IV. Rohingya Human Rights Defenders 82 A representative of ARSPHR told Fortify Rights: “We will never accept the NVC. Accepting the NVC means giving them license to kill us. The NVC permits genocide.”357 Discussing the process proposed by the governments of Myanmar and Bangladesh to facilitate the return of Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh to Myanmar, the ARSPHR representative said: We disagree with it. It is not impartial. We were not consulted during the process. We are representatives. We are educated. Now, the international community only is trying to take photos and videos of us. They provide aid for us. We don’t need aid. We need political solutions for Rohingya.358 In July 2019, ARSPHR Chairperson Mohib Ullah met U.S. President Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House and spoke at the U.S. Secretary of State’s Ministerial meeting to advance freedom of religion in Washington, D.C.359 In early 2019, Mohib Ullah also presented information on the situation of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh during the March 2019 session of the Human Rights Council.360 He said in his remarks: For decades, we faced systemic genocide in Myanmar . . . They burned our houses and took our land . . . Today, we are branded as “kalar” [a pejorative term in the Burmese language used to describe Muslims, Indians, or those of South Asian descent]. They call us “illegal immigrants,” “Bengali,” and “Muslim terrorist.” We are not any of this. We are citizens of Myanmar. We are not stateless. Stop calling us that. We have a state. It is Myanmar. We want to go home to Myanmar with our rights and citizenship.361 Rohingya Women Education Initiative RWEI is a Rohingya women-led group working to support education, art, and empowerment for Rohingya women in the refugee camps in Bangladesh. Shamima Bibi, a founder and director of RWEI, described the work of RWEI to Fortify Rights, saying: “There are sources to empower our women in the camps. However, there is no one to educate our women. We can empower, only if we educate. That is what we work towards at RWEI.”362 Speaking about the rights of women, Shamima Bibi told Fortify Rights: “We need fundamental rights; this includes nationality rights, citizenship rights, the right to freedom of movement, and the right to an education.”363 Rohingya Youth for Legal Action RYLA is a network of Rohingya youth working to promote awareness of human rights among Rohingya youth in the refugee camps in Bangladesh and to engage Rohingya youth on advocating for their rights.364 RYLA conducts workshops on basic human rights and the national laws of Myanmar. 357 Fortify Rights interview with E.C., Cox’s Bazar District, Bangladesh, June 20, 2019. 358 Ibid. 359 Susanna Heller, “Trump asked ‘Where is that?’ when a Rohingya refugee asked him if he was doing anything to stop the Rohingya genocide in Myanmar,” Business Insider, July 18, 2019, https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-askedrohingya-refugee-where-myanmar-is-2019-7 (accessed August 23, 2019). 360 Simon Lewis, Poppy McPherson, Ruma Paul, “In Rohingya camps, a political awakening faces a backlash,” Reuters, April 24, 2019, https://www.reuters.com/article/us-myanmar-rohingya-politics-insight/in-rohingya-camps-apolitical-awakening-faces-a-backlash-idUSKCN1S000D (accessed August 23, 2019). 361 Poppy McPherson, “For the first time, a Rohingya refugee from the camps, Mohibullah, addresses the U.N. And he’s cut off (time limit is 2 mins) just as he starts to talk about how the U.N. has had “countless discussions” about their future without consulting them,” Twitter message, March 12, 2019, https://twitter.com/poppymcp/ status/1105365563398774784?lang=en (accessed August 23, 2019). 362 Fortify Rights interview with H.C., Cox’s Bazar District, Bangladesh, August 7, 2019. 363 Ibid. 364 See, “Youth_RYLA,” twitter profile, https://twitter.com/Youth_RYLA (accessed August 23, 2019).