A Public Letter to António Guterres from a Rohingya Refugee

A Public Appeal to António Guterres from a Rohingya Refugee

My name is Nurul Amin. I am a 56-year-old Rohingya from Tombru Village in Maungdaw Township, Arakan (Rakhine) State. My father’s name is Sayedur Rahman, and my mother’s name is Hajera Khatun. Like countless others in my community, I have endured relentless hardship due to conflict and persecution.

I have been forced into exile four times in my life:

• First, in 1978, during the military’s "Operation King Dragon" crackdown.
• Again, in 1992, when another wave of state-sponsored violence drove us out.
• Once more in 2012, following brutal riots and increased restrictions.
• And finally, in 2017, when we became victims of a full-scale genocide.

Each time, I lost everything—my home, my possessions, my dignity. Each time, I struggled to rebuild, only to be uprooted once more.

Now, I have spent nearly 17 years of my life in refugee camps, trapped in limbo, with no future and nowhere to call home.

Sir, today, we suffer once again.

War rages anew in Arakan, while in the refugee camps of Bangladesh, our already limited food aid is being cut drastically.

Like me, my children have been deprived of an education and a stable future.

We have been exiled not once, not twice, but four times.

Many of us remember 1992, when the United Nations facilitated our return to Myanmar—without guarantees of safety or rights. History repeated itself after the horrors of 2017, leaving us stranded once more in Bangladesh, living in camps that were never meant to be permanent.

Sir, I ask you one question:

We are human beings too, yet in this vast world, why have we not been granted even a tiny piece of land to call our own?

Animals and birds live peacefully. Even fish in the sea exist without struggle. Every creature has a rightful place—except us.

Why are the Rohingya denied even the smallest piece of land to live with dignity?

When I reflect on this, I am overwhelmed with sadness. At times, I even contemplate whether life is worth continuing.

What future do I have? What future do my children have? I no longer wish to live as a refugee.

Your visit to Bangladesh may be our last hope for meaningful change.

We cannot endure this suffering any longer.

If repatriation is to be considered, it must come with full citizenship, dignity, and security in our homeland. Otherwise, I beg you—help us find an alternative. A place where we can live as human beings, not as exiles dependent on dwindling aid.

We hear world leaders discussing the threat of World War III, yet even as the world braces for catastrophe, we remain forgotten.

If humanity is on the brink of a global crisis, why are we, the Rohingya, still denied the most basic rights in our own country?

Why must we continue to languish in camps, where our children are left without education, without food, and without a future? These questions haunt me every day.

Sir, my plea is simple yet urgent.

Please help us reclaim our rights in Myanmar. Before my life ends, I wish to experience the security and freedom that every human being deserves.

If that is not possible, then please grant us a place where we can finally live in peace.

We cannot bear this suffering any longer.

Sir, I believe in the power of the United Nations.

I trust that you uphold the dignity and rights of all human beings. I implore you—do not let us be forgotten.

Our people have suffered enough. We need justice. We need a future. We need the chance to stand on our own land without fear.

Thank you for reading my plea. I hope you will stand with us, fight for us, and help end our suffering—once and for all.

Yours sincerely,
Nurul Amin, Rohingya Refugee