Saiful
Huq Omi is a photographer based in the Dhaka City, Bangladesh. His project,
"The Disowned and the Denied" focuses on the Rohingya refugees who
escaped from Burma in Dhaka, Bangladesh and Bradford, UK.
In
part 2 of the Denied and Disowned, the focus of the photographs are the
displaced Rohingya’s living in Bradford, UK.
Although
it is not a country they can honestly call their own, it does give the Rohingya
an opportunity to set up a life for themselves. The Rohingya returning to their
homeland will ultimately depend in the long run on Burma’s return to a working
Democratic state.
Many
thanks to the Magnum foundation for the permitted use of Saiful’s interview and
Saiful himself for the powerful photography that he brings to NGOinsider.com.
All images below are
subject to copyright and should not be republished without permission of the
photographer.
“ A small number of Rohingya refugees have been resettled in
Bradford.’’
''The Rohingya community in Bradford has been resettled from
Bangladesh. The conditions in the Bangladesh refugee camps are very basic and
even quite poor– so from a security and comfort perspective, they are better
off in Bradford.''
''How well they integrate into the local community, cope with
the difference in culture and weather, and face the geographic distance from
home is a different question altogether.''
‘’For Rohingya people, life in Bradford is ’unreal’. Even in their dreams they never
thought one day they would have a life like this.’’
''They are a resilient people and the hope is that they find
happiness and fulfillment in their new homes but also find ways to remain in
touch with all that they've left behind.’’
''Knowing life won’t be easy in this foreign land, the
Rohingya are preparing to face challenges. Parents hope their children will
have the dignity that they never had. They are planning their futures for the
first time in their lives.’’
''The Rohingya's history shows that even before the military
regime took power, there were tensions between the state and them. Even today
we see that the Rohingya are not well-integrated into the democratic movement.
So there is a danger that a democratic Burma will only go half the distance
necessary to address past injustices, promote future equality, and facilitate
their full integration into society.''
Please
take a moment to see the work of Saiful Huq Omi and the Magnum foundation: The Magnum foundation
We conclude the article with Saiful’s thoughts on his
reflection of his work with the Rohingya people.
''If people feel the Rohingya situation cannot continue and
enough is enough, my job will be done. I hope one day through the work of photographers
including myself, people will know the existence of the Rohingya people, feel
the collective responsibility to fix the problem, and do justice to a long
mistreated and silenced community. Only when that happens will I feel I've done
my part, nothing less.’’
Many thanks to Saiful Huq Omi and the Magnum Foundation for the contribution to NGOinsider.
If you want to contribute to NGOinsider.com please send an email to tom@ngoinsider.com
The Disowned and the Denied - Part 2
