Rohingya refugees mark the anniversary of their exodus and demand a safe return to Myanmar

Associated Press

COX’S BAZAR, Bangladesh (AP) — Tens of thousands of Rohingya refugees have rallied in a southern Bangladeshi coastal district where they live in sprawling camps, marking the seventh anniversary of their mass exodus from Myanmar. They gathered in an open filed at Kutupalong camp in Cox’s Bazar district on Sunday demanding safe return to Myanmar’s Rakhine state. They carried banners and festoons reading “Hope is Home” and “We Rohingya are the citizens of Myanmar.” On Aug. 25, 2017, hundreds of thousands of refugees started crossing the border to Bangladesh amid indiscriminate killings and other violence in Myanmar. Myanmar had launched a brutal crackdown following attacks by an insurgent group on guard posts. Bangladesh hosts more than 1 million Rohingya refugees.