It was the first session of the SIMEC Webinar Series on the Rohingya Issue. In the first session, “Ending Refugeehood: Rohingya Youth Voices,” we had the privilege to host the energetic, dynamic, and talented young Rohingya from the Rohingya refugee camps and FDMN camps in Bangladesh, India, the US, and other parts of the world. All the speakers made it clear and loud that the Rohingya want to go back to their homeland with recognition of their Rohingya identity, reinstatement of their citizenship, and holding the perpetrators of the Rohingya genocide accountable. When the recent development of the Arakan Army (AA) taking control of a large part of the Rakhine State (Arakan) poses challenges to the voluntary repatriation of the Rohingya refugees to Arakan, the speakers demonstrate their unflinching determination to return to their homeland. They ask the international community, including the host countries and the regional countries, to pressure the Myanmar government to resolve the Rohingya crisis and ensure the safety of the Rohingya when they return to their homeland. They also ask to hold the AA accountable for committing crimes against the Rohingya and forcing the Rohingya to leave Arakan. Discussants also emphasize including the Rohingya in discussion or policy formulation by the international community.

Thanks to all the speakers for their enlightening talk and for making time for the webinar. In the next session, we will aim to understand Bangladesh’s perspective. Stay tuned to the social media accounts of SIMEC Research Center for the next session.