Timeline: Who are the Rohingya?

8th Century: The Rohingya, a people of South Asian origin, lived in an independent kingdom in Arakan, now known as Rakhine state in modern-day Myanmar.9th to 14th Century: The Rohingya came into contact with Arab traders and many converted to Islam. Economic and cultural ties flourished between Arakan and Bengal.1784: The Burman King Bodawpaya conquered Arakan and hundreds of thousands of refugees fled to Bengal.1790: Hiram Cox, a British diplomat sent to assist refugees, established the town of Cox’s Bazar.1824 to 1942: Britain captured Burma—now known as Myanmar—and made it a province of British India. Workers were brought to Burma from other parts of British India for infrastructure projects.1942: Japan invaded Burma, pushing out the British. As the British retreated, Burmese nationalists attacked Muslim communities who they thought had benefited from British colonial rule.1945: Britain liberated Burma from Japanese occupation with the help of Burmese nationalists led by Aung San and Rohingya fighters. Rohingyas felt betrayed as the British didn’t fulfill a promise of autonomy for Arakan.1948: Tensions increased between the government of newly independent Burma and the Rohingya, many of whom wanted Arakan to join Muslim-majority Pakistan. The government retaliated by ostracising the Rohingya, including removing Rohingya civil servants.1977: A military junta began Operation Nagamin, or Dragon King, which they said was aimed at screening the population for foreigners. More than 200,000 Rohingya fled to Bangladesh, amid allegations of army abuses. The army denied any wrongdoing.1978: Bangladesh struck a UN-brokered deal with Burma for the repatriation of refugees, under which most Rohingya returned.1982: A new immigration law redefined people who migrated during British rule as illegal immigrants. The government applied this to all Rohingya.1989: The army changed the name of Burma to Myanmar.1991: More than 250,000 Rohingya refugees fled what they said was forced labour, rape and religious persecution at the hands of the Myanmar army. The army said it was trying to bring order to Rakhine.1992 to 1997: Around 230,000 Rohingya returned to Arakan, now known as Rakhine, under another repatriation agreement.2012: Rioting between Rohingya and Rakhine Buddhists killed more than 100 people, mostly Rohingya. Tens of thousands of people were driven into Bangladesh. Nearly 150,000 were forced into camps in Rakhine.2016: Rohingya militant group Harakah al-Yaqin attacked border guard posts, killing nine soldiers. The army retaliated. More than 25,000 people fled Rakhine to Bangladesh, bringing accounts of killing, rape and arson. Aung San Suu Kyi’s government denied the atrocities.2017: A renewed military crackdown sent a fresh wave of Rohingyas fleeing into Bangladesh. Many Rohingya men vowed to fight back. More than 100 people were killed in a week of escalating clashes between Myanmar troops, militias supporting the government and the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), formerly known as Harakah al-Yaqin.