S Tisdall, ‘South-east Asia faces its own migrant crisis as states play “human ping-pong”,’ The Guardian, 14 May 2015, https://www.the guardian.com/world/2015/may/14/migrant-crisis-south-east-asiarohingya-malaysia-thailand. 30 Summary Special Meeting on Irregular Migration in the Indian Ocean, 29 May 2015, Bangkok, Thailand, https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb. int/files/resources/media-center-20150529-175942-231858.pdf. In 2010 the bloc adopted the ASEAN Declaration on Cooperation in Search and Rescue of Persons and Vessels in Distress at Sea, in which states commit to collaborating to ensure timely assistance to persons and vessels in distress at sea. 31 32 For example, a trust fund established for victims of human trafficking has yet to be operationalised. Save the Children interview, November 2020. The Bali Process, which is co-chaired by Australia and Indonesia, has 49 members, including all ASEAN Member States, Bangladesh, and several UN and intergovernmental agencies. See https://www.bali process.net/. 33 Bali Declaration on People Smuggling, Trafficking in Persons and Related Transnational Crime, The Sixth Ministerial Conference of the Bali Process on People Smuggling, Trafficking in Persons and Related Transnational Crime, Bali, 23 March 2016, https://www.baliprocess. net/UserFiles/baliprocess/File/Bali%20Declaration%20on%20People%20 Smuggling%20Trafficking%20in%20Persons%20and%20Related%20 Transnational%20Crime%202016.pdf. 34 UNHCR, ‘Abandoned at Sea: The desperate journeys of Rohingya refugees’, 8 December 2020, https://kontinentalist.com/stories/therohingya-in-myanmar-a-refugee-crisis-at-sea. 35 In April, Malaysia turned away a boat carrying an estimated 200 Rohingya off the coast of Langkawi, and in June, turned back another boat that had made several attempts to enter Malaysia waters. AFP, “Malaysia turns back Rohingya boat over virus fears”, 15 April 2020, https://www.thejakartapost.com/seasia/2020/04/17/malaysia-turnsback-rohingya-boat-over-virus-fears.html; and AFP, Another Rohingya boat turned back from Malaysian waters, 11 June 2020, https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2020/06/599851/anotherrohingya-boat-turned-back-malaysia-waters. The law establishes three different categories of citizenship: ‘full citizenship’, ‘associate citizenship’ and ‘naturalised citizenship’. Full citizens are those who belong to one of the country’s recognised ‘national races’ or who were recognised as citizens on the day the law came into force. People not recognised as full citizens can apply to become ‘associate’ or ‘naturalised’ citizens. However, this status does not confer full citizenship rights and can be revoked on arbitrary grounds. See Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar, Report of the detailed findings of the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar, UN Doc: A/HRC/39/64, 17 September 2018 (UN IIFFM Report, 2018). See also Amnesty International, Caged Without a Roof: Apartheid in Myanmar’s Rakhine state, 21 November 2017, pp. 28–41. 45 46 Despite the inherently discriminatory nature of the Citizenship Act, its provisions should in theory allow most Rohingya full citizenship rights. The Act clearly states that a person who was a citizen on the day of its entry into force remained a citizen, and their children would likewise qualify as ‘full’ citizens. Even if Rohingya had been relegated to ‘associate’ or ‘naturalised’ citizens, under the law, by now their third generation offspring would be eligible for full citizenship. See UN IIFFM report, 2018, para 478. See, for example, Fortify Rights, “Tools of Genocide”: National Verification Cards and the denial of citizenship of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar, September 2019. 47 48 C Lewa, ‘North Arakan: An open prison for the Rohingya in Burma’, Forced Migration Review, 32, 2009, pp. 11–13. 50 Save the Children interview, January 2021. 51 Confidential report, May 2021. On file with Save the Children. For more on movement restrictions see Independent Rakhine Initiative (IRI), Freedom of movement in Rakhine State, March 2020, https://spark.adobe.com/page/2yY6hUP7Q48bb/. 52 53 Save the Children interview, January 2021. 54 Save the Children interview, January 2021. Lutheran World Federation, Myanmar: Education for students with special needs, 25 January 2021, https://reliefweb.int/report/myanmar/ myanmar-education-students-special-needs. 55 56 Save the Children interview, January 2021. 57 Save the Children interview, January 2021. 58 Save the Children interviews, January 2021. 37 UNHCR, Bangladesh Operational Update 1–31 May 2020, https://reliefweb.int/report/bangladesh/unhcr-bangladesh-operationalupdate-1-31-may-2020. 38 Save the Children interviews, January 2021. See also ‘Joint Letter Re: End violent threats and anti-Rohingya campaign’, joint letter by 84 NGOs, 11 May 2020, https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/05/11/jointletter-re-end-violent-threats-and-anti-rohingya-campaign. 39 Save the Children interview, May 2020. In this report, all Rohingya children are given a pseudonym to protect their identities. These are marked with an *. 40 41 Save the Children interview, May 2020. Humanitarian Country Team in Myanmar, Myanmar Humanitarian Response Plan 2021 (HCT in Myanmar, 2021 HRP), 27 January 2021, p. 6, https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/mmr_ humanitarian_response_plan_2021_final.pdf. 42 43 HCT in Myanmar, 2021 HRP, p. 6. HCT in Myanmar, 2021 HRP p. 19. According the 2021 HRP, 19% (around 89,300) of non-displaced stateless Rohingya are girls, while 18% (around 84,300) are boys. 44 UN IIFFM report, 2018, 49 36 Malay Mail, “269 Rohingyas detained after body of woman found aboard Malaysia-bound boat”, 9 June 2020, https://www.malaymail. com/news/malaysia/2020/06/09/269-rohingyas-detained-after-bodyof-woman-found-aboard-malaysia-bound-boat/1873664. ENDNOTES 29 At the time, the IOM described as credible estimates that 8,000 Rohingya refugees and Bangladeshi migrants were stranded at sea. IOM, ‘IOM appeals for USD 26 million for migrants in SE Asian boat crisis,’ 26 May 2015, https://www.iom.int/news/iom-appeals-usd26-million-migrants-se-asian-boat-crisis. Save the Children interviews, January 2021. See also Towards a Peaceful, Fair and Prosperous Future for the People of Rakhine: Final report of the Advisory Commission on Rakhine State, August 2017, p. 12, (Final Report of the Advisory Commission on Rakhine State), https://www.rakhinecommission.org/app/uploads/2017/08/FinalReport_ Eng.pdf. 59 Final Report of the Advisory Commission on Rakhine State, August 2017, pp. 12–13. 60 61 Save the Children interview, January 2021. World Bank, Myanmar Economic Monitor – Coping with COVID-19, December 2020, https://documents.worldbank.org/en/publication/ documents-reports/documentdetail/906171608086222905/myanmareconomic-monitor-coping-with-covid-19. 62 63 On 21 June 2019, the government announced it had suspended mobile internet in eight conflict-affected townships in northern Rakhine state: Buthidaung, Kyauktaw, Maungdaw, Minbya, Mrauk-U, Myebon, Ponnagyun and Rathedaung, as well as Paletwa township in Chin state. The restrictions were lifted in Buthidaung, Maungdaw, Myebon, Paletwa and Rathedaung townships on 1 September 2019 before being re-imposed on 3 February 2020. From August 2020, 2G networks were available; however, connections were poor. After seizing power on 1 February 2021, the military lifted restrictions on 3 February. However, at the time of writing, Rakhine state – like the rest of the country – was subject to a suspension of mobile internet and wireless broadband services. 37