According to Amnesty International , the Rohingya Muslim people have continued to suffer from human rights violations under the Burmese junta since 1978 , and many have fled to neighbouring Bangladesh as a result . However , the reality is that the Rohingya people have been oppressed for many years prior to 1978 , though perhaps not as significantly . They have lived in Myanmar for centuries but tensions with Myanmar 's Buddhist majority have caused discrimination and harassment . Cases of rape , torture , arbitrary detention , and violence against Rohingya are commonplace , with many incidents going unreported as enforcement officers turn a blind eye . These perpetrators are not solely confined to the local population , but also include the authorities and law enforcers themselves . Tensions increased in 2012 , when three Rohingya Muslim men were convicted of raping a local Rakhine Buddhist woman , which led to the 2012 Rakhine State riots . There are currently over a million Rohingya people living in Myanmar , however , systemic oppression has led to an increase in migrations . In early 2015 alone , around 25,000 asylum-seekers , consisting of Rohingyas and Bangladeshis , sailed out of the Rakhine State to seek refuge in neighbouring countries . Aside from Bangladesh , majority of asylum-seekers also set out to other South-east Asian countries such as Thailand , but also to Malaysia and Indonesia , which are predominantly Muslim countries . Mass exoduses due to persecution and mass violence , such as the one in 2012 , has happened before in 1978 and 1992 , with many of the fleeing Rohingya people being marginalised and excluded in host States . They are often not recognised and not protected as refugees , and as a result , they live in extreme poverty , have to resort to illegal employment and are vulnerable to exploitation
2012 Rakhine State riots
2012 Rakhine State riots
Persecution of Muslims in Myanmar