For 13-year-old Mohammed Rias, it was supposed to be just another day of exams—a chance to showcase all he had learned. Instead, he found himself fleeing from home, narrowly escaping the hail of bullets aimed at enforcing forced conscription against his will. Mohammed, a Rohingya living in Buthidaung township, western Myanmar, has experienced firsthand the devastating persecution of his community.
Since the military coup ousting democratically elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021, the Rohingya have faced relentless violence. The military and the rebel forces, fighting for independence, have increasingly targeted the Rohingya, coercing them to serve as foot soldiers. “It started with the military junta dragging out young men from their homes for forcible conscription,” recalls Mohammed, sharing his traumatic story with The Independent. “Everything was calm before, but the recruitment drive flamed the fighting.”
On the day of his escape, which occurred amid rising tensions, Mohammed described how the military began identifying young, tall, and fit men for enlistment, provoking the rebel Arakan Army to retaliate. “The day I left, I was supposed to take my exams. We fled as bullets flew and drones targeted us. Many were swept away by the river, and we had to walk over dead bodies to escape. We are being slaughtered. They [the military and the Arakan Army] hate us,” he said.
Near the four-year anniversary of the coup, the military extended the state of emergency for another six months. This decision has led to nearly 80,000 new arrivals who have sought refuge at the overcrowded camps of Kutupalong, close to Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar. These individuals join over one million fellow Rohingya already displaced, many escaping what the United Nations labeled “textbook ethnic cleansing” back in 2017.
New refugees share similar harrowing accounts of forced recruitment, and the violence they face is not just from the military but also from the rebel groups. Mustafa Kamal, 22, spoke about how his young nephew was taken by the Arakan Army. “They forcibly recruited him—first as a porter, then used him as a human shield during fighting. He survived, but his ordeal did not end; armed men raided our home again, tortured my parents, and abducted him once more,” he recounted.
Mohammed's narrative mirrors countless others. Noor Fatima, another escapee from Maungdaw, shared her horrifying experience: “Five members of the Arakan Army barged in and raped me. They beat my husband when he tried to intervene.” Noor and her family spent three days stranded on the Naf River without food or water, facing the choice of turning back or risking arrest or death by Bangladeshi forces. Her tears flowed as she recalled the trauma before they finally fled.
Survival often meant leaving loved ones behind. Ajju Bahar, 60, recounted the last moments with her sick husband before she fled with her five children. “During the gunfight, my husband was shot. I had to leave him behind.” Her attempt to flee was financially constrained, as the boatman charged exorbitant fees, and she lamented not being able to rescue her two sons.
Tragically, the violence escalated suddenly on Eid-Al-Adha when Ruhul Ameen, 25, was preparing for celebrations. Chaos erupted as the military attacked. “Almost 500 people died from bullets and drone strikes,” he said, recalling the day he lost his home forever. “I could not even identify my cousin, who died alongside us.”
The plight of Rohingya refugees has drawn international concern. UK aid agency Cafod, which partners with local organizations, has highlighted worsening conditions since the coup. Phil Talman, the program coordinator for Cafod, noted, “The situation for the refugees is not improving. Significant aid cuts and declining funding are putting lives at risk. On this anniversary of the coup, renewed international attention is urgently needed.”
Meanwhile, Caritas Bangladesh has been providing support services since 2017, indicating the dire need for continued aid among the nearly 1.7 million refugees currently seeking shelter. Yet, the harsh reality remains for those displaced: crippling shortages of food, water, and healthcare services leave them vulnerable, and their movement is often restricted.
The reality faced by thousands of Rohingya continues to deteriorate as they navigate systemic violence by both the military and rebel forces, coupled with life-threatening conditions as they seek safety. There are calls for increased pressure on Myanmar’s military regime to allow for the voluntary, safe, and dignified return of Rohingyabefore there are more tragedies like those witnessed by individuals like Mohammed and Noor.