Kayla Richards, a Welsh photographer based in Asia, is among the many journalists who have visited Rakhine state in recent months to cover the ongoing humanitarian crisis. But rather than take photos herself she handed the camera to her subject: stateless Rohingya Muslim children.
Tens of thousands of members of the persecuted minority are enduring desperate conditions across the state after clashes with Rakhine Buddhists forced them from their homes in 2012. Many have left by boat, placing their lives in the hands of brutal traffickers. While the boats are reported to have stopped for now, after a crackdown earlier this year, the struggle continues for many Rohingya left behind in Myamar, where they are denied citizenship and forbidden from moving freely.
Richards gave disposable cameras to 10 children, a mix of girls and boys, in camps outside Sittwe, the Rakhine state capital and asked them to take photos that reflect their lives. But, on the second day of her trip, she was stopped by local police who, as she was traveling without permission, said she would have to leave. You can read the bizarre story of how she was escorted out in what apparently turned out to be a stolen car and snuck back in to retrieve the cameras here.
Despite the drama, Richards was able to later collect the images, reprinted below with permission. Coconuts Yangon asked her about the experience.
How did people react when you gave them the cameras?
I focused on the children/teenagers within the camps, as these are the next generation. If Burma’s situation doesn’t change, these kids are going to be in the same living situation as they are currently in: living their entire lives surrounded by invisible walls. I had to go through the camp leaders first. They were very accommodating and happy to help, but rather worried when I asked for kids to participate and further surprised when I requested that some be girls. My interpreter asked: ‘But girls can do this? I mean, take the photos?’
How did the problems with the authorities affect your work?
After some stern questions, I was put in a police van, escorted out of the camps and told not to return. It affected the project majorly. My intention was to interview each child after collecting the cameras. I wanted to get to know them: who they are, where they’re from, what they want to be when they grow up. Fortunately, I was able to collect all the cameras and notebooks that I’d given to the kids which at least means I am able to share their stories.
Were there any running themes in the pictures that were taken?
I had no idea what to expect: a load of selfies, pictures of feet, fingers over the lens? The kids made me feel prouder than I could have ever imagined.
The photographs vary from child to child and camp to camp. Some children focused on specific people who they are close to. Some focused on the camp schools. Others focused on their friends. However, there did seem to be a running theme through the majority of pictures: the poor living conditions. No materials to repair holes in houses. Not enough running or clean water. Not enough rations to eat healthily, no medicine. The poor condition of toilets and the sewage system.
What’s the next step for the project, are you moving on to other refugee communities in Myanmar?
Due to funding, this project is at the moment on pause. But I intend to continue raising some funds to be able to share the stories through gallery spaces throughout Asia, starting with Thailand and Burma, in publications around the world, and hopefully in a book.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
All photos courtesy of Kayla Richards. You can follow her on Facebook and Instagram.
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