Rohingya Refugees: A Decades-Long Crisis in Southeast Asia

Sunday, September 4, 2016

Rohingya Refugees: A Decades-Long Crisis in Southeast Asia

Rohingya Refugees: A Decades-Long Crisis in Southeast Asia September 20

Refugees and migrants fleeing Myanmar by sea died at a rate three times higher than those in the Mediterranean last year, according to the UN’s refugee agency. Most were Rohingya Muslims, an ethnic and religious minority from Myanmar, one of the world’s most ethnically diverse countries. Fortify Rights has been at the forefront of documenting human rights violations against Rohingya in Myanmar, Thailand, and Malaysia. Co-founders Matthew Smith and Amy Smith—who are based in Bangkok, Thailand, but have a home in mid-coast Maine—will speak on “Rohingya Refugees: A Decades-Long Crisis in Southeast Asia,” and about their frontline human rights work on Tuesday, September 20, at 7:00 pm at the Camden Public Library. The presentation is part of the Camden Conference Community Events series. The topic for this year’s Conference is “Refugees and Global Migration: Humanity’s Crisis.”

The Smiths will talk about what can be done to prevent the ongoing atrocities against Rohingya—abuses that have been described as “ethnic cleansing,” crimes against humanity, and genocide. For decades, hundreds of thousands of Rohingya have fled by sea, forced from their homes by deadly coordinated attacks, killings, forced labor, torture, and other abuses by Myanmar authorities and extremist Buddhist nationalists. Since 2012 in particular, human trafficking gangs have preyed on Rohingya fleeing Myanmar.

Last year, following a crackdown on human trafficking networks in Southeast Asia, traffickers abandoned boatloads of thousands of Rohingya in the Andaman Sea, leaving them to face certain death at sea. Rather than initiate search and rescue efforts, neighboring countries reinforced their borders and callously towed stranded boats farther out to sea. As the rainy season in Southeast Asia comes to a close, Rohingya will again take to the seas with hopes of ultimately reaching Malaysia.

Fortify Rights is a Not-For-Profit NGO based in Bangkok that investigates and documents human rights violations, providing objective, credible information to the general public, policymakers, and other stakeholders to prevent and remedy human rights violations. Fortify Rights is based in Southeast Asia and registered in Switzerland and the United States. The Smiths are experts, and excellent and moving speakers who deliver fascinating talks on issues happening right now. They also have a strong connection to Midcoast Maine. Although originally from upstate New York, and now based in Bangkok, they fell in love with Maine on visits, and last year bought a house in the Belfast area. They see Maine as their US home now, and as a result they will be traveling back and forth to Maine over the coming years.

Fortify Rights strives to apply new technologies to the human rights movement. They compile multimedia reports, release video features, and work with practitioners and the general public to develop innovative ways to communicate and advocate. Fortify Rights aims to strengthen the ongoing dialogue of the human rights movement through active presence on cutting-edge platforms.

The presentation is hosted by the Camden Public Library and offered as a free community event in anticipation of the 30th Annual Camden Conference on Refugees and Global Migration: Humanity’s Crisis, February 17-19, 2017. The 30th Anniversary Camden Conference Community Events Series is supported in part by the Maine Humanities Council. The mission of the Camden Conference is to foster informed discourse on world issues. For more information, visit www.camdenconference.org, email info@camdenconference.org, or call 207-236-1034.