24/08/2026
| 9TH ANNIVERSARY OF ROHINGYA GENOCIDE REMEMBRANCE DAY
Today, 25 August is not an ordinary day for the . It is a day of remembrance, mourning, truth and the continued demand for justice.
years ago, on 25 August 2017, the Myanmar military launched its so-called “clearance operations” across Arakan northern Rakhine State.
It was a devastating campaign against Rohingya civilians, marked by mass killings, shootings, village burnings, r**e and other sexual violence, torture, looting, forced displacement, and the destruction of homes and entire communities.
Women, men, children, elderly people, teachers, community leaders and entire families were among the victims. Survivors described children being killed or burned, women and girls subjected to sexual violence, families being separated, civilians being locked inside homes before those homes were set on fire, and people being shot while attempting to flee.
According to Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), an estimated at least 6,700 Rohingya died from violence during the first month of the 2017 campaign, including approximately 730 children under five. MSF estimated approximately 9,000 Rohingya deaths overall among the population covered by its refugee surveys during that period.
These figures are estimates not a complete death registry. Myanmar denied independent investigators access, bodies were frequently burned or buried, survivors were displaced, and countless victims disappeared without documentation.
The UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar later documented thousands of Rohingya civilians killed, including mass killings in Min Gyi/Tula Toli, Chut Pyin, Maung Nu and Inn Din. The UN also reported satellite evidence showing that at least 392 Rohingya villages were razed to the ground.
More than 700,000 Rohingya were forced to flee to Bangladesh in 2017, crossing rivers, forests and dangerous terrain to save their lives. They arrived carrying the trauma of violence and the memories of those they had lost.
THIS IS NOT JUST HISTORY
For the Rohingya, 25 August is a living memory.
It is the memory of parents who lost their children, children who lost their parents, families who were torn apart, survivors who witnessed unimaginable violence, and communities whose villages were destroyed and erased.
It is also a reminder that the truth must be preserved and justice must not be forgotten.
ROHINGYA RIGHTS WATCH — DOCUMENTARY RESEARCH DOSSIER
As a Rohingya-led documentary and human rights research organisation, Rohingya Rights Watch (RRW) is committed to documenting, preserving and amplifying the truth about the 2017 atrocities.
Our documentary research focuses on 25 August–31 December 2017, with particular attention to:
- Mass killings and death estimates, while clearly distinguishing between different methodologies and sources.
- Documented villages and incidents, including Min Gyi/Tula Toli, Chut Pyin, Maung Nu, Gu Dar Pyin, Inn Din, Koe Tan Kauk and Kha Maung Seik/Fora Bazaar.
- Village destruction and burning, supported by satellite imagery and independent investigations.
- Sexual violence and gender-based atrocities, including crimes committed against women and girls.
- The destruction of homes, property and evidence, including subsequent bulldozing and clearance of depopulated villages.
- International accountability, including the work of the UN Fact-Finding Mission, IIMM, ICC and ICJ.
- Digital and documentary evidence preservation, including photographs, videos, testimonies, satellite imagery and other records.
REMEMBER. DOCUMENT. PRESERVE. SEEK JUSTICE.
The exact number of Rohingya killed in 2017 may never be known. But the absence of a complete death registry does not mean the victims did not exist.
Every survivor carries a story.
Every destroyed village carries a history.
Every mass grave carries evidence.
Every victim deserves to be remembered.
Nine years later, we remember.
We document.
We preserve the truth.
We demand justice.
And we will not allow the history of the Rohingya to be erased.
25 AUGUST 2017 — NEVER FORGOTTEN.
For the victims.
For the survivors.
For the families.
For justice.
Rohingya Rights Watch (RRW)
Documenting truth. Preserving memory. Defending human rights.
Read More: https://rohingyarightswatch.substack.com/p/25-august-2026-9th-anniversary-of?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=73nz7i
