Description:
"Wherever they are and wherever they go, Rohingya children in south and southeast Asia
face discrimination, exclusion, and denial of their most basic rights. For most of these
children, these challenges begin in Myanmar, where the Rohingya community has suffered
decades of state-sponsored persecution and violence. However, even after Rohingya
families have left Myanmar – often in search of safety or a better life for themselves and
their families – Rohingya continue to experience unequal treatment and denial of their
rights, which over time has exposed them, their children, and their children’s children to
ever-widening cycles of deprivation and marginalisation.
This report examines the situation of Rohingya
children in five countries in southeast and south
Asia: Myanmar, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Thailand,
and Indonesia. As places of origin, transit, and/or
destination, these countries are home – either
permanently or temporarily – to hundreds of
thousands of Rohingya children. All countries are
required under international law to respect, protect,
and fulfil these children’s human rights. Yet too often
these rights are denied.
Based on in-depth desk research, key informant
interviews, and analysis of national laws, the report
examines three areas affecting Rohingya children’s
lives and enjoyment of their rights: legal status and
access to identity documentation; access to
education; and risks to security and wellbeing, in
addition to other child protection concerns. While
not intended as a comprehensive examination of the
situation, the report seeks to provide a snapshot of
the challenges – in law, policy, and practice – that
prevent Rohingya children in these countries from
living their lives in safety and with dignity, equality,
and respect for their rights.....LIFE ON THE MARGINS:Based on publicly available information and estimates
by non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and
other credible sources, there are close to
700,000 Rohingya children in the five countries
covered by this report. Rohingya boys and girls live
lives on the margins of society across the region.
Most lack any formal legal status – deprived of the
right to a nationality in Myanmar and effectively
rendered stateless as a result. Most Rohingya
children inherit their de facto statelessness from their
parents and – when they grow up – go on to pass it
on to their children, perpetuating cycles of exclusion
and marginalisation. Rohingya children also often
struggle to access birth registration, which means
they often have often no official record that they
even exist. Failure to provide children with birth
certificates exposes them to a range of age-related
abuse and exploitation and can prevent them
from exercising other rights and receiving legal
recognition and protection as children.
Across the region, Rohingya children struggle
to access comprehensive, quality education. The
reasons for this are varied and wide-ranging. In
some countries, discriminatory policies prohibit
Rohingya children from accessing formal education,
while in others, policies which on paper should
facilitate access to education are not enforced or
fully implemented. In several countries where access
to formal education is restricted, United Nations
(UN) agencies, NGOs and Rohingya community
groups have stepped into provide informal education; however, quality varies and lack of
resources – including adequate funding, facilities and
teaching staff – poses significant challenges.
While primary-level education is generally more
available, lack of schools and limited financial
resources mean that secondary level students
often struggle to continue their studies. Even
when they do, education is often not accredited,
which means that children leave school with no
officially recognised qualification. Adolescent girls
experience greater difficulties going to school as
cultural attitudes deprioritise girls’ education and
they face greater threats to their physical safety
when traveling long distances to the nearest
school. As a result, girls are much more likely to
drop out of school, placing them at greater risk
of early marriage and adolescent pregnancy.
Without education, children grow up with limited
opportunities to build a better life for themselves,
and this can have devastating impacts on their
emotional and psychological well-being. It also
seriously limits their ability to earn an income,
often condemning them to a life of poverty..."
Source/publisher:
Save the Children (London)
Date of Publication:
2021-06-22
Date of entry:
2021-06-22
Grouping:
- Individual Documents
Category:
Countries:
Myanmar, Bangladesh
Language:
English
Local URL:
Format:
pdf
Size:
1.39 MB
Resource Type:
text
Text quality:
- Good