By Andrian Putra
Burmese Rohingya refugees have fled their native Myanmar to avoid persecution, violence, and discrimination by military juntas in Myanmar, and have sought safety and a better life in neighboring countries.
More than 1 million Rohingya refugees have fled violence in Myanmar in successive waves of displacement since the 1990s.
There are currently more than 960,000 Rohingya refugees living in Bangladesh with a majority settled in and around refugee camps in Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar region — some of the largest and most densely populated camps in the world.
Many walked for days through jungles and undertook dangerous sea journeys across the Bay of Bengal to reach safety in Bangladesh. Over half of all Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh are children, while 51 percent are women and girls.
Rohingya refugees have also sought refuge in other neighboring countries like Malaysia, Thailand, and India, with smaller numbers settling in Indonesia, Nepal, and other countries across the region.
The United Nations has described the Rohingya as “the most persecuted minority in the world.”
Some of the Rohingya refugees have resettled in the U.S. through the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the United Nations Refugee Agency resettlement program.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with Georgia Asian Times, Ayub Mohammad shared his journey as a refugee and his effort to help other Rohingyas immigrants who have resettled in Georgia.
“I landed in Atlanta on February 28, 2012, with the help of UNHCR after spending four years in Sri Lanka waiting for my papers,” said Mohammad.
Mohammad decided to escape the turmoil and persecution in Burma after witnessing many innocent Rohingyas killed by Burmese junta soldiers near the Myanmar border.
He decided to escape with 70 other Rohingya and 21 Bangladeshi in a wooden boat.
They paid an unscrupulous “coyote” who claimed to know the navigation to a neighboring country to escape the military juntas.
“He (coyote) lied to all of us. He didn't know the way to escape. He didn't know the way. Instead, we stay afloat in the wide sea on an old wooden boat for 27 days until we are rescued,” said Mohammad.
Ayub and several men on the boat organized in groups to remove seawater leaks in the boat. “We had to take turns for the boat to stay afloat.”
“We stocked ourselves with 10 days of food supplies before starting the journey. After 10 days, we were afloat in the wild sea with no food and water for 17 days.”
20 people died and 55 Rohingyas survived the journey. They were spotted by Sri Lankan fishing trawlers but the fishermen didn't help. Later, they were eventually rescued by the Sri Lankan Navy in the Indian Ocean.
The Sri Lankan government placed them in a detention center while they were given proper medical treatment, food, clothing, and shelter.
“We are forever grateful to the Sri Lankan Navy for their rescue and for providing us medical help after dehydration for 27 days in the sea,” said Ayub.
The Rohingya refugees were given language training and education at the detention camp in Colombo. Several major non-governmental charity organizations (NGOs) such as Muslim Aid provided funding assistance to support their livelihood at the detention camp.
After about 4 years residing at the detention center, the refugees including Ayub began exploring their future country of settlement with UNHCR assistance.
Australia, Canada, and the U.S. are possible resettlement destinations; all of the 55 Rohingyas decided to resettle in the U.S. with the help of UNHCR. 13 individuals from the group eventually resettled in Clarkston, Georgia.
Ayub Mohammad is unofficially the first Burmese Rohingya refugee to arrive and resettled in Clarkston, Georgia.
“When I first arrived here, I couldn't find any Rohingya people here until 13 Rohingyas from Colombo joined me several months later.”
The World Relief Settlement Agency helped Ayub adjust to living in America. World Relief assisted with housing, food, and clothing. Ayub secured his first job at a local manufacturing factory.
“Transportation is a major problem as you need a car to go anywhere around here. Public transportation only works at certain hours of the day.”
As time passed, more Rohingyas refugees resettled in Clarkston. Ayub had an epiphany that he wanted the newly arrived Rohingya refugees to have much better experiences than him.
“I have decided to volunteer and to establish an organization to assist them to adjust to life in America,” said Mohammad.
Burmese Rohingya Community of Georgia was officially registered as a 501(c)3 non-profit on May 8, 2014.
According to the organization's website, its mission is to assist refugees gain independent, healthy, and successful lives here in the United States by providing them with long-lasting support, educational programs, healthcare necessities, empowerment skills, and social services.
“More importantly, we are to fulfill our obligation to help these families become self-sufficient once again,” added Mohammad proudly.
There are currently estimated over 1,000 Rohingya individuals residing in Georgia with 50 families recently resettled in Clarkston.
Upon arrival in the U.S., Burmese Rohingya refugees are provided with assistance to help them settle in the country. This assistance includes support with finding housing, access to healthcare, enrollment in English language classes, and help with finding employment.
Despite the challenges they face, many Burmese Rohingya refugees can rebuild their lives in the U.S. and contribute to their new communities.
They have established cultural centers, community organizations, and businesses, and have become involved in advocacy efforts to raise awareness about the plight of the Rohingya people in Myanmar.
BHRG recently purchased an old home in 2023 and converted it to a community center in Clarkston.
“This building enables us to offer cultural orientation, language classes, citizenship classes, translation services, and after-school programs for about 60 students,” said Mohammad.
“We have to be self-sufficient and independent. We have been discriminated against back in Burma and also by the local Burmese residents here in Georgia.”
The community center offers much hope for the local Rohingyas to rebuild their lives and raise their families without fear and prejudice in this country.
Burmese Rohingya Community of Georgia
501(c)3 non-profit organization
715 Northern Avenue
Clarkston GA 30021
www.brcgrohingya.org
