25 August 2021 marks the fourth anniversary of the Rohingya refugee crisis. 

Rushanara Ali MP said: 

"Four years have passed since 700,000 Rohingya Muslims were forced to relocate to refugee camps in Bangladesh. They were fleeing a brutal crackdown by the Myanmar military, which UN investigators declared was conducted with "genocidal intent".

Currently, there are over 1 million people based in the overcrowded makeshift camps, who continue to live with extremely limited access to food, healthcare and shelter. The Covid-19 pandemic has only worsened the situation on the ground. The UK and international community must do more to provide humanitarian support for those in the camps, and reverse the devastating cuts to the overseas aid budget, which will cost many thousands of lives.

The UK must show leadership and help secure justice for the crimes committed against the Rohingya, by formally joining the Gambia’s genocide case against Myanmar at the International Court of Justice case, and supporting the referral to the International Criminal Court.

The Myanmar military led by General Min Aung Hlaing has for many years acted with impunity for the atrocities they committed against the Rohingya and other minorities. The people of Myanmar are suffering the most appalling state-sponsored repression, violence and murder since the military coup in February this year. Their actions must be met with the strongest of responses from the UK and the wider international community."