“The Torture in My Mind”

Sub-title: 

The Right to Mental Health for Rohingya Survivors of Genocide in Myanmar and Bangladesh

Description: 

"It has been three years since “Saiful,” 27, escaped genocidal attacks in Myanmar’s Rakhine State. His experience continues to affect him. “I cannot think well,” he said. “I’ve become thin and gangly because of the stress. I feel tired. I cannot eat well. I feel angry when I imagine the persecution.” Born and raised in northern Rakhine State, Saiful survived grinding human rights violations since his childhood, and in 2017, he witnessed mass atrocities perpetrated by Myanmar Army soldiers against Rohingya civilians. In August that year, at the height of Myanmar Army-led attacks on Rohingya, Saiful fled massacres, deadly arson attacks, mass rape, and other crimes, leaving behind murdered family and friends to join Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, who now number approximately one million. “No one is helping us in proper ways,” he said from a refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar District, Bangladesh. “I cannot sleep when I remember my relatives who were killed. It is very difficult for me to do any work.” Saiful is describing symptoms typically associated with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), a serious mental health condition. In the case of Rohingya who survived recent attacks, the mental harm of PTSD can be destructive, impairing daily functioning and the ability to live a full and constructive life. Saiful is unfortunately not the only Rohingya refugee suffering from serious mental health conditions due to human rights violations and violence perpetrated against Rohingya in Myanmar. The quantitative research included in this report and conducted by a team of ten Rohingya researchers and Fortify Rights provides new evidence of the pervasive and severe mental health toll that human rights violations and violence has had on the Rohingya community. This report documents and analyzes the findings of this Rohingya-led participatory action research. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) estimate that 12 months after an emergency, approximately 15 to 20 percent of adults will experience some type of moderate or mild mental health disorder. The Rohingya are suffering at significantly higher rates. The Rohingya-led participatory action research..."

Creator/author: 

Andrew Riley, Matthew Smith, Amy Smith and Isabella Smith

Source/publisher: 

"Fortify Rights" (Myanmar)

Date of Publication: 

2020-12-10

Date of entry: 

2021-01-07

Grouping: 

  • Individual Documents

Category: 

Countries: 

Myanmar, Bangladesh

Language: 

English

Local URL: 

Format: 

pdf

Size: 

3.11 MB ( reduce version)

Resource Type: 

text

Text quality: 

    • Good

Alternate URLs: 

Remote URL: