The UN has called the current exodus of Rohingya ‘the most urgent refugee emergency in the world’ Why aren’t they recognised? The Arakan Rohingya National Organisation said: “Rohingyas have been living in Arakan from time immemorial,” referring to the area now known as Rakhine. Muslims have lived in the area now known as Myanmar since as early as the 12th century, according to many historians and Rohingya groups. It is one the poorest states in the country, with ghetto-like camps and a lack of basic services and opportunities.ĭue to ongoing violence and persecution, hundreds of thousands of Rohingya have fled to neighbouring countries either by land or boat over the course of many decades. Nearly all of the Rohingya in Myanmar live in the western coastal state of Rakhine and are not allowed to leave without government permission. They are not considered one of the country’s 135 official ethnic groups and have been denied citizenship in Myanmar since 1982, which has effectively rendered them stateless. The Rohingya speak Rohingya or Ruaingga, a dialect that is distinct to others spoken throughout Myanmar. Currently, there are about 1.1 million Rohingya in the Southeast Asian country. The Rohingya are an ethnic group, the majority of whom are Muslim, who have lived for centuries in the majority Buddhist Myanmar.