Missing From a U.N. Meeting on Helping Rohingya Refugees: The Refugees Themselves

Photo New York Time

Summary of reporting by The New York Times

World leaders and activists are convening at the United Nations in New York to discuss a roadmap for repatriating Rohingya refugees—the world’s largest group of stateless exiles, living in Bangladesh. Yet, no Rohingya currently residing in the camps will be able to attend.

Eight years after fleeing Myanmar due to ethnic cleansing, Rohingya in Bangladesh continue to face severe restrictions: their schools remain closed, shops have been bulldozed, and travel outside the camps is tightly controlled. Past efforts by the United Nations and the Bangladeshi government have occasionally allowed refugees to travel abroad, but logistical, bureaucratic, and safety hurdles prevent their participation at this high-profile conference.

While some diaspora Rohingya from Western countries will attend, many refugees feel they cannot fully represent those living in the camps. Nay San Lwin, a Rohingya activist based in Germany who will attend the conference, says:

“The majority of Rohingya now live in the camps. They should be heard directly, not through us.”

Local Rohingya leaders in Bangladesh echo similar frustrations. Showkutara, a Rohingya leader from the camps, says:

“They will be taking decisions about our lives. So why can’t we go?”

Sayed Ullah, elected last month to represent Rohingya communities in Bangladesh, has not been contacted about attending the event and will follow the conference from his tarp home:

“If the refugees are not involved, how can their issues be resolved? Without us, this conference will be meaningless.”

Muhammad Yunus, the interim leader of Bangladesh and Nobel laureate, urges the gathering to refocus international attention on the Rohingya’s plight, but the ongoing civil war in Myanmar makes the hope of return increasingly uncertain. Human rights experts warn that fading global attention and limited refugee participation may reduce the effectiveness of such discussions.

Nicholas Koumjian, head of the U.N. team studying rights violations in Myanmar, emphasizes:

“It’s important to understand what they need to feel safe.”

The conference highlights a key challenge: without the voices of those living in the camps, any roadmap for repatriation risks being incomplete. As Nay San Lwin points out,

“The majority of Rohingya now live in the camps. They should be heard directly, not through us.”

Read the full original article by The New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/29/world/asia/rohingya-refugees-un-general-assembly.html