Grand Challenge 4 Strengthening a Unified Human Rights Voice on the Rohingya Moderator: Samantha Wolthuis American Jewish World Service Panelists: Laetitia van den Assum Diplomatic Expert and Conference Chair Sheikh Mohammed Belal H.E. Ambassador of Bangladesh to the Netherlands Amal de Chickera ISI Co-Director John Packer University of Ottawa Hasfar Tameesuddin Rohingya Activist Maung Tun Khin Burmese Rohingya Organisation (UK) Nay San Lwin Free Rohingya Coalition Saiful Huq Omi Photographer & film maker It is impossible to talk about minorities and statelessness without looking to the Rohingya of Myanmar. An ethnic, religious and linguistic minority, the Rohingya have suffered systemic discrimination, persecution, crimes against humanity and genocide at the hands of the Myanmar state. The arbitrary deprivation of nationality and resultant statelessness of the Rohingya is a central feature of the severe social and institutional marginalisation they have suffered for decades. Myanmar’s 1982 Citizenship Act is a predominant feature in the discriminatory law and policy landscape, but the problems faced by the Rohingya predate this law. With over a million Rohingya refugees displaced in Bangladesh and hundreds of thousands having sought refuge in other countries, the international community’s response has not risen to the challenge. Grand Challenge 4 ‘Strengthening a Unified Human Rights Voice on the Rohingya Crisis’ was dedicated to this issue. The panellists touched on different recurring themes including the international response, right to nationality, accountability and displacement, with speakers uniform in their view that the statelessness of the Rohingya was not an accident of history and was produced by the State of Myanmar as part of their genocidal agenda, the denial of citizenship being central to their persecution. “Although the government and military do not recognise the Rohingya, they technically recognise the Rohingya language because there are other ethnic groups who are in the list of 135 [recognised ethnicities] who share our language…they share our skin colour and culture, but our crime is we are Muslim where they are Buddhist, so they are recognised as citizens and indigenous ethnic groups and they exclude us based on our religion.” Nay San Lwin Free Rohingya Coalition Strategic Meetings on the Rohingya Crisis A series of confidential, closed door meetings, briefings and visits on the Rohingya crisis were convened on the margins of the conference. Rohingya and other participants spoke about their priorities and related concerns; discussed the question of citizenship of the Rohingya – both in Myanmar and countries of displacement; learned from the First Secretary of the International Court of Justice about the Court’s application and interpretation of the Genocide Convention; and met with the Prosecutor and her team at the International Criminal Court. r 23