Justice has been a scarce and long-denied value for the Rohingya. For generations, Rohingya communities have experienced violence, displacement, discrimination, denial of identity and citizenship, and repeated campaigns that have forced large numbers of people from their ancestral homeland in Arakan.
For the ဥရောပ ရိုဟင်ဂျာ ကောင်စီ (ERC), justice is therefore not an abstract principle. It is fundamental to ending this long cycle of persecution and creating a future in which Rohingya people can live in their homeland with security, equality, rights and dignity.
The historical roots of injustice
A major turning point came during the communal violence of 1942 in Arakan. Rohingya historical accounts describe widespread massacres, destruction and forced displacement of Muslim communities during this period, involving Rakhine communal forces amid the wider political and military upheaval of the Second World War.
The violence dramatically altered the demographic landscape of Arakan. Muslim communities were largely pushed toward northern Arakan, particularly Maungdaw and Buthidaung, while many Muslim communities disappeared or were displaced from areas farther south and central Arakan, including areas around Minbya, Myebon, Pauktaw and Kyaukphyu.
ERC regards the violence and displacement of 1942 as an essential part of understanding the historical roots of the continuing Rohingya crisis.
A brief period of recognition
Despite this history, there were periods after Burma's independence when Rohingya participated openly in the political and public life of the country.
Rohingya served as parliamentarians and participated in government institutions. Rohingya language broadcasting was carried by Burma Broadcasting Service, and the government established the Mayu Frontier District in 1961, covering Maungdaw, Buthidaung and part of Rathedaung.
These developments demonstrated that the exclusion of Rohingya from Myanmar's national life was not inevitable.
This period was brought to an end following General Ne Win's military coup in 1962. Over subsequent decades, military governments progressively dismantled Rohingya political recognition and imposed increasingly severe restrictions.
Decades of persecution and displacement
Successive Burmese military regimes carried out operations and adopted policies that caused repeated mass displacement of Rohingya into Bangladesh and other neighbouring countries.
Restrictions were progressively imposed on citizenship, movement, marriage, education, livelihoods and access to public services. Rohingya were increasingly excluded from the political and administrative systems in which they had previously participated.
Each new wave of persecution compounded the injustice of the previous one.
The atrocities of 2017
The persecution reached one of its most devastating stages in 2017.
Myanmar security forces carried out a massive campaign in northern Arakan involving killings, sexual violence, destruction of villages and widespread arson. Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya were driven across the border into Bangladesh.
Entire communities were destroyed. Villages were burned, civilians were killed, and survivors described people being trapped or burned inside their homes.
The 2017 campaign occurred while the civilian government led by State Counsellor and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi was in office. Myanmar subsequently faced proceedings before the International Court of Justice concerning alleged violations of the Genocide Convention.
For ERC, the events of 2017 cannot be viewed in isolation. They represent an extreme stage in a much longer history of systematic exclusion, displacement and persecution.
A new threat under the Arakan Army
The suffering of the Rohingya did not end with the atrocities committed by the Myanmar military.
As the Arakan Army (AA) expanded its territorial control in Arakan, Rohingya civilians again became victims of serious abuses.
International human rights organisations have documented allegations and evidence of killings, destruction of Rohingya homes and villages, arbitrary detention, forced labour, recruitment, looting and other abuses by the Arakan Army.
The destruction and displacement surrounding Buthidaung in 2024 marked another catastrophic chapter. Tens of thousands of Rohingya were displaced as Rohingya neighbourhoods and villages were burned and destroyed.
Further investigations have documented extremely serious crimes. Human Rights Watch reported in 2026 that its investigation found that Arakan Army forces may have killed at least 170 Rohingya men, women and children at Hoyyar Siri in Buthidaung Township on 2 May 2024. The organisation concluded that documented violations included deliberate attacks on civilians, murder, unlawful detention, torture, arson, destruction of civilian property and looting.
The Arakan Army has denied allegations that it deliberately attacks Rohingya civilians.
ERC believes that every credible allegation of grave crimes against Rohingya civilians must be independently investigated and that no armed organisation, government or political authority should be beyond accountability.
Forced displacement continues
Rohingya remaining in Arakan continue to face insecurity, displacement and severe restrictions. Many have attempted dangerous journeys by river and sea in search of safety.
For families who have already endured generations of displacement, these journeys represent another chapter in a continuing tragedy. Men, women and children risk drowning, exploitation, trafficking and death because they see little prospect of security where they live.
A situation that continually forces people to choose between persecution at home and potentially deadly journeys abroad cannot be accepted as normal.
Justice must include Rohingya participation
Justice cannot simply be delivered to the Rohingya by others.
Rohingya survivors, communities, civil society organisations and representatives must have meaningful participation in international accountability processes and in decisions concerning their homeland and future.
Their testimony must be heard. Their historical experience must be recognised. Their rights and identity must not be negotiated away without their participation.
Justice also requires addressing the structures that have allowed persecution to continue across generations. This includes citizenship, equality before the law, freedom of movement, security, education, property rights, political participation and protection against renewed displacement.
Accountability without exception
ERC's position is straightforward: accountability must apply regardless of who commits the crime.
Crimes committed by the Myanmar military must be investigated.
Crimes committed by the Arakan Army must be investigated.
Crimes committed by any other armed group or actor against civilians must be investigated.
The identity, ethnicity, political objectives or military strength of an alleged perpetrator cannot determine whether Rohingya victims deserve justice.
No lasting peace can be built upon impunity.
Justice cannot wait indefinitely
For more than eight decades, Rohingya families have experienced repeated cycles of violence, displacement and exclusion. Each generation has inherited unresolved injustices from the generation before it.
This cannot continue indefinitely.
The international community must move beyond expressions of concern toward meaningful protection, accountability and durable political solutions.
ERC works together with Rohingya organisations, international partners, human rights defenders, governments and institutions to advance accountability and to ensure that Rohingya voices remain at the centre of the pursuit of justice.
ရိုဟင်ဂျာများအတွက် တရားမျှတမှု has already been delayed for far too long. It must be delivered sooner rather than later.