Why the Rohingya Muslims are fleeing Myanmar

An estimated 800,000 Rohingya Muslims live in squalor in Myanmar’s western Rakhine State. But that number has been falling fast as thousands flee by land and sea in search of better lives and basic survival.

The Rohingya people are a predominantly Muslim ethnic minority group. An additional million Rohingyas are scattered across Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Thailand, Malaysia, and elsewhere. Most practice a unique blend of Sufi-infused Sunni Islam.

Since regional conflicts in 2012, more than 120,000 Rohingyas have fled across the Myanmar-Bangladesh border to escape violence, persecution, and economic hardship. The United Nations has called the Rohingyas one of the most persecuted minorities in the world.