Newcastle upon Tyne became the first city in the U.K., and around the world, to unveil a permanent memorial dedicated to the victims and survivors of the Rohingya genocide, which culminated in the 2017 Myanmar military “security clearance” operations in Rakhine State and has continued with attacks on the Rohingya following the 2021 military coup.
Nearly one million Rohingya have fled their homes in Myanmar into Bangladesh, where they are confined to refugee camps with no formal education, work opportunities, or freedom of movement. The U.S. government declared the Myanmar military attacks on the Rohingya a genocide in 2022.
The Myanmar military defended itself against allegations of genocide during legal proceedings in January at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). The ICJ case, brought by Gambia in 2019, accuses Myanmar of carrying out genocide against the Rohingya in 2017.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan requested an arrest warrant be issued against Min Aung Hlaing – for crimes against humanity committed against the Rohingya – by the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber 1 on Nov. 27, 2024.
The case was filed by the Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK (BROUK) on Nov. 13, 2019 for genocide against the Rohingya under the legal principle of universal jurisdiction, which allows prosecution in national courts for crimes committed anywhere in the world.
This new permanent Rohingya genocide memorial stone, situated in the Newcastle City Council’s Peace Garden, was officially unveiled following a ceremony at the Council Chamber on April 12.
A procession to the site was led by the Lord Mayor of Newcastle, Councillor Henry Gallagher, and the Mayor of Sunderland, Councillor Ehthesham Hoque, who formally unveiled the stone.
The initiative was spearheaded by Newcastle City Councillor and human rights advocate Habib Rahman, the Rohingya Action North East (RANE), the British Rohingya Community (BRC), and BROUK.
“This is a historic moment not just for Newcastle, but for the global community,” Rahman stated during the unveiling on April 12.
“Today we honour the lives lost, the resilience of survivors, and send a clear message that genocide must never be ignored or forgotten. The Rohingya people have endured decades of persecution, culminating in a campaign of mass violence, displacement, and atrocities that forced over a million people to flee their homes,” he added.
For the Rohingya community, this memorial marks a vital step toward international acknowledgment of the persecution it has faced over decades in Myanmar, which has led to Rohingya displacement to other countries in Southeast Asia and around the world as many have been resettled to third countries, including the U.K.
“For too long, our suffering has been denied, ignored, and pushed aside while the world failed to act,” said Tun Khin, the BROUK President. “This memorial is a powerful symbol that our pain is acknowledged, that our voices matter, and that the truth cannot be erased,” he added.
Nijam Uddin from BRC noted that the Newcastle City Council’s Peace Garden provides a place for reflection and dignity. “It also serves as a vital tool to educate future generations so that such atrocities are never repeated,” he added.
This memorial is intended to stand as a testament to the Rohingya community’s enduring call to the international community that justice and accountability is needed in Myanmar. The permanent Rohingya genocide memorial stone was crafted by Nationwide Headstone Company Ltd and jointly funded by BRC, BROUK, and RANE.
