The Unrooting

The Unrooting

From Rights & Wrongs by Human Rights Watch

March 16, 2026 · 28 min

About this episode

This episode explores Maung Sawyeddollah's journey from Myanmar to Bangladesh and his experiences of displacement and resilience.

Maung Sawyeddollah grew up in a small town in Myanmar where, for years, life felt ordinary. That was before the rumors began. Social media fueled sectarian division, communities turned against each other. Then the soldiers arrived. It was a balmy night in August 2017 when Maung first heard the sound of gunfire. His family was forced to make an impossible choice: stay in the home they love or embark on a perilous journey to Bangladesh. They grabbed a few belongings and fled. Through Maung’s extraordinary story—from fleeing for his life in Myanmar to attending the prestigious New York University—this episode explores the moment Maung’s family made the fateful decision to abandon their home, and the heart-wrenching decisions millions of people face when the world they know becomes unlivable. The Great Unrooting begins with one life, and opens onto a global story of displacement, resilience, and hope. Maung Sawyeddollah: Agent of Change, Rohingya Muslim Mausi Segun: Executive Director of the Africa Division at Human Rights Watch Nadia Hardman: Researcher, Refugee and Migrant Rights Division at Human Rights Watch Kyle Knight: Associate Director of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and…

People in this episode

Guest: Maung Sawyeddollah

Topics covered

  • displacement
  • resilience
  • hope
  • Rohingya crisis
  • migration
  • personal story

Keywords

  • Rohingya
  • Myanmar
  • Bangladesh
  • displacement
  • migration
  • social media
  • sectarian division
  • resilience
  • hope

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Human Rights Watch

Places: Myanmar, Bangladesh

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