Every year on 25 August, Rohingya people around the world observe Rohingya Genocide Remembrance Day to honor the memory of those who lost their lives and to remember one of the darkest chapters in our nation's history.

On 25 August 2017, Myanmar military forces and its allies, rakhines launched large-scale ethnic cleansing operations across northern Arakan on the Rohingya civilians. In the days and months that followed, hundreds of Rohingya villages were destroyed, thousands of civilians were killed, arrested, women were raped and more than 700,000 Rohingya were forced to flee to Bangladesh. Families were separated, homes were burned, and entire communities were uprooted from their ancestral land.

For the Rohingya people, however, the tragedy of 2017 did not begin on a single day. It was the culmination of decades of systematic discrimination, denial of citizenship, restrictions on movement, deprivation of education and livelihoods, and repeated campaigns of persecution against our people with the target of entire Rohingya ethnic cleansing from the Arakan State of Myanmar.

Rohingya Genocide Remembrance Day is not only a day of mourning. It is a day to remember the victims, honor the sacrifices of those who endured unimaginable suffering, and preserve the truth of what happened. It is also a reminder of the continuing struggle of millions of Rohingya who remain displaced, stateless, and denied their fundamental rights.

As we observe this day, we pay tribute to all those who lost their lives, those who continue to suffer in displacement, and those who have dedicated themselves to the defense of the Rohingya people and their rights. Their sacrifice and resilience remain an enduring part of our national memory.

The events of 25 August 2017 must never be forgotten. Remembering them is a responsibility to the victims, to future generations, and to the ongoing pursuit of justice, dignity, freedom, and the rightful return of the Rohingya people to their homeland in Arakan.