Ro Yassin Abdumonab
Photo-journalist, Videographer, Stringer, Rohingya Correspondent, Mentor and Social Activist
Ro Yassin Abdumonab began his career as a school teacher in Myanmar, teaching English, physics, and chemistry. However, in August 2017, escalating violence forced him to abandon his university studies and flee to Bangladesh.
'My journey to Bangladesh was horrible,' — he says, closely echoing his original words. 'Escaping from burning and killing, we found refuge in paddy fields and forests, eating wild weeds to survive. The river crossing felt like an ocean, and I almost drowned. The days it took for me and my family to walk barefoot to the river at the Bangladesh border were an unforgettable nightmare.'
Yassin has since transitioned into a freelance role, contributing as a photographer, videographer, translator, fixer, and writer for various international and local media outlets. These include: The Guardian, AlJazeera, Reuters, BBC, The Washington Post, ABC, and many others. Yassin is a core member of Rohingyatographer and plays a crucial role mentoring younger generations of Rohingya content creators.
When he first arrived at the refugee camp, Yassin had to assist international journalists as a fixer and interpreter. This exposed him to photography and videography, sparking his interest in documenting the Rohingya community’s life.
Reflecting on his early work, Yassin shared: 'I refrained from using my real name online due to safety concerns.'
Motivated by well-known journalists, Yassin transitioned into photography, finding purpose in capturing his community’s stories. Despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns, he continued his work, covering significant events like the 2021 fire disaster. His photos gained international recognition, leading to assignments on various Rohingya crisis-related topics.
Yassin’s expertise in photojournalism has garnered recommendations and inquiries, facilitating his work through social media and portfolio sites. He emphasises the importance of telling the Rohingya story repeatedly through photography, a sentiment echoed in his involvement with Rohingyatographer Magazine.
As a core member of Rohingyatographer, Yassin mentors young Rohingya photographers, empowering them to share their perspectives. Through their art, they educate others about the Rohingya experience, ensuring their voices are heard and remembered.
Reflecting on his mission, Yassin emphasised: 'My camera gives a voice to my community, capturing every moment, every Rohingya story'”
In teaching photography to youths, Yassin believes in the power of images to convey stories and preserve the Rohingya narrative. His message to aspiring photographers echoes his own journey:
“Make the best photos with whatever devices you have. What matters is your effort and imagination to tell impactful stories.”
A comprehensive list of his photography, videography and stringer work can be found below:
2024
Victim Advocates International. Our Rohingya Members
BBC News. Survivors’ tales of a massacre in Myanmar
Al Jazeera English. Rohingya caught in Myanmar conflict as they await crossing to Bangladesh amid deadly drone strikes
BBC. 'My family died in front of my eyes’: Harrowing tales from a Myanmar massacre
Pivot Quebec: Rohingya: the survival of a language in exile
BBC. Jersey exhibition to show life in the Rohingya refugee camp
Al Jazeera. Rohingya flee to Bangladesh amid conflict and forced conscription by Myanmar military and rebels
Al Jazeera. Young Rohingya men trapped between war and conscription in Myanmar’s Rakhine
ZDF. Life in a mass refugee camp: the suffering of Rohingya women
Al Jazeera. Abductions in Myanmar: Rohingya Muslims forced to fight for army
Muslim Views. Rohingya youth photographers capture the lived experience in the world’s largest refugee camp
Curtin University Sarawak. The photographic social experience of Rohingya youngsters of Cox's Bazar: an interview with Ro Yassin Abdumonab
MSF. Sharing the Rohingya story in photos
Reuters. Fire leaves nearly 7,000 Rohingya homeless in Bangladesh camp
The Contrapuntal. Political Witch-Hunt Worsen Rohingya Torment in India
2023
Al Jazeera. What is life like inside the world’s biggest refugee camp?
The New Humanitarian. Flipping the Narrative: What food ration cuts mean for Rohingya refugee
deKanttekening. Islamic Rohingyas are nowhere safe
The Observers. Refugee photographers fight to raise awareness about plight of Rohingya in Bangladesh
Al Jazeera. Will the UN's plea to help Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh be answered?
