Rohingya

The ancestors of the Rohingya settled in the historic region of Arakan over centuries of commercial, agricultural, and religious exchange around the Bay of Bengal. Under British colonial rule and in the decades following Myanmar's independence, the region experienced growing tensions with the Buddhist Burmese majority.

The formal loss of civil rights in the 1980s and successive waves of military repression culminated in the mass exodus of 2017. This resulted in the forced dispersal of hundreds of thousands of people into temporary camps, making the search for dignity and shelter the defining feature of their contemporary history.

In their homeland, the Rohingya historically worked as farmers, fishermen, traders, and artisans, living in villages that formed part of the rural coastal landscape. Today, the vast majority live confined in enormous complexes of tarpaulin and bamboo shelters, depending almost entirely on food rations and basic emergency assistance to survive in precarious conditions.

Extended family and community loyalty provide the central structure of daily life. Even amid extreme scarcity, their culture preserves the values of communal sharing and generous hospitality. Conversations over tea and the preparation of traditional dishes of rice with spiced fish still bring precious moments of comfort and dignity to their homes.

The people are predominantly Sunni Muslim, and attachment to religious rituals has intensified in exile as a vital symbol of ethnic survival. The five daily prayers, strict observance of fasting during Ramadan, and informal religious education for children in small madrasas structure communal life in the shelters.

Traditional faith blends with folk practices that seek spiritual protection against disasters and illness, including prayers for health and the use of amulets. Religious leaders and elders are revered as essential moral authorities who counsel families and arbitrate everyday civil matters.

The Rohingya language has a predominantly oral tradition, although it has its own and adapted writing systems, including the Hanifi and Arabic alphabets. The New Testament has been translated and is available, along with audio resources that circulate discreetly through mobile phones and memory cards. With high illiteracy rates in the camps, oral Bible stories and audio recordings remain the most effective means of bringing the message of hope to ordinary people.

The profound humanitarian crisis and their stateless status foster distrust of any outside influence, as Sunni Islam serves as the main anchor of cohesion and preservation of their ethnic identity. Leaving the Muslim faith is seen as a betrayal of their people’s memory and survival. Furthermore, confinement in camps under strict internal surveillance hinders meaningful contact with the gospel, exposing those who show an interest in Jesus to severe isolation and violence within their families.

Material needs are urgent, ranging from sanitation, clean drinking water, and a balanced diet to medical care for malnutrition and severe war trauma. Children and young people face a critical lack of access to formal education, vocational training, and tangible prospects for the future.

Spiritually, the Rohingya need true comfort in the face of despair and bitterness. They need to hear that there is a merciful God who loves them, welcomes them, and calls them by name, freeing their souls from fear and restoring their hope of eternal life.

In displacement camps and among the diaspora, audio Bible stories and videos in the Rohingya language are prompting sincere conversations about forgiveness and inner healing. Small groups of refugees have come to believe in Christ and pray together in secret, discovering that suffering does not have the final word over their lives.