Lilianne Fan @LilianneFan - International Director, Geutanyoe Foundation (via video link)
Dirk Hebecker @Dirk_Japan - Senior Coordinator for Bangladesh Refugee Emergency, UNHCR (via video link)
Ro Nay San Lwin @nslwin - Rohingya activist (via video link)
Dennis McNamara - Senior Humanitarian Adviser, Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue
In recent weeks, around 400,000 Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh in response to a fresh wave of violence that marks a major escalation in the long-standing crisis. The number is expected to increase amid mass Rohingya exodus. While the UN recently acknowledged that a ‘textbook example of ethnic cleansing’ is taking place in Myanmar, this label in itself will not be a game-changer unless it prompts action from Myanmar and the international community.
Described as the world’s most persecuted, many Rohingya people are stateless, living in squalid conditions, largely without humanitarian assistance and with limited access to healthcare, food, or education. Decades of persecution have forced hundreds of thousands of Rohingya people to seek asylum in Bangladesh, India, Thailand and Malaysia. But these neighbouring countries, as well as the wider humanitarian community, have continued to turn a blind eye to the status and treatment of Rohingya people.
What are the root causes of the problem? What needs to happen to solve the immediate and long-term crisis? Join us for an eyewitness assessment of the situation in Myanmar and Bangladesh as we discuss where responsibilities lie for assisting and protecting those fleeing the violence, as well as what needs to happen to change the pattern of neglect.