Rohingya Crisis

📌 Background & Key Features

• Origins: Systematic persecution of the Muslim Rohingya minority in Myanmar’s Rakhine State, culminating in the 2016-17 Tatmadaw military crackdown that triggered a mass exodus to Bangladesh (Cox’s Bazar — world’s largest refugee camp).
• Repatriation deadlock: A 2017 Bangladesh-Myanmar repatriation agreement has never meaningfully progressed; Myanmar’s continued instability post-2021 coup makes safe, voluntary return infeasible for most refugees.
• India’s stance: India does not recognise Rohingyas as refugees under domestic law (having never ratified the 1951 Refugee Convention); periodic deportation actions (including a controversial 2026-reported incident of Rohingyas being left in international waters near Myanmar) have drawn international criticism.

📋 Quick Facts

📰 Current Affairs Linkage (2025-26)

• 2025 was the deadliest year yet for Rohingya maritime crossings (UNHCR); over 2,800 undertook dangerous boat journeys between January-April 2026 alone, including a capsizing near the Andaman Islands that left ~250 people missing.
• At the UN General Assembly (Sept 2025), China and Russia pushed back against Western pressure on Myanmar, instead emphasising bilateral Myanmar-Bangladesh repatriation dialogue and "respect for national sovereignty."
• Myanmar’s tightly controlled 2025-26 elections (transitioning junta chief Min Aung Hlaing to a "civilian" role) are unlikely to materially improve conditions for durable, safe Rohingya return per most crisis assessments.

📝 PYQs for Practice (Mains)