A Refugees Journey From Myanmar Leaving My Homeland PDF
A Refugees Journey From Myanmar Leaving My Homeland PDF
A Refugees Journey From Myanmar Leaving My Homeland PDF
Homeland A Refugee’s
Myanmar
Journey from
Ellen Rodger
Crabtree Publishing Company
www.crabtreebooks.com
Leaving My
Homeland
A Refugee’s Journey
from
Myanmar
Ellen Rodger
Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
(Leaving my homeland)
Includes index.
Issued in print and electronic formats.
ISBN 978-0-7787-3674-5 (hardcover).--
ISBN 978-0-7787-3681-3 (softcover).--ISBN 978-1-4271-1971-1 (HTML)
Published in Canada Published in the United States Published in the United Kingdom Published in Australia
Crabtree Publishing Crabtree Publishing Crabtree Publishing Crabtree Publishing
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St. Catharines, Ontario 350 Fifth Avenue, 59th Floor Basin Road North, Hove Coburg North
L2M 5V6 New York, New York 10118 BN41 1WR VIC, 3058
What Is in This Book?
Leaving Myanmar...................................................................4
My Homeland, Myanmar.......................................................6
Syed’s Story: Home Is Family...............................................8
No Peace, No Justice............................................................10
Syed’s Story: Leaving Home...............................................12
Where to Live?.......................................................................14
Syed’s Story: The Smugglers’ Boats.................................16
Life in Limbo..........................................................................18
Syed’s Story: Alone in Indonesia.......................................20
Stateless People...................................................................22
Syed’s Story: Brothers Reunited.......................................24
An Unsettled Life..................................................................26
You Can Help!........................................................................28
Glossary.................................................................................30
Learning More.......................................................................31
Index and About the Author................................................32
Leaving Myanmar
Imagine living in a country
where fear is normal. You fear
government soldiers, the police,
and maybe even your next-
door neighbor. You might be
scared of being attacked if you
leave your home. That is what
life is like for some people in
Myanmar.
4
China
Bangladesh
Myanmar
Vietnam
Naypyidaw
Rakhine
State Laos
Bay of
Bengal
Thailand
Andaman Sea
Cambodia
5
My Homeland, Irrawaddy River
Naypyidaw
Myanmar is surrounded by mountains on three
sides. On its other side is the Bay of Bengal.
For thousands of years, people farmed the
land in the rich valleys and jungles near the
Irrawaddy and Chindwin rivers.
6
Myanmar’s
Myanmar’s flag Story in Numbers
There are nine main ethnic
groups in Myanmar. They are:
Bamar: 68 percent
Shan: 9 percent
Karen: 7 percent
Seeking control over Burma, the
Rakhine (Arakanese): 4 percent
British Empire went to war with
Chin: 3 percent
the Burmese Empire in 1824.
Mon: 2 percent
Two more wars followed. By
Kachin: 1.5 percent
1885, Burma was under British
Wa: 0.16 percent
control. It became a British
Rohingya: 0.15 percent
colony in 1937.
7
Syed’s Story:
Home Is Family
I like to tell people about my home. My city
is Sittwe. It is the capital of Rakhine State,
which we call Arakan. Sittwe is by the sea,
where three rivers meet the Bay of Bengal. In
my city, there are many fishers and farmers. Houses along the Kaladan
There is also a big market with many fish River are build on stilts
to keep them above water
stalls. when the river floods.
8
UN Rights of the Child
You have
the right to
choose your own
religion
and beliefs.
9
No Peace, No Justice
When Myanmar (Burma) became an independent country in 1948, the
Rohingya were considered citizens, or people who legally belong in a
country. In 1962, the military completely took control. The military
government decided the Rohingya no longer belonged in the country.
They believed the Rohingya did not always live in Myanmar (Burma),
but instead were the descendants of people from India who came to
Myanmar (Burma) when it was a British colony.
Thousands of Rohingya
were forced to move to
camps near Sittwe. The
camps are overcrowded.
