The attempted project of ethnic cleansing of the Rohingyas in August 2017 is regarded as one of the worst cases of genocide in recent history. With history dating back to 11,000 BC, the ethnically divergent nation Myanmar, has come to witness rampant violence and routine discrimination of the vulnerable Rohingyas, a Muslim minority of the Rakhine State at the hands of the Buddhist majority. It has led to devastating consequences for them in the form of communal violence, deprivation of natural rights, racial discrimination, disenfranchisement, denial of citizenship, extermination of social, economic and political environment for the community and what not. This paper endeavors to analyze the ongoing crisis and comprehend the reasons behind their acute sufferings. Beginning with their historical origin, it goes on to explain how the community has been deprived of citizenship for so long, construing them to be illegal migrants from Bengal. It then gives a detailed study, thus proving the above hypothesis to be wrong and provides a critical examination of the Citizenship laws of Myanmar which are discriminatory in nature. Further, even if the Rohingyas are construed as illegal migrants, then also, denying them the basic rights such as access to health services, education and legal protection cannot be justified because it is a blatant violation of numerous International Conventions and agreements. Explaining the stateless and the refugee situation of the Rohingyas, the paper emphasizes on the principle of Non-Refoulement and the obligations of other neighboring countries. It finally sums up the above conditions into one major conclusion of genocide and ethnic cleansing, the ultimate crimes against humanity.

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