Cox’s Bazar, Aug 26 (V7N) – Rohingyas living in refugee camps across Ukhiya and Teknaf observed Rohingya Genocide Day on Monday, commemorating the eighth anniversary of the brutal military crackdown in Myanmar’s Rakhine State that forced hundreds of thousands to flee their homeland in 2017.

Rohingya children and adults hold placards and chant for their right to return home during a peaceful rally in Cox’s Bazar refugee camp.

To mark the day, now referred to by many in the camps as a "black day," over 35,000 Rohingyas—many of them women and children—participated in coordinated rallies across 10 refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar. Holding banners, placards, and chanting slogans, the participants demanded international justice for the atrocities committed against them and called for their safe and dignified repatriation to Myanmar with full civil rights.

In one such rally held at the Leda-Jadimura Camp in Teknaf at around 7 a.m., Rohingyas gathered under the mango tree field to recount the horrors of August 25, 2017, and urge the global community to press for their return to Arakan, their ancestral homeland in Myanmar.

"August 25 is a black day for the Rohingya. On this day, the Myanmar government carried out a genocide, seizing our land and forcing us to flee. We want justice for the crimes committed against us," said Rohingya leader Md. Elias.

Thousands of Rohingya refugees gather at Leda Camp in Teknaf to observe Rohingya Genocide Day, demanding justice and repatriation to Myanmar.

Echoing similar sentiments, Mohammad Alam, Chairman of the Rohingya community in Leda Camp, stated, "The Myanmar junta has committed genocide against us. We want to return to our land in Arakan with our rights and dignity restored."

Rohingya participants used the occasion to urge the United Nations and international human rights bodies to intensify efforts for accountability, ensure safe repatriation, and restore their citizenship and civil liberties.

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