10
These Rohingya refugees
living in Malaysia are
protesting the killing of
their people in Myanmar.
3.5 million.
of Rohingya have fled to
neighboring countries
as refugees. In 2016, the About 1.5 million Rohingya have fled
government began rounding Myanmar since 1948.
up Rohingya and placing them
in camps.
11
Syed’s Story:
Leaving Home
Things became very bad.
People went missing all the
time. Nobody knew what
happened to them. My cousin
Abdullah was attacked while
walking home
from prayers at the mosque.
The police killed him just for
going to pray. They beat him
and left him bleeding in the
street. After that, my father
decided it was not safe to
stay. “Soon, they will kill
us in our beds,” he said.
Even Rohingya children are
My father found a smuggler treated badly in Myanmar.
who would take us to
Malaysia on a boat. We had
only enough money for one of us. My father decided
Nazir would go. He was a young man of 16 who
could take care of himself. I was only 10 years old.
My father and I would come later—when we could get
more money to pay the smugglers.
12
Myanmar’s Story in Numbers
56,135
Rohingya refugees are registered, or
Nazir did not want to leave. All his
memories are in Sittwe. He gave
officially recorded, in Malaysia. Many me his soccer ball to keep. It was his
are children under the age of 18. most prized possession. We prayed
together before he left. He packed
water and food for the journey.
This Rohingya boy is a
refugee in Malaysia.
We hoped it would be enough.
Two of my cousins also went.
13
Where to Live?
Life is dangerous for the
Rohingya. Government soldiers
burn their villages. Many
Rohingya people are forced to
live in internal displacement
camps (IDCs) near Sittwe.
Lack of healthy food leads
to malnutrition for people in
these camps. Diseases are also
common.
Hundreds of thousands
of Rohingya people have
fled Myanmar. Some walk
to Bangladesh. Others pay
smugglers with boats to take
them to Malaysia, Indonesia,
Thailand, or the Philippines.
Once there, they are still not A Rohingya mother and her children
safe. The governments of those sit outside of their housing at a refugee
countries do not accept them camp in Bangladesh.
14
UN Rights of the Child
You have the right
Bangladesh has 33,000 registered to a nationality.
Rohingya refugees. Many of those
have been in the country for
decades. To be registered means to
be recognized by the UN as a refugee. Doing so means
refugees can use UN services such as medical care and
schools. It also protects them from being sent back to
Myanmar. But, even if refugees register with the UN, they are
not recognized as refugees by individual countries. Around
300,000–500,000 refugees are unregistered in Bangladesh.
They live in camps without services such as water or schools. They
work illegally to support themselves. In Thailand, human traffickers
sometimes sell unregistered Rohingya as slaves.
15
Syed’s Story:
The Smugglers’ Boats
My father was scared that
if we did not leave soon,
we would be killed. He
borrowed money to pay
the smugglers. They would
take us by boat to Thailand.
Then we would travel
overland to Malaysia. We
would see my brother Nazir
soon! Before we left, we
visited my mother’s grave
and said prayers.
The smugglers were rough. Their boat leaked and we were packed in
without room to move. I slept upright with my back on my father’s chest.
The smugglers had to avoid the patrol, or police, ships. Patrol ships do
not like refugees. Near Thailand, a navy ship saw us and towed us to
shore. The navy would not let us land. They then towed
us back out farther and took the boat’s engine.
16
UN Rights of the Child
Children have the right to a
Without an engine, we drifted government that protects
in the ocean. People ran out of them. The government must
water and food, and began to die. help families protect children’s
Some were so thirsty they drank rights, so that they can grow and
seawater. My father was saving reach their full potential.
most of our small supply of food
and water for me. Each day, he
became weaker. We slept most of
the time. One day, I woke up and my father had died.
I was terrified and heartbroken. I had no one.
We drifted more days. I thought I would die like my father. Then, in the
night, our boat hit land. We had drifted to Sumatra, Indonesia.
