Nine years after the genocide: STP calls for justice and humanitarian aid for the Rohingya

Nine years after the start of the most severe wave of violence against the Rohingya in Myanmar, the Society for Threatened Peoples (STP) commemorates the victims of the genocide and calls for humanitarian aid for the displaced. On August 25, 2017, the Tatmadaw, the Myanmar military, began carrying out systematic massacres, mass rapes, and the destruction of hundreds of villages in Rakhine State. Tens of thousands of people were killed, and more than 700,000 fled to Bangladesh. For years, the STP and other human rights organizations have been speaking of a genocide against the Rohingya. A ruling on this matter by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in the case “The Gambia v. Myanmar” is expected in the coming months.

“The systematic persecution of the Rohingya began long before 2017 and continues to this day. August 25, 2017, marked an escalation of violence, not the beginning of the persecution. Discriminatory laws, statelessness, deprivation of rights, and recurring violence have forced the Rohingya to flee for decades,” emphasizes Mirjam Kobold, Advisor for Asia at STP. “The Rohingya were rendered stateless by law in their homeland of Myanmar in 1982 and have been systematically persecuted ever since. Nine years after the genocide, there is still no accountability or prospect of return for the displaced.”

The plight of the Rohingya is more dire today than it has been in a long time. Approximately 1.2 million people are living in cramped conditions in camps in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, and are suffering from the effects of drastic cuts in international humanitarian aid. More than one-third of the annual humanitarian needs for 2026 remain unmet. The STP calls on the German government to use this anniversary as an opportunity to significantly increase its humanitarian aid for the Rohingya.

In Myanmar’s Rakhine State, the situation is catastrophic: Since November 2023, the military junta has been blocking humanitarian aid deliveries to large parts of the state. The Arakan Army, which has controlled large parts of Rakhine since 2024, is itself committing serious human rights violations against the Rohingya community. A safe, voluntary, dignified, and sustainable return is not possible under these conditions. As long as the Rohingya remain stateless and their safety is not guaranteed, any talk of repatriation is unreasonable.

“Until the Rohingya are recognized as citizens of Myanmar and the serious human rights violations in Rakhine State cease, Rohingya must not be sent back there. The German government must exert political pressure on all parties to the conflict in Myanmar and clearly advocate for the restoration of the Rohingya’s citizenship,” Kobold demands.

Invitation to a Commemoration and Information Event in Berlin

On August 25, 2026, at 11 a.m., the STP, together with the Asienhaus Foundation and representatives of the Rohingya community in Germany, will host a commemoration and discussion event in Berlin: “Nine Years On: Memory, Justice, and the Future of the Rohingya.” The event will bring together voices from the Rohingya community, civil society organizations, and political guests. Registration is requested. For more information, see the STP event calendar.

This press release was translated from German to English using AI. If you come across errors or ambiguities, please contact us at 65]G378o6DD6CA.