Rohingya refugees rally in Bangladesh camps to demand safe return to Myanmar

Tens of thousands of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh held a rally Tuesday in Cox’s Bazar camps to demand a safe return to Myanmar’s Rakhine state on the “Ninth Anniversary of Rohingya Genocide Day,” nine years after they fled a crackdown. More than 1 million Rohingya now live in camps around the district, mostly after a mass exodus in 2017 following attacks and a crackdown by Myanmar following an insurgent raid. Bangladesh has tried repatriation at least twice, but refugees refused, citing security concerns, and the government says it will not force anyone back. The rally comes as the International Court of Justice heard allegations of genocide against Myanmar in January, with Myanmar arguing the campaign was counter-terrorism. The statement noted Rakhine’s volatile security amid fighting involving the Arakan Army and Myanmar’s military.