Their journey as a Rohingya refugee inspires their advocacy for fellow refugees today. Learn about the incredible work of Hafsar Tameesuddin in a Q+A interview in honor of World Refugee Day.
A: I am a Rohingya human rights activist from Myanmar. Due to the amendment of citizenship law in 1982, I have been a stateless person since birth. As a stateless individual, I experienced deprivation of basic human rights such as access to higher education, employment, obtaining a legal identity, and receiving legal protection from any government worldwide. I was unable to travel from one town to another without authorized legal travel documents, even within the same state where I was born. Obtaining such documents requires a significant payment and is usually difficult to obtain.
A: In my 20s, I left Myanmar and traveled to the border of Thailand through irregular means due to a lack of legal documentation. I sought asylum protection in Thailand, but it was unsuccessful as I was in hiding and lacked support and reliable information. After two years in Thailand, I moved to Malaysia and sought refugee status under the UNHCR. I spent about nine years in Malaysia as a refugee until I was resettled in New Zealand in early 2019.
In 2012, there was an ethnic riot between Rakhine and Rohingyas, during which thousands of innocent Rohingyas were slaughtered, and houses were burnt. My family, relatives, and friends were in Rakhine state and elsewhere in the country at that time. I felt powerless, concerned for the safety of my family. That’s when I decided to start my activism and advocacy for many others in similar situations. I realized that no one would liberate us until we stood up for our rights as the oppressed. Since then, I have dedicated myself to advocacy and activism for Rohingyas and other refugees, gender equality, sexual and gender-based violence, and LGBTQ+ communities.
A: The small milestones we have accomplished along the journey of advocating for the rights of refugees, forcibly displaced communities, and other vulnerable groups motivate me. I believe in the power of people, bottom-up approaches, and collective and shared visions. With my lived experiences, I cannot see myself doing anything else but working in this sector and doing what I can to make the world a little better. I acknowledge that I am just a drop of water in a vast ocean, playing a very small role. However, I believe in the power of collective action and the change it can achieve. As a refugee not legally protected by the government of Malaysia, it was not safe to engage in activism and advocacy. Nevertheless, I did so with the hope of a better future for myself and others in similar circumstances.
I acknowledge that I am just a drop of water in a vast ocean, playing a very small role. However, I believe in the power of collective action and the change it can achieve.
A: We, at the Asia Pacific Refugee Rights Network, strive to build more capacity for diverse refugee-led and impacted-persons-led organizations and initiatives. Decentralization of power and shared visions are crucial for systemic, positive, and transformative change in our sector. We also encourage and advocate for coordination among our members and different actors and agencies for potential collective advocacy for the rights and protection of refugees and other vulnerable populations in our region and beyond.
A: You can support refugees through capacity building. Advocate with us for emergency responses, and short-term, medium-term, and long-term comprehensive responses, including social cohesion, socioeconomic inclusion, resettlement, complementary pathways, and safe and dignified repatriation.
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