An outdoor photography exhibition showcasing photos of Rohingya was placed across seven locations in Jersey as part of a European premiere.
The Rohingya Experience, is a photographic exhibition offering an intimate view into the lives and experiences of the Rohingya refugee community in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. Curated by David Palazón and Sahat Zia Hero, the exhibition launched at the Jersey Arts Centre and was displayed in St Helier between 1–14 July 2024. i love the way every image has a different meaning to it.
Hope and dreams: The Rohingya artist’s daughter yearning to look like a princess
Onaysa Khan was only 3 months old when her father, the Rohingya artist Enayet Khan, took her picture. Her name in Arabic means ‘Good Friend’, the one who brings peace and calmness to the heart.
Decades of displacement: The harrowing life story of Rohingya refugee Muhammad Jalil
Muhammad Jalil was 102 years old when this photo was taken. Born in 1920 in Thaming Chaong, Rathedaung, he was one of the oldest Rohingya living in the refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar. He had been an eye-witness to many historical events in Arakan like the Japanese-British war before Burmese independence. Jalil first became a refugee in 1978, when the Tatmadaw —the Myanmar armed forces—conducted an operation called Naga Min (Dragon King) targeting the Rohingya through the confiscation of possessions, destruction of villages and desecration of mosques. The second time Jalil became a refugee was in 1991, when operation Phi Thaya (Clean and Beautiful Nation) was launched by the Tatmadaw resulted in killings, rape, arbitrary arrests and the burning of Rohingya villages. 250,000 Rohingya were forced to flee Bangladesh. Since then, Jalil lived in the refugee camp under crowded conditions, without freedom of movement or the most basic human rights, deprived of access to a healthy environment and to the nature he loved. He had lived with the only hope to go back to Myanmar before he died.
Guided by the light of her ancestors: The story of Umme Habiba
Umme Habiba, born in Myanmar to a family of three, cherishes a memory from her father, a Rohingya fisherman. His prized possession was a serak (kerosene lamp) inherited from his grandfather. Amid the 2017 conflict and ensuing brutality, Umme Habiba’s family fled Buthidaung township for Bangladesh. Her father, realising he’d left the lamp behind, was distraught, as it held immense sentimental value.
Like a sunset: Rohingya youth hopes for a beautiful ending to the hardship of their community
Amidst life’s difficulties in the refugee camp, this scene of beauty of a sunset over the camp reminds the photographer, Ro Mon Sur Ali, that even in our toughest moments, there’s a radiant end to each day. It inspires him the hope that a Rohingya future, too, may be as beautiful as this golden hour of the day.
25th August: The legacy of Rohingya Genocide Remembrance Day
View of the gathering that took place on August 25, 2019 to commemorate Rohingya Genocide Remembrance Day. This annual event honours and mourns the victims of the genocide against the Rohingya people, the ethnic minority group that has faced widespread persecution and violence in Myanmar for decades. The event was led by Mohib Ullah, an outspoken Rohingya leader and a brave and fierce advocate for the human rights of Rohingya Muslims around the world. Sadly he was assassinated by gunmen on 21st September 2021.
Threads of hope: A Rohingya girl’s embroidered journey
A teenage Rohingya girl finds solace in the art of embroidery, meticulously stitching her creation within the confines of her shelter. Though displaced, she carries on a long-standing crafting tradition among Rohingya women and girls.
Unbroken circle: Henna hands capture women’s unity in the Rohingya community
In the heart of the Rohingya Refugee Camp in Cox’s Bazar, a circle of young girls join hands in a collective practice that transcends mere physical connection. Their shared effort is a mingling of spirits, each contributing to a tapestry of uniqueness. To the discerning eye, the extraordinary can be found in the seemingly mundane.
Devoted son, daunting terrain: A Rohingya man’s courageous care for his mother
A Rohingya man carries his elderly mother up steep, rugged terrain to reach the nearest hospital in their overcrowded camp. The camps are not designed with accessibility in mind, making it extremely difficult for the disabled and elderly to navigate the hilly paths and countless stairs.