Ro Yassin Abdumonab worked as a schoolteacher in his native village in Myanmar teaching English, physics and chemistry. He left his university studies when forced to flee to Bangladesh looking for safety in August 2017. “My journey to Bangladesh was horrible, escaping from burning and killing, we sought refuge in paddy fields and forests and had to eat wild weeds to survive. The river crossing was like an ocean to me. I almost drown. It took me and my family many days walking in barefoot to reach the river in the border with Bangladesh. It was an unforgettable nightmare.” —he explains.

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Yassin now collaborates as a freelance photographer, videographer, translator, fixer and writer with several international and local news agencies such as The Guardian, AlJazeera, Reuters, France 24, Washington Post, ABC News, New York Times, The Business Standard, The Diplomat, The Telegraph, The Globe and Mail, Norwegian Refugee Council, The Daily Star, Hindu Times, The New Humanitarian, Fiji Times, Amnesty International, International Affairs, US News, Vice, PBS, DW, Canada Today, Die Ziet, Go Humanity, Nanummuhwa, Green Left, The Asia Foundation, Voices without Borders, Literary Hub, UNHCR, Haaretz,

BBC, Refugees International, Arakan Express and many others.

 

Beyond documenting the daily lives of Rohingya refugees, he enjoys writing poetry. He writes about humanity, the struggle for peace and people’s life journeys. He is a busy individual, father and philanthropist juggling his free time teaching children at home. He encourages people to live a happy life even if the circumstances are not ideal. “I deal with my emotions doing these things” —he says. He uses photography to provide a collective voice for the Rohingya people. “It is my hope that my photography can provide meaning to the Rohingya demand of justice and peace. I will be content if my work can help raise our collective voice.”—he says.