Rohingya woman Shahda Begham, 25, poses for a portrait with Jannatara, 2, one of three daughters, in a home in an informal settlement in Shamlipur, in Bangladesh, Jan. 10, 2016. Shahda was living in Mongdo with her husband when their village was overrun by violence. Military came in and shot her husband--killing him--and took her and several other women into the forest and raped her repeatedly. "The military beat us; if somebody didn't want to go, it was rape. They tortured me in the forest; even when they pulled us from the bush they beat us." She later fled to Bangladesh with her three children. The Rohingya are systematically marginalized, and forced into formal and makeshift camps across Bangladesh and Myanmar. They often occupy hard labor jobs, like riding cycle rickshaws, working in the ice factories, fishing, and manual labor jobs they pick up daily.Lynsey Addario for The Annenberg Space for Photography
I witnessed three funerals in four days in a small area of the camps in the Rakhine state for the Rohingya, Myanmar’s Muslim minority, in November 2015. Each of those deaths would have been easily preventable with access to basic health care. I followed another woman, Moriam Katu, for five days, and watched her suffocate slowly from asthma, gasping for breath, begging for help from the doctor that hadn’t shown up that day as she sat propped up against the wall in the one accessible emergency clinic, then coughing up blood surrounded by her daughters back at home. She died a few weeks after I left.
An estimated one million stateless Rohingya have been stripped of their citizenship in Myanmar and forced to live in modern-day concentration camps, surrounded by government military checkpoints. They are not able to leave, to work outside the camps, do not have access to basic medical care or food. Most aid groups are banned from entering or working in the camps, leaving the Rohingya to their own devices for sustenance and healthcare. Journalists are also routinely denied access, Myanmar’s way of ensuring the world doesn’t see the slow, intentional demise of a population.
Many Rohingya from Myanmar have managed to flee to neighboring Bangladesh, where an estimated 300,000 to 500,000 people live in dismal, over-crowded makeshift camps and rudimentary settlements along Bangladesh’s southern tip near the Myanmar border. They live in a constant state of fear they will be imprisoned or deported.
After six days photographing the settlements and camps in and around Cox’s bazaar, my translator received a call from Bangladesh’s military intelligence. His message was clear: they had been patient with me for several days, but their patience had run out. No more photographs of the Rohingya.
I have spent the better part of the last sixteen years photographing human suffering, human rights abuses and, all too often, displaced civilians and refugees fleeing from war or persecution. But I have seldom seen the systematic oppression and abuse of an entire population go almost entirely unaided and undocumented. The camps and settlements in Myanmar and Bangladesh are conspicuously bereft of the international aid community and, consequently, a countless number of Rohingya are dying undocumented. This is the invisible genocide.
Lynsey Addario, a frequent TIME contributor, is a photographer represented by Verbatim. These images are from Refugee: a Photo Exhibition by the Annenberg Space for Photography, currently on display at Newseum in Washington.
Alice Gabriner, who edited this photo essay, is TIME’s International Photo Editor.
A Rohingya family, Burmese Muslims, live in the Thay Chaung camp for the Internally Displaced outside of Sittwe, which houses nearly 3000 people, Nov. 23, 2015. The mother, pictured here, claimed all her children were malnourished, but because of the lack of medical professionals in the area, it was impossible to confirm.Lynsey Addario for The Annenberg Space for PhotographyMoriam Katu, 50, who is gravely ill from severe asthma, is comforted by her daughters and other loved ones in the Ba Du Paw camp for Internally Displaced Rohingya around Sittwe, in Myanmar. Moriam was so ill, she could barely breathe, and began coughing up blood. She visited the emergency hospital at the That Kay Pin within the IDP camp, and there were not sufficient resources to treat her there. The medical advisor offered to transfer her to the government hospital in Sittwe, but she declined, because her family did not have enough money to keep her there. While her medical treatment would be free, her guardian would need to pay for food, which they estimated would be 20-30000 for food for a week. She declined and went back home. A few days later, she returned, and was transferred to Sittwe hospital, and died 10 days later. Lynsey Addario for The Annenberg Space for PhotographySumeir, 35, is comforted by her daughter as she lies semi-conscious on the floor of her family's home a few days after surgery at the Sittwe hospital, outside of the Thay Chaung camp, Sittwe, Myanmar, Nov. 24, 2015. For many years, Sumeir suffered from excruciating stomach pain. She went to the That Kay Pyin Emmergency hospital within the IDP camp, and was referred to Sittwe hospital, outside of the camp. She was operated on a few days prior in Sittwe, and quickly discharged and returned to the IDP camp at Thay Chaung, allegedly without