Myanmar
Sittwe Laos
Thailand
Malaysia
Sumatra
17
Life in Limbo
Every country in the world has
citizenship rules. Often, people are
considered citizens when
they are born in a country, or
if one or both of their parents
are citizens of a country.
of th
Rightsethnic
UTheN largest e Cinhild
group
Children have the right to an
identity. They have a right to an
official record of who they are. No
one has the right to take this away.
18
Rohingya people have been living in this
refugee camp in Bangladesh for more than
10 years. They are unregistered and not
supported by aid organizations.
Many organizations that fight for human rights say that the Rohingya
are in danger of genocide. Genocide is the organized killing of a
group of people because of their race, ethnicity, or religious beliefs.
The Rohingya’s lives are threatened, and their villages have been
burned.
19
Syed’s Story:
Alone in Indonesia
I was a boy in Myanmar, but now I must be
a man. The camp in Indonesia was just a
few buildings and tents. I was put in a tent
with other children. None of us had parents or relatives
to take care of us, so we had to take care of ourselves.
20
UN Rights of the Child
You have the right to freedom
and protection from war.
21
Stateless People
About 10 million people around the world are stateless.
The Rohingya in Myanmar make up 1.3 million of this
number. They are targets of discrimination and violence.
Living in the country is dangerous, but so is leaving.
Many have died trying to reach a safe country.
22
Myanmar’s Story in Numbers
It is estimated that there are between
800,000 and
An estimated 400,000
Rohingya live in Saudi
1.3 million
Arabia. Saudi Arabia was a
safe place for them in the
1970s. But, today, migrants
stateless Rohingya remaining in Myanmar. are held there in prisons
There may be up to until they are deported.
100,000
Rohingya forced to live in IDCs in Myanmar.
Most Rohingya migrants are
unregistered refugees. They
have little hope of becoming
citizens of the countries
where they are living. They
are under constant threat
that they will be deported.
Small communities of
Rohingya refugees are
in Canada and the United
States. Many of them are
now citizens of these
countries.
23
Syed’s Story:
Brothers Reunited
A man visited the camp one day. He came from Lenga, a city nearby. He
brought some used clothing for all the children. He has children, too.
He had a phone and helped me call my brother Nazir in Malaysia. I had
to tell my brother about our father. Nazir was strong. He said we only
have each other now. He promised to care for me.
This market is in a
camp in Bangladesh.
About 33,000 registered
Rohingya live in camps
in Bangladesh.
24
UN Rights of the Child
You have the right to special
care and help if you cannot live
with your parents.
Undocumented refugees
cannot legally work. Often,
they are hired to work jobs
in construction, factories,
or markets.
But since they are not
legal, employers may
pay them less or take
advantage of them.
25
An Unsettled Life
To flee violence in Myanmar,
the Rohingya risk their lives.
They walk for days and
take dangerous voyages in
overcrowded boats. Many
of them do not make it to a
safe place. If they do reach
a safe country, they may not
be allowed to stay. In some
safe countries, they can
live for decades but with no
citizens’ rights. It is like living
in a neighbors’ front yard.
They may allow you to stay
there. But the yard is not your
permanent home and they can
make you leave at any time.
26
Refugees’ only hope for permanent
protection is for their home country
be safe again, or to be resettled in
another country. To be resettled,
refugees must be registered.
27
You Can Help!
It is important to care about refugees
in the world, even if they will never live
near you. There are several things you
can do to help the Rohingya people.
y o u r s c h o o l or in yo ur
at on refugees.
Visit a librar y r e a d b o o k s
or row an d
co m munity. B
io n s t h a t h e lp refugees.
anizat
Research org a s k a p a rent or guard
ian
s o
Many are onli
ne,
t h e m . S o m e organizations
earch for
to help yo u s a t io n s H ig h Co m missioner
nite d N al,
inclu de the U R ), A m n e s t y Internation
(UNH C
for Refugees a l R e s c u e Co m mittee.
rnat io n
an d the Inte
h
le a r n e d in this bo ok w it
o u hav e
Share what y g e t h e m to learn more
Enco u ra
yo ur frien ds. n d refugees.
co m e r s a
abo ut new
g e e o r n e w c o mer center.
al refu ittee for
Contact a loc e U .S . C o m m
such as th
Organizations n t s h a v e lo cal chapters.
