question_answer

"“No worst horrors I have witnessed in my life than these,” Begum recalls. “I fled the country to look for a safe haven. I set off for Malaysia in 2016.”"

At eighteen years old, barely an adult, she was confronted with decisions that would alter the course of her life.

Begum would become one of more than half a million Rohingya forced to abandon their homes in 2016 after what several reports have called the ethnic cleansing, or genocide, of Rohingya Muslims. Hundreds of stories of gang rape, torture and murder have emerged from Rakhine state in northern Myanmar, of which the armed forces have denied any responsibility.

Like many who escaped. Begum ended up first in neighbouring Bangladesh, eventually making her way by boat to Malaysia via Thailand. She says that she stayed on the vessel that carried about 900 people for four month, “"crying all the time."”

Begum had narrowly escaped the horrors she saw In Myanmar, but she found herself unable to run from the violence that her smugglers would-inflict on her and other women.

She shares her harrowing tale: “"They [the smugglers] used to abduct women at night and molest them...We were also harassed. We tried to protect ourselves, unfortunately, we were still raped...We had to obey them even if we didn'’t want to...We could only save our lives.”"

Today, Begum has started to rebuild her life in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia’'s capital, a world away from the horrors she saw.

Doing so is not easy. Malaysia has welcomed refugees and asylum seekers from various countries, including Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia, Syria and Afghanistan. As of May 2019, nearly 173,800 have registered with the UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) in Malaysia. But they have little rights, including the right to work.

It was through the Rohingya Women Development Network (RWDN) that Begum found the tools to help her re-establish her life.

Started in 2016, RWDN is Malaysia'’s first women-led group to give Rohingya women refugees a platform to empower themselves and to speak up for their rights.

Founder Sharifah Shakirah, herself a Rohingya refugee, says, “"Our women have started coming to Malaysia by being trafficked [sic], and they were abused; they were raped, they were tortured, they were detained.

"“RWDN provides a safe space for our women, where they can talk about their problems, share their feelings... solve them together.”

“RWDN is trying to educate our people why it’'s important for women to come out of the house, get an education, work and contribute to their family in a society.”"

The group provides skills training so that the women can develop a trade and earn an income, and aims to tackle the social problems inherent in the

Rohingya community, like child marriage and domestic violence. "“They'’re (the women) changing not only themselves, but also people around them, especially their children,”" Sharifah says.

Sharifah first arrived in the Southeast Asian country 20 years ago. Without any legal documents she was smuggled from Myanmar via Thailand and reunited with her father and siblings in Kuala Lumpur.

Despite facing discrimination much of her life from locals and her own community, the outspoken 25-year-old has made it her purpose to advocate for the rights of the Rohingya, especially for women and girls.

“"Many people think we are economic migrants. But we are not. We are refugees, we have been fleeing our country to save our lives.”"

UNHCR defines refugees as those who have “"fled war, violence, conflict or persecution and crossed an international border to find safety in another country.”"

Sharifah was recognised for her activism this year, becoming the first non-Malaysian to be nominated for the International Women of Courage Award by the US State Department.

Rohingya Muslims, the victims of genocide have emigrated from which place?

A) Rakhine Province

B) Myanmar

C) Both (a) and (b)

D) Malaysia and Indonesia