(Washington, D.C, November 2023)—In November 2023, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum added A Chance to Breathe, a book of exclusive photography and poetry by three Rohingya refugees, to its book collection and gift store, helping to raise the profile of the book and its artists.
A Chance to Breathe features the work of Omal Khair, Dil Kayas, and Azimul Hasson, three survivors of genocide who were forced from their homes in Rakhine State during the Myanmar-military-led “clearance operations” of 2017 when the Myanmar military razed hundreds of Rohingya villages in Rakhine State, Myanmar and killed and raped untold numbers of men, women, and children. In 2018, Fortify Rights, in partnership with Doha Debates, began providing on-the-ground photography and social-media training for these three young refugees.
Equipped with smartphones, the photographers sought to document their lives and engage the outside world by offering an intimate look at Rohingya life.
For decades, Myanmar authorities have denied the existence of the Rohingya, forbidding them from owning smartphones, cameras, or otherwise documenting their lives. Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh have faced similar restrictions on their fundamental freedoms. A Chance to Breathe provides a rare glimpse into the daily lives of Rohingya refugees and genocide survivors.
A Chance to Breathe is available to purchase here. All proceeds from book sales go directly to the Rohingya community.