May 27, 2025 | ARNO Press Release
The Arakan Rohingya National Organisation (ARNO) is devastated by reports confirming the tragic deaths of an estimated 427 Rohingya men, women, and children in two separate boat disasters off the coast of Myanmar earlier this month. These devastating incidents, which took place on May 9 and 10, mark one of the deadliest maritime tragedies involving Rohingya refugees in recent memory. As confirmed by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the victims were fleeing from the refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar and conflict-affected areas in northern Rakhine, seeking safety and dignity elsewhere.
This unspeakable tragedy is not a natural disaster—it is the predictable outcome of a brutal and deliberate campaign of genocide. The Myanmar military and the Rakhine ethnic armed group the Arakan Army continues to orchestrate a systemic effort to erase the Rohingya’s historic presence in Rakhine State. Widespread violence, targeted displacement, and destruction of Rohingya villages have forced thousands to risk their lives at sea. This demographic engineering, cloaked in conflict, aims to empty Rakhine of its indigenous Rohingya population.
We urgently call for immediate action from the international community:
- To the United Nations and International Human Rights Mechanisms: Launch a full and transparent investigation into these shipwrecks and hold all perpetrators—state and non-state actors—accountable for crimes that led to this tragedy.
- To Donor States and Humanitarian Agencies: Immediately restore and expand support for Rohingya refugees and displaced persons, ensuring access to food, shelter, education, and protection from exploitation.
- To Regional Governments: Fulfill international obligations by offering protection to Rohingya refugees, halting forced returns, and coordinating multilateral efforts toward long-term solutions.
- The State Administration Council: End the ongoing persecution of the Rohingya, acknowledge their rightful citizenship, ethnicity and create verifiable conditions for safe, voluntary, and dignified repatriation.
The deaths of 427 Rohingya are not isolated incidents—they are emblematic of a broader, state-engineered calamity. ARNO stands with the families of the victims and with every Rohingya soul yearning for justice, protection, and the right to live freely in their ancestral homeland. We renew our call for international solidarity and decisive action to end this cycle of violence and despair before more lives are lost.
For more information, please contact:
Dr. Mohammad Habib Ullah
Email: arno@rohingya.org/ info@rohingya.org
