"We will set ourselves on fire if we are forced to return"

A new Oxfam report shows that Rohingya refugees will not return to Myanmar until their equal rights are recognized. This is despite reports of unsafe conditions in the overcrowded, makeshift camps where the fear of kidnapping and sexual assault is high.

Not yet safe for Rohingya in Myanmar

In a new report, Oxfam interviewed over 200 Rohingya in Bangladesh, all of whom agree that they will not return to Myanmar until their safety can be guaranteed and they have been given equal rights and the opportunity to work and travel without restrictions. Many - especially women - are deeply traumatized by their experiences. They talk about being raped and seeing their loved ones killed. Many say they will commit suicide if they are forced to return before their rights have been fulfilled.

Oxfam has interviewed over 200 Rohingya living in the refugee camps in the south-eastern district of Cox's Bazar. Some of them are third-time refugees. In a series of group discussions and in-depth interviews, they all agree that peace and equal rights are absolute prerequisites for their return.

"I want to return home when we are treated as citizens, when there is no violence, when women are not tortured and kidnapped, when we are finally free"

Fatima Sultan*, a twenty-year-old refugee.

"We will set ourselves on fire if we are forced to return"

Sanjida Sajjad*

Bangladesh and Myanmar recently agreed to start repatriating Rohingya refugees at the end of January. Oxfam has warned that the conditions are not in place for people to return voluntarily and safely, and argues that the UN should take the lead role in a potential repatriation process, allowing humanitarian assistance to reach all those who need it. Oxfam calls on the Myanmar authorities to act to end the violence and to ensure that all people in Myanmar have equal rights.

"People we interviewed are extremely traumatized by what they have been through and are now facing in the camps, from trafficking to sexual abuse. The fact that many refugees - especially women - say they would rather kill themselves than return now shows that a durable solution to the decades-long oppression of the Rohingya is needed," said Paolo Lubrano, Oxfam's Director of Humanitarian Action in Asia.

All refugees interviewed by Oxfam say they feel unsafe at night. More than half of the groups report seeing women and girls being approached by strangers - some of whom have not been seen by their families since. Many women are afraid of getting lost in the camps and feel they cannot leave their tents without appropriate clothing. More lighting, more signage and designated shelters are needed in the camps to protect vulnerable people from dangerous situations.

Nearly one million Rohingya are now in Bangladesh - more than in Myanmar. Refugees live in overcrowded, dangerous camps with a high risk of spreading disease. Many are drinking contaminated water. Oxfam is distributing emergency aid on the ground in Bangladesh, including clean water and toilets, and has so far reached more than 185,000 people.

*All names in the article have been replaced.