Exiled: The roots of Myanmar’s persecution of the Rohingya

Since 2017, hundreds of thousands of Rohingya in Myanmar have been forced to flee their homes after the military moved into Rakhine state, alleging they were behind so-called “terrorism”.

The population of Myanmar is predominantly Buddhist but also includes more than 100 minority ethnic groups, including the Rohingya. Yet the government and army refuse to recognise their right to citizenship, classifying them “illegal migrants” from Bangladesh and India.

Reports show they have suffered serial ethnic cleansing by Myanmar’s army and factions of Buddhist monks, resulting in mass rape, murder and the exodus of vast numbers to neighbouring Bangladesh, now home to almost a million Rohingya refugees. They continue to demand their civil rights, but have become a forgotten people and what the United Nations has called “one of the most persecuted minorities in the world”.

This film, directed by veteran war reporter Shahida Tulaganova, explores the roots of the violence in Rakhine state, covering the perspectives of Rohingya refugees, former Myanmar government officials and radical Buddhist monks while providing context to the current crisis as well as a chronology of historical events.