'Overwhelmingly Gruesome': Rohingya Refugees Describe Rapes, Murders, Attempted Genocide
The Rohingyas, an ethnic minority of Myanmar, have been dubbed "the most persecuted people on earth," and they are on the run. Those that survive the atrocities in their home country of Myanmar (formerly known as Burma), where they've lived since the 11th century, are fleeing to nearby Bangladesh, making it the largest mass migration in modern history, according to the United Nations.
The half a million Rohingyas, a mostly Muslim ethnic minority, who managed to make it across the border in the past year are in desperate need of basic services. CBN Disaster and Humanitarian Relief is helping to meet that need on the ground in Bangladesh.
Deputy Director Brian Scott was working at one of the refugee camps and said the condition of the people arriving and the stories they told were "overwhelmingly gruesome." He told CBN News the scene at a refugee camp was "simply unimaginable," adding, "It was very tragic. There were thousands of people in need of any type of relief, whether it be water, food. Many people were panicked. A lot of people had experienced a lot of stress due to the rape, the murdering," he continued, "Unimaginable fear was gripping people in the camp."
The perpetrators of these crimes against humanity are the members of the Myanmar military who are trying to exterminate the Rohingya people, although this is officially denied by the state. However, mounting evidence to the contrary paints a different picture, such as satellite imagery of dozens of Rohingya villages burned to the ground.
The Associated Press is publishing stories told by Rohingya women who provide the details of being severely beaten and gang raped by Myanmar soldiers while witnessing their husbands being murdered by the soldiers, sometimes seeing their sons being killed as well.
Scott says the atrocities against the Rohingya people is likely a case of attempted genocide rather than ethic cleansing, rooted in religious differences. Myanmar is predominantly Buddhist. "This is a faith conflict," Scott said.
Scott encouraged Christians to pray for the gospel to reach the Rohinya refugees, pointing out that that involves working with the tiny number of Christians among the Rohingya and in Bangladesh. "This is a desperate moment," Scott said, "and as we've seen in conflicts around the world where Satan makes evil happen, the gospel can bear fruit. And I believe it's important for the body of Christ pray and seek to partner with organizations that are providing aid to this community."
