The Rohingyas.

Genocide.

Massive casualties.

Discrimination.

Prosecution.

If you simply connect all the keywords above together, you will find out that it’s all pointing at one very significant crisis that’s happening right at this moment. Nine thousand Rohingyas were killed in just one month, thousands were left homeless, innocent girls were raped and sexually assaulted. This has been regarded as possibly the most inhumane genocide since the start of the 21st century. But who are the Rohingyas and why have they been prosecuted?

The Rohingya are a stateless Muslim minority in Myanmar's Rakhine State, thought to number about 1 million people. Myanmar regards them as illegal immigrants, a view rooted in their heritage in East Bengal, now called Bangladesh.

Though many Rohingyas have only known life in Myanmar, they are widely viewed as intruders from across the border. According to Human Rights Watch, laws discriminate against the Rohingya, infringing on their freedom of movement, education, and employment.

It is the nationalistic, patriotic, and even superior feeling of their own race and religion that started this crisis.

Civilization has fought against inequality all the time. From the Renaissance Era where the Church reigned supreme across the Globe to the 18th century, where many African Americans were enslaved for their entire lives, and even to women in the early 20th century, who had fought hard for years to gain universal suffrage. We can’t decide other’s identity, but what we can do is treat people equally with respect. 90% of the Myanmarese demographics are Buddhist believers and less than 6% are Muslims, which can suggest something about why the Rohingyas are persecuted. Religion is part of many people in South East Asia’s daily routine

Traditional and dogmatic countries like Myanmar don’t accept the large fluctuation of Muslims to the country. In the last century or so, religion have transformed completely, from a sacred subject that all of us pay reverence to, to a subject that is utilized by leaders for conspiracy and political purposes - without being too biased. I think it’s a good topic to think about--Has religion changed over time? In what ways is religion utilized in both positive and negative ways?

In 1982, when the citizenship passed, 135 ethnic groups were recognized but, unfortunately, Rohingyas weren’t one of them. I think in modern society everyone should have equal rights, and we shouldn’t judge someone by their religion, the color of skin, or race. Instead, we should judge them by their true character and their ability to lead a life of purpose in their given circumstance...