Rohingya

Rohingya is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by approximately 2.5 million people, primarily the Rohingya people of Myanmar's Rakhine State and the massive refugee diaspora in Bangladesh, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, and beyond. The Rohingya have been described by the United Nations as one of the most persecuted minorities in the world, and the 2017 military crackdown in Myanmar displaced over 700,000 people, constituting what many nations recognise as genocide.

In Australia, approximately 5,000 Rohingya speakers were recorded in the 2021 Census, though the community has continued to grow through humanitarian resettlement. Communities are concentrated in Melbourne's southeastern suburbs (particularly around Dandenong and Noble Park), Brisbane, Sydney, and regional centres. The Australian Rohingya community is one of the most established globally, having received early humanitarian arrivals from the 2000s onward.

Rohingya is closely related to Chittagonian Bengali, reflecting historical connections with the Chittagong region of present-day Bangladesh. It incorporates significant vocabulary from Arabic, Persian, Urdu, and Burmese. Despite these connections, Rohingya is considered a distinct language and is not mutually intelligible with standard Bengali or Burmese.

The language has historically been written in multiple scripts. The Hanifi Rohingya script, developed in the 1980s by Mohammed Hanif, was added to Unicode in 2018. However, many Rohingya speakers also use Arabic script, a modified Latin (Rohingyalish) alphabet, or Burmese script. The lack of a single dominant writing system creates practical challenges for translation and literacy programs. Many Rohingya have had severely disrupted education, limiting literacy in any script.

For Australian service providers, Rohingya language access is critical across settlement, healthcare, education, mental health, and legal services. The community's profound trauma experiences — including violence, displacement, statelessness, and prolonged refugee camp stays — require trauma-informed approaches to all communications. Understanding the Rohingya's stateless status (denied citizenship by Myanmar since 1982) is essential context for service provision.

Script Choice

There is no single universally accepted script for written Rohingya. Hanifi Rohingya script has Unicode support and growing acceptance, but not all community members can read it. Arabic script, Latin-based Rohingyalish, and even Burmese script are also used. For Australian audiences, consult with community leaders about which script will reach the broadest audience. Audio and video content often bypasses script barriers entirely.

Literacy Barriers

Many Rohingya community members have had severely limited access to education due to persecution, statelessness, and displacement. Literacy rates are low in any language, including Rohingya. Written translations should be supplemented with audio, video, and visual communication. Plain language approaches with simple vocabulary are essential for written materials.

Trauma-Informed Communication

The Rohingya community has experienced extreme persecution including what the UN has characterised as genocide. All communications should be trauma-informed — avoiding triggering imagery, using sensitive language around displacement and violence, and recognising the ongoing psychological impact of statelessness and persecution. Health and mental health terminology should be explained in accessible terms.

Interpreter Scarcity

Qualified Rohingya interpreters and translators are in critically short supply globally, including in Australia. The language's lack of institutional history means very few individuals have formal translation training. Community interpreters are often the primary resource, but they may lack training in specialised medical, legal, or mental health terminology. Investment in interpreter development is needed.

Language vs Bengali

Rohingya and Bengali (Chittagonian) share linguistic roots but are distinct. Using Bengali interpreters for Rohingya clients is not appropriate — while there may be partial comprehension, the languages differ enough to cause misunderstanding, particularly for specialised content. Always request specifically Rohingya-speaking interpreters.

NAATI Certification

NAATI certification for Rohingya is extremely limited or unavailable in Australia. The language's recent emergence in institutional contexts and the shortage of formally trained practitioners create significant access challenges. Community-based interpreters, often identified through settlement agencies and Rohingya community organisations, are the primary resource.