Photography has always been a beacon of hope in shedding light on the wrongdoings in the world. Visual narratives have been instrumental in bringing change, especially if they are documented by those belonging to marginalized or discriminated communities. A prime example of this is the works of four Rohingya photographers—Abdullah Habib, Sahat Zia Hero, Shahida Win, and Mohammed Salim Khan—who won the Nansen Refugee Award. Organized by the United Nations, the accolade distinguishes individuals who work to protect refugees, displaced people, and stateless people. In this article, we are here to remind our readers of the plight of the community and how photography is one of the ways to amplify the unheard Rohingya voices.
The lead image is a screenshot of the Rohingya photographer Sahat Zia Hero’s Instagram page.
Who Are The Rohingya?
Known as one of the most discriminated people in the world, the Rohingya Muslims are an ethnic group in a Buddhist-dominant Myanmar. Descendants of Arab traders who visited the country, the Rohingya make up the largest number of Muslim population in Myanmar, with many residing in the Rakhine state. For generations, they have been oppressed for their distinct language and culture. According to Human Rights Watch, the Rohingya were denied citizenship in 1982 under the country’s law, which rendered them stateless. BBC notes that in 2014, they were even excluded from Myanmar’s census, as the government considered them as immigrants from Bangladesh. Such atrocities and lack of human rights further endanger their lives and livelihoods, especially since the community has nowhere to turn to.
While the Rohingya have been immigrating to nations such as Malaysia, Bangladesh, Thailand, and India since the 1970s, one of the biggest exodus began in 2017. The Myanmar military began to massacre, rape, and torch the houses of close to one million Rohingya in northern Rakhine. As a result of the merciless persecution, about 730,000 Rohingya fled to Bangladesh, while 600,000 remained under the ruthless regime. Those who fled, battling the treacherous water of the Bay of Bengal, joined over 300,000 individuals who were living in the crowded Cox’s Bazar. The number, since the mass displacement, stands close to 1.1 million Rohingya Muslims in Bangladesh. The community heavily relies on humanitarian aid, including those who live in Myanmar, since the military usurped the government in 2021.
Four Photographers And Their Quest to Remind The World
In 2023, the four Rohingya photographers who have been living in Kutupalong and Cox’s Bazar won the UNHCR Nansen Refugee Award for Asia and the Pacific region. The individuals—who live in some of the most popular settlements in Bangladesh—use photography as a means to remind the world of their community’s dire plight. “Our stories show that we exist,” said Shahida to UNHCR. “And we have to tell our own stories because we are the ones who know them the best.”
“We don’t want to be a forgotten community. I want people around the world to see the Rohingya people as human beings, like everyone else.”
Sahat Zia Hero
As per the Council of Foreign Relations, Rohingya find it difficult to earn a living or educate their children in the refugee camps. With heavy rains, the settlement also comes crumbling down. Despite such adversities, the four photographers used their smartphones and entry-level cameras to document stories around them and share them on social media. A year later, one of the photographers, Sahat Zia Hero, speaks to NPR about their experience since winning the honor. “I also organized photo contests for the young photographers in the camp. I am the founder of Rohingyatographer Magazine, and we have a team of more than 30 photographers, including 11 women,” he tells the platform.
Since UNCHR’s prize, the group has won more accolades, and the funds have helped them to build their work so that “the plight of Rohingya people is heard.” However, Sahat hopes to amplify their voice further so the international community can help “solve the Rohingya crisis.”
The Current Situation of The Rohingya
The clash between the Arakan army, an ethnic-nationalist armed organization in Rakhine, and the Myanmar army has resulted in the bombing and massacre of innocents in the region. As a result, many continue to flee to neighboring countries. However, Human Rights Watch reported that Malaysia, India, and Thailand hold immigrants in detention sites indefinitely without proper support.
If we do not speak out, if we don’t raise our voices, if we don’t stand for our rights, then nothing will happen and we will live our lives this way.”
Abdullah Habib
Sadat notes that in June, a fresh set of atrocities were unleashed on the Rohingya, where more than 30 people were killed due to the clash between the two armed groups. In August, The Print reported a drone attack also slaughtered dozens more, many of whom were children. “The Rohingya people in Arakan [now known as Rakhine] don’t have food, security or health care,” Sadat tells NPR. “The hospitals are all closed. [In June], MSF [Doctors Without Borders] withdrew their activities from that area.” He adds that his people struggle on a daily basis with having “nowhere to go, nowhere to flee,” with many continuously “moving from one village to another village.”
The story of those residing in Bangladesh is equally heartbreaking. “Living in this refugee camp is getting worse due to the decreased funds from the U.N. and the international community. I am very concerned about the future of the young generation,” Sadat adds. Currently, the community faces three crises: food, water, and health. Many, due to the heavy rain, were forcefully displaced within the refugee camps. The landslide, an annual occurrence, also results in the demise of those sleeping in the makeshift shelters. “It is difficult to take all the bodies from the mud because we don’t have the equipment, so we have to take them with our hands,” Sadat explains. “We don’t get emergency support from the rescue team if it happens at night.”
“My aim is to document the challenges we face, and to tell stories that benefit my community. I don’t want my kids to live their whole lives in a refugee camp.”
Mohammed Salim Khan
Sadat reminds the international community that they are human and have every right to seek a better life outside of the camps. One of his requests is that the international community begin talks between Myanmar and the Arakan army to not target the Rohingya fleeing the persecution. “Maybe we can see a way to repatriate the Rohingya people in refugee camps,” he adds.
The four photographers—Shahida, Salid, Sadat, and Abudulla—work tirelessly to ensure that the voices of the Rohingya, especially those of women, are heard. However, a large responsibility also rests on us, the international community, to provide them with the aid they need to protect and safeguard themselves. If we don’t act now, we risk losing a complex community to oblivion. And that, dear readers, is a shame on us all.