post-operative care, information about her condition, and without medication for healing. She passed away the day after this picture was taken. “We are not dogs, we are not cows, we are people. There is a difference in how they treat us. They leave us to our own devices.” In the hospital, there is a lot of discrimination,” Azumeir says. The Rohingya in Myanmar are routinely denied proper medical care—within the camps around Sittwe, the only available medical care is at the emergency hospital, and both medical staff and prescription drugs are limited. Anyone with a serious condition may be referred to Sittwe, but the Rohingya often don’t trust government hospitals, and do not have the money to pay for meals and any additional expenses outside of treatment. Lack of medical care is one of the biggest concerns for the Rohingya.Lynsey Addario for The Annenberg Space for PhotographyRohingya woman Shahda Begham, 25, poses for a portrait with Jannatara, 2, one of three daughters, in a home in an informal settlement in Shamlipur, in Bangladesh, Jan. 10, 2016. Shahda was living in Mongdo with her husband when their village was overrun by violence. Military came in and shot her husband--killing him--and took her and several other women into the forest and raped her repeatedly. "The military beat us; if somebody didn't want to go, it was rape. They tortured me in the forest; even when they pulled us from the bush they beat us." She later fled to Bangladesh with her three children. The Rohingya are systematically marginalized, and forced into formal and makeshift camps across Bangladesh and Myanmar. They often occupy hard labor jobs, like riding cycle rickshaws, working in the ice factories, fishing, and manual labor jobs they pick up daily. Lynsey Addario for The Annenberg Space for PhotographyThe Rohingya, Burmese Muslims, live in the Thay Chaung camp for the Internally Displaced outside of Sittwe, which houses nearly 3000 people, Nov. 23, 2015. Mother with twin boys under cooking smoke: Kamila Begam 25, has five children and are from Than Taw Lee, about five miles away from the Thay Chang camp where they are currently living. Standing by smoke: Halima Katu, 10, flowered top, and Khotiza Kata, 6, black top with red and green flowers.Lynsey Addario for The Annenberg Space for PhotographySay Tha Mar Gyi camp for Internally Displaced Rohingya. Aisha Begum, 18, cooks in her family home in the camp, Nov. 26, 2015. Aisha is married, but her husband left her less than a year ago to go live with his family again.Lynsey Addario for The Annenberg Space for PhotographyA Rohingya man, Burmese Muslims, sells food at a stall at night in the Thay Chaung camp for the Internally Displaced outside of Sittwe, which houses nearly 3000 people, Nov. 23, 2015. Lynsey Addario for The Annenberg Space for PhotographyMoriam Katu, 50 years, who is gravely ill from severe asthma, is offered water as she struggles to breathe in the That Kay Pin Emergency Hospital in the camp for Internally Displaced Rohingya outside of Sittwe, in Myanmar, Nov. 25, 2015. Moriam was so ill, she could barely breathe, and began coughing up blood. She visited the emergency hospital at the That Kay Pin within the IDP camp, and there were not sufficient resources to treat her there. The medical advisor offered to transfer her to the government hospital in Sittwe, but she declined, because her family did not have enough money to keep her there. While her medical treatment would be free, her guardian would need to pay for food, which they estimated would be 20-30000 for food for a week. She declined and went back home. A few days later, she returned, and was transferred to Sittwe hospital, and died 10 days later. Lynsey Addario for The Annenberg Space for PhotographyKyaw Kyaw, 22, from Kyaukpyu: he is from a village about 60-70 miles away from the Thay Chaung IDP camp. During the second round of violence in Oct. 2012, Kyaw Kyaw left the mosque at about 7:30pm on Oct. 24 and the Rakhine came to their village, and the villagers tried to stop them. They destroyed the mosque. In front of him, one of the villagers was hit by police bullets, and he pulled away from the area. When the village was hit, he pulled away from the area, and at the same time, he was also hit in the eye. Two villagers brought him to the back, and there were 4-5 people in total who had been hit by police fire. In that moment, the villagers made an agreement with the military to transfer the injured to the hospital…. A bullet was still in his eye when he arrived at the Yangon hospital, and they did surgery on him. He was there about 45 days, and sent back to Sittwe. “I am not angry with the situation: I am always trying to be comfortable with people according to their religious decision. [This happened] because they wanted to cause problems for islam in general. Right now, we are having a lot of difficulties," he says. "My father can’t work; we can’t get money, and there are so many problems. We are suffering from many things right now. I used to have many friends—females, males—now I am the only one left, because anyone who has any money, left. Now I don’t have any friends. Yes, I feel very bad I lost my eye. I feel extremely sad. There are times when people talk down to me, but I am a man, and I am capable. My mother is getting old now, and I have to think about how to find a livelihood for