The UCLA Center for Southeast Asian Studies is hosting a Rohingya genocide awareness panel on May 2 in the Powell Library Rotunda.
The discussion, which will run from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., seeks to raise awareness about continued violence against the Rohingya, an ethnic and religious minority in the predominantly Buddhist Myanmar. Since the end of British colonization, the Rohingya have been systematically targeted and killed by the Burmese military with the support of an extremist group. The Burmese government regards them as illegal immigrants and has purposely not created an ethnic citizen category to identify the group.
The public event will shed light on the historical background of the ethnic conflict and violence, issues of international and refugee law, the extent of human rights violations and activism within and beyond the country.
Panelists include Aliza Luft, assistant professor of sociology at UCLA; Amjad Mahmood Khan, professor of law at UCLA School of Law; and Ko Ko Naing, a founding member of the Los Angeles Rohingya Society. The panel will be moderated by Geoff Robinson, professor of history at UCLA.
The event is free and open to the public, but RSVP is requested.