By: RO Maung Shwe
At 26, Abdu Rahman has already lived through more suffering, displacement, and uncertainty than many face in a lifetime.
A Rohingya youth from Nyaung Chaung, also known as Hadir Bil, a village in Maungdaw Township of Arakan State, Myanmar, his story is one of survival, resilience, and unwavering determination.
Having endured genocide, exile, and a dangerous journey to Indonesia, he continues to fight for his people through education, activism, and literature.
A Life of Displacement and Determination
Abdu Rahman is the eldest son of the late Maulana Monir Ahamad, an Arabic teacher, and Daw Anwara Begum. Before the crisis, he was a student at Maungdaw High School.
However, in 2017, Myanmar’s military unleashed a brutal crackdown against the Rohingya, marked by mass killings, forced disappearances, sexual violence, and the burning of entire villages. His home was among those reduced to ashes.
Separated from his father, who lived in another village with his second wife, Abdu Rahman and his immediate family had no choice but to flee.
With their ancestral home destroyed and nowhere safe in Myanmar, they crossed the Naf River into Bangladesh, joining hundreds of thousands of others in the world’s largest refugee settlement in Cox’s Bazar.
Struggles in the Refugee Camps
The refugee camps in Bangladesh offered physical safety but little else. Overcrowded, impoverished, and deprived of basic rights, the camps soon became prisons without walls.
With no access to formal education or employment, young Rohingya men and women were left without hope for a future.
For Abdu Rahman, however, survival was not enough—he wanted to serve his people and continue his education.
Over the next seven years, he dedicated himself to humanitarian work, taking on various roles with international and local NGOs.
He worked as a Community Health Worker, Site Management Volunteer, English Language Instructor, Community Outreach Member, and Community Teacher.
Through these roles, he supported his people in their fight against malnutrition, disease, and the psychological toll of prolonged displacement.
Despite the lack of structured education in the camps, he completed multiple online courses on politics and other subjects from prestigious global universities.
Through a scholarship from the University of the People, he continued his higher education online. His commitment to self-improvement eventually led him to Indonesia, where he currently works as an interpreter for humanitarian organizations.
Losing a Father and Bearing New Responsibilities
The loss of his father in 2020 marked a turning point in Abdu Rahman’s life. His father had battled diabetes for years without access to proper medical care, a fate shared by many Rohingya in Myanmar.
When he died on August 23, 2020, Abdu Rahman received the news from relatives—a moment of profound grief that he could do nothing to change.
His stepmother continued living in their home in Myanmar until renewed fighting between the Myanmar military and the Arakan Army (AA) in 2024 forced her to flee.
With communication networks cut off in Arakan, Abdu Rahman lost contact with her. Reports suggest she fled to Bangladesh with neighbors, but he has yet to confirm her safety.
Meanwhile, his grandmother now cares for his younger siblings, while he shoulders the responsibility of supporting his family despite his own precarious situation.
A Perilous Journey to Indonesia
With no future in the refugee camps and dwindling international aid, Abdu Rahman made the painful decision to seek opportunities beyond Bangladesh.
Like many Rohingya, he became a victim of human trafficking, embarking on a dangerous 17-day journey across sea and land. The journey was fraught with hunger, abuse, and the ever-present risk of being lost at sea.
Upon arriving in Indonesia, he found compassion among local communities who provided food, water, and temporary shelter.
However, survival as a refugee in Indonesia remains an uphill battle. Without ratifying the 1951 UN Refugee Convention, Indonesia does not offer formal protection or pathways to citizenship, leaving thousands of Rohingya in limbo.
To make matters worse, UN refugee assistance has been drastically cut due to global funding shortfalls, particularly after reductions in U.S. foreign aid.
This crisis extends beyond Indonesia, impacting Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, Malaysia, and beyond. As living conditions deteriorate, the desperation among the displaced Rohingya continues to grow.
A Voice for the Rohingya
Despite the hardships, Abdu Rahman refuses to be silenced. He has become a vocal advocate for the Rohingya cause, using literature as his medium.
A passionate poet, he has published two books, “Rohingya Odyssey” and “Warrior’s Verse,” both available on Amazon.
His works have also been featured in international magazines, shedding light on the suffering and resilience of his people.
“As a Rohingya youth, I am determined to struggle for change and peace for my persecuted people. We have endured unimaginable atrocities for decades.
Through my activism, I aim to bring justice, ensure safety, protection, dignity, and human rights for my people by raising my voice. I hope that my work will have a positive impact, not only on my community but also on cultural heritage, human rights, and global solidarity.”
The Reality of Being a Rohingya Refugee
Abdu Rahman’s story mirrors that of countless Rohingya youth—stateless, abandoned by the world, and struggling for a future.
The challenges they face are not just personal but systemic, rooted in decades of persecution and a global failure to act.
More than a million Rohingya remain trapped in Cox’s Bazar’s refugee camps, with their numbers increasing each year.
As opportunities shrink and rations are cut, crime and despair grow. Meanwhile, those who attempt to escape face grave dangers—many die at sea, others are arrested, and some are trafficked into slavery.
Life remains precarious even for those who reach safer countries, like Indonesia.
Conclusion
Abdu Rahman’s journey is one of both pain and perseverance. From surviving genocide and forced displacement to educating himself against all odds and advocating for his people, his story exemplifies the resilience of the Rohingya. Yet, his struggle—and that of his people—is far from over.
The international community must do more than acknowledge the Rohingya crisis; it must take decisive action.
Providing education, legal protection, and sustainable solutions is not charity—it is a moral imperative.
Until then, Rohingya like Abdu Rahman will continue their fight for dignity, justice, and recognition, carrying the hope that one day, they will reclaim their rightful place in the world.
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