A REMEMBRANCE day in honour of the thousands of Rohingya people who were killed, attacked or displaced in Myanmar (Burma) over the past year will take place this Saturday in Carlow.

The Rohingya remembrance day at St Patrick’s College on Saturday 25 August will also be a celebration of Rohingya ethnicity and their resilience in the face of ongoing ethnic cleansing.

It will be an opportunity to celebrate the contribution of the 105-strong Rohingya community which has been living in Carlow since 2009.

The event is being organised by Rohingya Action Ireland, which is made up of members of the Rohingya community in Carlow as well as friends and allies from Carlow College, Carlow Regional Youth Services, Carlow Cricket Club, IT Carlow, Carlow County Development Partnership, Burma Action Ireland and other individuals from the local community.

The event will be formally opened by Anastasia Crickley, chairperson of the UN Committee for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

It will include a remembrance ceremony and a ribbon memorial to commemorate those killed or sexually assaulted by the Myanmar military. This will be followed by a minute’s silence and, during the
afternoon, information on the genocide against the Rohingya people will be available.

In the Visual arts centre, a documentary on the Rohingya community called Waking Dream will be presented by James Ceratanni. There will also be a Rohingya photo exhibition, while games of ‘crickling’ (a blend of cricket and hurling) has been organised by Carlow Cricket Club.

Rohingya traditional music will be played throughout the afternoon. Face painters will use the image of the butterfly as a symbol of freedom and henna tattoos will also be available. Arts and crafts, and games for children and young people will be organised by Carlow Regional Youth Services.

Refreshments will be served and the event will run from 2-5pm.