Image from the upcoming film “Hossain”

By Susan MacLaury

Glancing at the front page of the New York Times is not for the faint of heart. Last week’s included:  Firearms with untraceable parts being sold online; the impact of gerrymandering on the 2024 midterms; and farmers threatened by supply chain problems. But the article that grabbed my attention is titled: “Driven out of Myanmar, and Facing Death Threats in Bangladesh.”

I am, of course, referencing the more than 1 million Rohingya who fled near-certain death in Myanmar in 2017 and now inhabit 34 camps in Bangladesh that are among the most crowded spaces on earth. Beyond the expectable privation such living conditions would predict – monsoons, mudslides, inadequate food and housing and lack of education – many now also fear assassination.

Several Rohingya community workers have been killed by a militant group calling itself ARSA, the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army, which vies with Bangladesh security forces for power over the community. ARSA funds itself through a number of illicit activities including drug trafficking and kidnapping. Although it was ARSA’s attacks on the Myanmar government in 2017 that triggered its backlash against the Rohingya community there, forcing 750,000 to flee and join thousands who had already left, ARSA is only the latest force to move against the Rohingya.

Knowing they were being targeted for murder, a number of Rohingya leaders had sought protection from both Bangladesh authorities and the UNHCR. And therein lies the problem: Who is ultimately responsible for Rohingya wellbeing? Bangladesh is desperate to relocate them and has sent tens of thousands to Bhasan Char, an island some call a “floating prison.” The UNHCR tries to persuade Bangladeshi authorities to mediate problems and forgo efforts to dismiss the refugees’ needs but has no direct authority to ensure this.

Shine Global is helping to produce a feature-length documentary called “Hossain,” about a 6-year old of the same name who has lived in the Cox’s Bazaar camp for the past 4 years. When the film  is completed in early 2022, we will help with its international impact campaign to sensitize, and hopefully compel, world leaders to recognize the plight of the Rohingya and to mobilize efforts to safely and permanently house them. They have endured more than their share of suffering and it’s time we all educate ourselves about their plight and do all we can to end it.

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Dr. Susan MacLaury, PhD, LSW is the co-founder and Executive Director of the non-profit media company Shine Global which gives voice to underserved children and their families by telling their stories of resilience to raise awareness, promote action, and inspire change.  She executive produced the Academy Award® Winning documentary Inocente, the Emmy Award®-winning, Academy Award®-nominated War/Dance, as well as The Harvest (La Cosecha), 1 Way Up in 3D, The Eagle Huntress, Through Our Eyes: Homefront, and Liyana. She is also the producer of the documentary films The Wrong Light and Virtually Free and co-producer of Tre Maison Dasan. Susan is dually degreed in social work administration and health education and was associate professor of health education at Kean University from 1994 through 2013.

Shine Global is an award-winning non-profit media company that gives voice to children and their families by sharing their stories of resilience to raise awareness, promote action, and inspire change. We produce inspiring films and compelling content about at-risk children. Through tailored distribution and outreach, we connect with our audiences in communities, classrooms, museums, and on capitol hill as part of a powerful engagement campaign to encourage social change.