24 March 2021: The Special Advisory Council for Myanmar, SAC-M, is devasted to learn of the fires in Balukhali Camp in Cox’s Bazar District, Bangladesh, where thousands of Rohingya refugees from Myanmar have been sheltering since 2017 and before.

All three members of SAC-M have visited the camps in Cox’s Bazar on multiple occasions and met with many refugees living there.

The fires have caused loss of life, while many who survived will now face even greater suffering and hardship. This for a community that has already lost, suffered and endured too much.

The close to one million Rohingya refugees living in the cramped and crowded camps in Cox’s Bazar are there because of the actions of the Myanmar military. They are unable to return to their homes in Myanmar, because of the Myanmar military. It is the Myanmar military who is ultimately responsible for what happens to Rohingya refugees as a result of them living in the cramped and crowded camps in Cox’s Bazar, including the tragic fires.

SAC-M’s thoughts are with all those in Cox’s Bazar who have lost loved ones as a result of the fires and calls on the United Nations and other humanitarian agencies serving Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar to ensure a strong and coordinated response. As Myanmar fights for a better future, let’s remember all the peoples of Myanmar to whom that future belongs.

Download the statement in English: SAC-M Refugee Camp Fires ENGLISH