2015 Rohingya refugee crisis
A regional displacement emergency in which thousands of Rohingya and Bangladeshi migrants crossed the Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea by boat.
Rohingya people: A predominantly Muslim ethnic minority with longstanding roots in Myanmar’s Rakhine State. Many people fleeing by boat were Rohingya escaping persecution and statelessness in Myanmar.
Rakhine State: A coastal state in western Myanmar, home to much of the country’s Rohingya population. Persecution and restrictions there prompted many Rohingya to flee by sea.
Association of Southeast Asian Nations: A regional organization of Southeast Asian states that coordinates political, economic, and security cooperation. Its members faced pressure to coordinate responses despite divergent policies toward boat arrivals.
Rescue at sea: The duty and practice of assisting people in distress at sea and bringing them to a place of safety. The crisis tested whether states would rescue boats and allow survivors to disembark.
Human trafficking: The recruitment, transport, or exploitation of people through coercion, deception, or abuse of vulnerability. Traffickers and smugglers exploited migrants on dangerous routes across the Bay of Bengal.
Rohingya statelessness: The condition of Rohingya people denied recognized citizenship and its associated protections in Myanmar. Lack of citizenship restricted security, movement, and access to basic services, intensifying displacement.
2015 Southeast Asian migrant crisis summit: A May 2015 Bangkok meeting where regional states discussed irregular migration and people smuggling. The summit addressed the crisis but did not create a binding regional refugee-protection system.
1951 Refugee Convention: The international treaty defining refugee status and setting core protections for refugees. Its protections framed debate over asylum, although several destination states were not parties.
Bay of Bengal: A northeastern arm of the Indian Ocean bordered by South and Southeast Asia. Boats carrying migrants crossed this sea toward Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia.
1982 Myanmar citizenship law: A Myanmar law establishing citizenship categories that excluded most Rohingya from full citizenship recognition. Its citizenship framework helped entrench the legal exclusion faced by Rohingya.