HUMAN RIGHTS AND COVID-19: WHAT NOW FOR THE ROHINGYA? BRIEFING PAPER AUGUST 2020 1

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Human rights and COVID-19: what now for the Rohingya?

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Description: Already at crisis point before the pandemic, the human rights of the Rohingya in Myanmar and those in refugee situations have further deteriorated. In Myanmar, the Government has exploited the pandemic situation to further discriminate against minorities; violence and human rights violations continue but have received less international attention with COVID-19 dominating news cycles. In refugee situations in Bangladesh, Malaysia and India, limited access to healthcare and public health information, sanitation, decent housing and humanitarian aid have combined with severely limited livelihood opportunities. These factors have exacerbated the vulnerabilities of Rohingya. Border and immigration controls, tightened in response to the pandemic, have resulted in boatloads of Rohingya seeking refuge being pushed back into the sea. Hundreds of lives have been lost. Undocumented Rohingya have been arrested and detained as irregular migrants, without access to refugee determination procedures. They remain in overcrowded facilities further compounding the risk of COVID-19. Meanwhile, xenophobic attacks and hate speech against Rohingya have flooded social media, increasing discrimination and the risks of further physical violence.

This briefing paper discusses these issues from the perspectives of various Rohingya activists.

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