of the Rohingya Centre of the United Kingdom (RCUK) stands ready to work with all partners committed to these principles.
Arakan belongs to the Rohingya people. No military, no rebel group, no oppression can erase Rohingya’s rightful place in their homeland. We will stand, we will rebuild, and we will return.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Media Relations Team
Rohingya Centre of the United Kingdom (RCUK)
Email: info@rcuk.org.uk
Phone: +44 7944 478966 (WhatsApp Only)
Website: www.rcuk.org.uk