her myself. If you want to think about how difficult it is for me, just imagine life without sight. Just close your eyes, and imagine. Of course I am frightened. I want to live in peace."Lynsey Addario for The Annenberg Space for PhotographyA government doctor looks over the sick child of a Rohingya man in the That Kay Pin Emergency Hospital in the camp for Internally Displaced Rohingya outside of Sittwe, in Myanmar, Nov. 25, 2015. The emergency hospital at That Kay Pin within the IDP camp has extremely limited resources, and doctors keep minimal hours to check and treat the ill or wounded.Lynsey Addario for The Annenberg Space for PhotographyRohingya men, Burmese Muslims, carry the body of an elderly man who died of natural causes through the Thay Chaung camp for the Internally Displaced outside of Sittwe, which houses nearly 3000 people, Nov. 23, 2015. Lynsey Addario for The Annenberg Space for PhotographyRohingya children walk through the Thay Chaung camp at dusk for the Internally Displaced outside of Sittwe, which houses nearly 3000 people, Nov. 23, 2015. Lynsey Addario for The Annenberg Space for PhotographyRohingya fishermen arrive with fresh fish at the Thay Chaung fishing port in the Thay Chaung camp for internally displaced near Sittwe, in Myanmar, Nov. 24, 2015. Every morning, dozens of fishermen arrive at the port after having been at sea from anywhere from a few hours to several days. Fishing is one of the main means for the Rohingya to support themselves and their families. Lynsey Addario for The Annenberg Space for PhotographyRohingya work alongside Bangladeshis in the dried fish market along the sea in Naziratek, outside of Cox's Bazaar, in Bangladesh. The Rohingya are systematically marginalized, and forced into formal and makeshift camps across Bangladesh and Myanmar. Lynsey Addario for The Annenberg Space for PhotographyRohingya children collect leaves near the Shamlapur Beach, where many of the Rohingya keep their boats. Fishing is one of the few professions the Rohingya are able to do to support their families in both Myanmar and Bangladesh. Lynsey Addario for The Annenberg Space for PhotographyDesperate living conditions plague the Kutupalang informal camp for unregistered Rohingya refugees from Myanmar in Teknaaf Bangladesh, Jan. 11, 2016. Beside the Kutupalang camp is a registered camp of 15000 refugees, and the makeshift camp has grown over the years to approximately 40000 unregistered refugees. The inhabitants are provided with no services: there are rudimentary, unsanitary outdoor latrines, raw sewage streaming through the camp, no food distributions, and lack of medical care.Lynsey Addario for The Annenberg Space for PhotographyDesperate living conditions plague the Kutupalang informal camp for unregistered Rohingya refugees from Myanmar in Teknaaf Bangladesh, Jan. 11, 2016. Beside the Kutupalang camp is a registered camp of 15000 refugees, and the makeshift camp has grown over the years to approximately 40000 unregistered refugees. The inhabitants are provided with no services: there are rudimentary, unsanitary outdoor latrines, raw sewage streaming through the camp, no food distributions, and lack of medical care. Lynsey Addario for The Annenberg Space for PhotographyA Rohingya woman walks around the perimeter of the Kutupalang informal camp for unregistered Rohingya refugees from Myanmar in Teknaaf Bangladesh, Jan. 11, 2016. Beside the Kutupalang camp is a registered camp of 15000 refugees, and the makeshift camp has grown over the years to approximately 40000 unregistered refugees. The inhabitants are provided with no services: there are rudimentary, unsanitary outdoor latrines, raw sewage streaming through the camp, no food distributions, and lack of medical care. Lynsey Addario for The Annenberg Space for PhotographySitara, 8, left, and Shahana, 10, right, read the Koran at a madrassa in a mosque in Shamlapur, a Rohingya settlement, outside of Cox’s bazaar. While there are very few opportunities for Rohingya children to go to school, most children do study the Koran at the local madrassa with the Imam of the community, in Bangladesh, Jan. 16, 2016.Lynsey Addario for The Annenberg Space for PhotographyRohingya men transport Bangldeshis through Cox’s bazaar on cycle rickshaws. It is one of the few professions, along with fishing, working in ice-factories, and menial jobs in manual labor, that Rohingyas typically are able to work in Bangladesh, Jan. 16, 2016. Lynsey Addario for The Annenberg Space for PhotographyRohingya men pray at a mosque in Shamlapur, a Rohingya settlement, outside of Cox’s bazaar. While there are very few opportunities for Rohingya children to go to school, most children do study the Koran at the local madrassa with the Imam of the community, in Bangladesh, Jan. 16, 2016. The Rohingya are systematically marginalized, and forced into formal and makeshift camps across Bangladesh and Myanmar. Lynsey Addario for The Annenberg Space for PhotographyRohingya live in an informal settlement in Shamlipur, in Bangladesh, Jan. 10, 2016. The Rohingya are systematically marginalized, and forced into formal and makeshift camps across Bangladesh and Myanmar. They often occupy hard labor jobs, like riding cycle rickshaws, working in the ice factories, fishing, and manual labor jobs they pick up daily.Lynsey Addario for The Annenberg Space for Photography