Im migra
Refugees an d
m h o w y o u can help.
Ask the
le t te r t o a go vernment
dly
Write a frien r o v in c ia l, o r fe deral).
e (state, p Rohingya
representativ s s u c h a s t h e
help refugee y
Ask them to G o v e r n m e n ts can help b
anmar.
peo ple of My M y a n m a r to act fairly
.
ure o n
putting press
28
UN Rights of the Child
Children have the right
to play and rest.
June 20 is World
Refugee Day. These
young women are
marking it by taking
part in a rally. What can
you do to mark World
Refugee Day?
Discussion Prompts
1. Explain the difference between a refugee,
an immigrant, and an IDP.
2. Do you think governments should
do more to help child refugees? Why?
3. After reading this book, can you
give an example of how child refugees
in countries such as Myanmar are
especially at risk?
29
Glossary
b.c.e. Before the Common homeland The country where
Era; a time period more than someone was born or grew up
2,000 years ago human traffickers People who
bribe Money paid to someone so illegally move humans for money
that they will act in your favor immigrants People who leave one
civil wars Wars between groups of country to live in another
people in the same country independence Free from outside
colony A country under the control control
of another country internal displacement camps
cultures Shared beliefs, values, (IDCs) Camps within a country
customs, traditions, arts, and where people go when forced to
ways of life of a particular group leave their homes
of people internally displaced persons
deported Expelled, or removed, (IDPs) People who are forced
from a country from their homes during
discrimination Unfair treatment of a conflict, but remain in
someone because of their race, their country
religion, ethnic group, malnutrition Sickness caused by
or other identifiers not having enough to eat
dynasties Rulers from the migrants People who move from
same family one place to another
empires A group of countries refugees People who flee from
under a single ruler their own country to another due
ethnic groups Groups of people to unsafe conditions
who have the same nation, smuggler Someone who moves
culture, and religion goods or passengers illegally
ethnically cleansing Expelling United Nations (UN) An
or killing people who belong international organization
to a particular ethnic or religious that promotes peace between
Websites
http://easyscienceforkids.com/myanmar
Visit this website for some quick facts about Myanmar.
www.oddizzi.com/teachers/explore-the-world/places/asia/burma-
myanmar-2/burma-myanmar/
Discover a lot of facts about Myanmar and learn a few phrases.
www.unicef.org/rightsite/files/uncrcchilldfriendlylanguage.pdf
Read about the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
www.unrefugees.org/what-is-a-refugee
This website has information and videos that will help you understand
what it feels like to be a refugee in a foreign country.
31
Index
Bamar people 6, 7, 19 maps 5, 6, 17
Buddhists 7, 11 military government 4, 7, 10,
Burma 4, 6–7, 10 11, 14
Muslims 5, 9, 11, 12
children/orphans 9, 12, 13, 19,
20, 21, 24, 26, 27 refugee camps 9, 10, 14–15, 18,
citizenship 18–19, 23 19, 20–21, 23, 27
civil war 18–19 registration 13, 15, 19, 23, 24,
25, 27
dangers 9, 12, 14, 22, 26 resettlement 27
rights, taking away 10
escaping by boat 8, 13, 16–17
ethnic groups 4, 7, 19 smugglers 12–13, 16, 24–25
Syed’s story 8–9, 16–17, 20–21,
finding work 15, 25 24–25
32
Leaving My
Homeland
Imagine having to leave your homeland because you are not safe.
You must leave most of your friends, family, and belongings behind.
Leaving My Homeland helps explain why some people must flee
their country, and the challenges they face as refugees.
Inspired by the accounts of many refugees, each book follows
a story about a child and his or her family, explaining facts about
their homeland and its people along the way.
Guided Reading: S