The UNPO secretariat works for the rights of the Rohingya peoples as a whole and might work with different civil society organizations, groups and representatives from the community. However, the main organization collaborating with the UNPO at the moment is the Rohingya Justice Initiative (RJI). 

The Rohingya people are an ethnolinguistic and cultural group originating from northern Rakhine (Arakan) state of Myanmar (Burma), with deep ancestral and territorial connections to the region spanning many decades. Despite the Rohingya’s rich cultural, ethnic and linguistic background dating back to the 8th Century, the state of Myanmar refuses to grant them any recognition.

The Rohingya possess a unique identity characterised by its own language, cultural practices, historical traditions and social norms distinct from other communities in Myanmar. Their language, Rohingya or Ruáingga, is an Indo-Aryan tongue enriched by influences from Arabic, Urdu, and Burmese, reflecting their diverse historical interactions. 

Traditionally, they have lived in tight-knit communities, sustaining themselves from farming, fishing, and local trade. Religious and cultural life is central to their identity, with customs centred around Islamic practices, family, and communal ritual. Their identity is deeply tied to the land, and even in exile, they preserve a strong sense of belonging to Rakhine. 

The Rohingya, a Muslim ethnolinguistic group originating from the northern Rakhine State of Myanmar, possess a long and complex history that deeply shaped their identity and cultural heritage. Historical accounts trace their presence in the region back centuries. The conquest of Arakan by the Burmese kingdom in 1785 marked the beginning of a long history of persecution, forcing tens of thousands of Rohingya to flee to British Bengal. During British colonialism in the 19th and early 20th centuries, the Rohingya maintained a separate identity, distinct from local Buddhists and newly arrived South Asian migrants. 

The tensions between the Rohingya and the Buddhist Rakhine population intensified during World War II when the Rohingya allied with the British, and Buddhist nationalists  sided with the Japanese. This period witnessed widespread intercommunal violence and deepened mistrust. Following Myanmar’s independence in 1948, the Rohingya were gradually excluded from the post-colonial national-building process. This culminated in the 1982 Citizenship Law, which denied them legal recognition as one of the country’s ethnic groups. Despite clear historical evidence of their rootedness in the region, the Rohingya remain stateless, marginalised, and subject to ongoing discrimination and persecution. 

In recent years, the Rohingya people have faced escalating racial, religious, and cultural persecution, marked by systematic exclusion, discrimination, and marginalisation by both state authorities and segments of the civilian population. This long-standing oppression culminated in the military-led “clearance operation” of August 2017, which resulted in the mass displacement of 700,000 Rohingya into Bangladesh. These operations were characterised by widespread atrocities including extrajudicial killings, arbitrary detentions, sexual and gender-based violence, destruction of property, and other grave violations under International Law. 

The International Criminal Court (ICC) is currently investigating crimes related to forced deportation and persecution, while the International Court of Justice (ICJ) is hearing a case brought by The Gambia, alleging that Myanmar violated its obligations under the Genocide Convention. Despite these international legal proceedings, conditions in Myanmar remain dire, especially under the military junta that seized power in February 2021. The Rohingya continue to be denied citizenship, freedom of movement, and access to basic services, while those in refugee camps face uncertainty, deteriorating living conditions, and limited prospects for voluntary and safe return.

These violations not only threaten the physical security of the Rohingya people but also undermine their right to self-determination. As a stateless people denied citizenship, political representation, and territorial autonomy, the Rohingya are effectively excluded from participating in the governance of their ancestral homeland. Nevertheless, the Rohingya people persist in preserving their cultural identity, language, and traditions, expressing a continued aspiration for justice, recognition, and the right to return to their ancestral homeland.