Rally in Canberra against the Myanmar military campaign of violence against the Rohingya people, 25 August 2017.
Seven years after Myanmar military unleashed brutal “clearance operations” against the Rohingya people, survivors in Rakhine State are threatened by another wave of genocide. The Myanmar Campaign Network is calling on the Australian Government to take decisive steps to address this ongoing crisis.
On 25 August 2017, the Myanmar military began its campaign of violence against the Rohingya – a campaign rooted in decades of systemic violence, discrimination, and persecution. These operations were marked by horrific acts of brutality—killings, torture, sexual violence including mass rape, and the destruction of entire villages. The violence in Myanmar’s Rakhine State forced over 730,000 Rohingya to flee their homes, seeking refuge in neighbouring Bangladesh.
Today, nearly one million Rohingya refugees are trapped in overcrowded camps in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. These camps, meant to be a place of safety, have become a breeding ground for further violence. Armed gangs operate with impunity, and refugees, already traumatised by their past, are exposed to killings, extortion, sexual assault, forced marriage, forced recruitment by ethnic armies, and human trafficking. Many Rohingya, desperate to escape these conditions, risk their lives fleeing by boat, only to face further peril at sea.
Within Myanmar, the situation remains dire. Over 630,000 Rohingya are stateless, living under a system of apartheid that denies them their basic rights. Despite having no citizenship rights Rohingya have been coerced or forcibly conscripted to fight for the Myanmar military. The ongoing conflict between the Myanmar military and the Arakan Army (AA) has displaced thousands more.
Since November 2023, the AA has expanded its territory in Rakhine State, leading to the Myanmar military indiscriminately attacking civilians. The Myanmar military’s brutal tactics are now compounded by the AA’s shelling, looting, and arson in Buthidaung. In one horrifying incident, drone and artillery attacks from an AA position resulted in the massacre of over 200 Rohingya on the banks of the Naf River in Maungdaw.
Rally in Melbourne to support the Rohingya people, August 2017.
We need action now
The Rohingya deserve our solidarity not just in words but in action. Australia has a moral and legal obligation to act decisively against the ongoing genocide and crimes against humanity in Myanmar.
Australia needs to expand sanctions on the Myanmar junta’s business interests, state-owned enterprises (SOEs), and the Central Bank of Myanmar. By cutting off the flow of foreign revenue, we can disrupt the military’s ability to purchase the weapons and fuel it uses to carry out its atrocities.
It’s vital that Australian businesses ensure they are not complicit in human rights abuses in Myanmar. Ten Australian-linked businesses are still operating in Myanmar’s mining industry.
We urge the Australian Government to investigate and prosecute the crimes of the Myanmar junta under the principle of Universal Jurisdiction.
We call on the Australian Government to increase humanitarian aid to the Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh and those displaced within Myanmar.
We also call for the establishment of a targeted refugee resettlement program for Rohingya, prioritising the most vulnerable—women, children, and those at immediate risk. Australia can and should offer a safe haven to those fleeing genocide.
Finally, Australia must enhance diplomatic pressure on ASEAN to adopt a stronger stance on Myanmar. Regional cooperation is essential in protecting the rights of the Rohingya and ensuring that justice is served.
See below photos from the rallies held in Melbourne, Canberra and Sydney in August 2017:
