The ‘Splainer: Who are the Rohingyas and why are they fleeing Myanmar?

Brian Pellot

(RNS) Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims live in squalor in Myanmar’s western Rakhine State. That number has been falling fast as thousands flee by land and sea in search of better lives and basic survival. Here’s a look at who the Rohingyas are and why they’re leaving Myanmar in droves.

Q: Who are the Rohingyas?

A: The Rohingya people are a predominantly Muslim ethnic minority group. An estimated 800,000 Rohingyas live in Myanmar’s western Rakhine State; an additional million are scattered across Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Thailand, Malaysia and elsewhere. Most practice a unique blend of Sufi-infused Sunni Islam. More than 140,000 of Myanmar’s Rohingyas were pushed to dire displacement camps in 2012 amid regional conflicts. More than 120,000 have since fled the Myanmar/Bangladesh border to escape violence, persecution and economic hardship. The United Nations has called the Rohingyas one of the most persecuted minorities in the world.

http://www.religionnews.com/2015/05/19/splainer-rohingya-muslims-myanmar-burma-aung-san-suu-kyi-human-rights/