BBC. Fire rips through Rohingya camp in Bangladesh
Aljazeera: Myanmar military's visit to Cox's Bazar refugee camp raises doubt
BBC. What future for Anwar - the Rohingya refugee lucky to survive?
Al Jazeera. Thousands of Rohingya refugees displaced in Bangladesh floods, landslides
The Observers. Thousands of Rohingya left homeless after yet another fire breaks out in Bangladesh refugee camp
The Daily Star. Ukhiya Rohingya camp fire: Official death toll 11
Reuters. Devastating’ fire at Rohingya camp in Bangladesh kills 15, leaves 400 missing – UN
Vientiane Times. Ukhiya Rohingya Camp: Massive fire razes homes
Today Online. Fire destroys homes Cox's Bazar refugee camp in Bangladesh
US News. Fire Destroys Homes Cox's Bazar Refugee Camp in Bangladesh
Art for Peace. Insecurity, Risk and Resilience: The Contributions and Challenges of Refugee-led Initiatives in Rohingya Refugee Camps in Bangladesh
Media Practice and Education, Taylor & Francis. Digital Arts – Refugee Engagement (DA-RE)
2022
The Guardian. ‘This is our documentary of the crisis we face’: the Rohingya smartphone photographers
Canada Today. Canada’s Rohingya fear world has forgotten the refugee crisis 5 years after the Myanmar genocide
BBC. Rohingya refugees: ‘Kill us, but don’t deport us to Myanmar’
2021
BBC. Hundreds missing after devastating fire in world’s biggest refugee camp
Al Jazeera. Bangladesh probes deadly fire at Rohingya camp, 400 missing
Reuters. Aid workers struggle to reunite Rohingya children separated by deadly fire
Go Humanity. Fire devastates enormous Rohingya refugee camp in Bangladesh
ABC. Rohingya camp fire death toll rises to 15, with 400 still missing in Bangladesh
Literary Hub. On Genocide in Myanmar and the Loss of Rohingya Foodways
The Observers. ‘In every camp there’s a disaster’: Monsoon rains in Bangladesh worsen conditions for the Rohingya
The Business Standard. Aid workers struggle to reunite Rohingya children separated by deadly fire
NRC. NGO's urge global community to support Rohingya refugees
The Fiji Times. Devastating fire at Rohingya camp in Bangladesh kills 15, leaves 400 missing – U.N.
Hindustan Times. 15 dead, 400 missing after fire in Cox's Bazar Rohingya refugee camp
The Daily Star. Ukhiya Rohingya camp fire: Official death toll 11
The New Humanitarian. Rohingya camp fire: Barbed-wire fences blocked escape, witnesses say
Vice. Rohingya Refugees Describe Tearing Through Fences to Escape Massive Fire
Amnesty International. We wish to overcome the decades of marginalization that brought us here
Jowhar. Monsoon Rains In Bangladesh Worsen Conditions For Rohingya People
Oxford Brookes University. The Next Generation - Young Rohingya Refugees exhibition
US Campaign for Burma. Voice of a Rohingya
2020
Al Jazeera. Inside the Rohingya Refugee Crisis
The New York Times. Cyclone Amphan Slams India and Bangladesh
The Diplomat. The Rohingyas and the Elephants: How Humans and Nature Collide in Refugee Camps
Australian Institute of International Affairs. Three Years Too Long: The Refugee Crisis in Bangladesh
PBS. Amid pandemic, cyclone forces millions in India and Bangladesh to flee
The Asia Foundation. Navigating at the margins: Family, Mobility and Livelihoods amongst Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh
Voices Without Borders. Ro Yassin Abdumonab's Story
UNHCR Asia Pacific. Amid coronavirus, a Rohingya refugee reflects on camp life under lockdown
Green Left. Bangladesh: Rohingyas locked down at world's largest refugee camp
2019
The Washington Post. Rohingya refugees, cut off from the world, got to briefly watch Myanmar’s rulers go to trial
The Globe & Mail. Forced to flee again: Labelled ‘illegal migrants’ in India, Rohingya seek refuge in Bangladesh camps
2017
Asia University for Women. Without Internet, We Have No Existence: Rohingya Refugee Representation on Social Media.
