Statement by Displaced International on Rohingya Genocide Remembrance Day
Since 2018, Rohingya civil society organizations have marked the Rohingya Genocide Remembrance Day on August 25. Across refugee camps and the global diaspora, communities hold candlelight vigils, interfaith prayers, poetry recitals, oral history circles, exhibitions, and community activities—acts of remembrance that honor victims and resist erasure. The atrocities of August 25, 2017, were not an aberration. They followed decades of persecution, disenfranchisement, and organized violence against the Rohingya, including large-scale attacks in 2012 and 2016. Today, the crisis endures. More than a million Rohingya remain in refugee camps in Bangladesh, while hundreds of thousands are displaced inside Myanmar amid escalating violence in Rakhine. Humanitarian needs remain urgent, with severe underfunding threatening food, health, and protection services, while deadly maritime journeys continue to claim lives.
Anticipating the United Nations High-Level Conference
This year’s commemoration takes place in anticipation of the High-Level Conference on the Situation of Rohingya Muslims and Other Minorities in Myanmar, convened by the President of the UN General Assembly pursuant to resolution A/RES/79/278. The Conference will be held on 30 September 2025 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. As the international community prepares for this critical gathering, Displaced International will commemorate August 25 not only as a day of remembrance but also as a call to action. Our commemoration will highlight the urgency of global commitments that must emerge from the Conference—commitments to protect lives, uphold dignity, and guarantee justice and durable solutions for Rohingya and other persecuted minorities in Myanmar.
Call to Action
On this solemn day, Displaced International (DI) renews its call for:
- Immediate humanitarian protection – Fully fund life-saving assistance in Bangladesh and across the region; halt unsafe returns and ensure maritime rescue systems to prevent further loss of life.
- Restoration of rights – End statelessness by guaranteeing Rohingya citizenship and equal access to education, health, livelihoods, and freedom of movement.
- Accountability and justice – Advance ongoing proceedings at the ICJ, ICC, and through national courts; protect evidence and survivors; and hold perpetrators accountable.
- Safe, voluntary, and dignified return – Ensure that any return to Myanmar occurs only when conditions allow, with security guarantees, independent monitoring, and full restitution of land and property.
A Message from DI’s Founder and President
Ambassador Ashraf Haidari, Founder and President of Displaced International, said: “On this day of remembrance, we stand with the Rohingya people in their demand for truth, justice, and dignity. The world must not reduce their plight to another protracted refugee crisis—it is a genocide that continues in slow motion. The upcoming UN High-Level Conference must be a turning point: a moment when the international community stops merely bearing witness and instead delivers concrete measures of protection, accountability, and rights restoration. Anything less will condemn another generation of Rohingya to statelessness and despair.”
Rohingya Genocide Remembrance Day is a testament to memory, resilience, and moral clarity. In anticipation of the September 30 UN High-Level Conference, Displaced International reaffirms its solidarity with the Rohingya and commits to ensuring that remembrance translates into international action for protection, justice, and peace.
