One of the photograph taken by a 15-year-old Rohingya child confined to a camp in western Myanmar. Photo: Shwe Maung.
The photographer behind a project placing cameras in the hands of persecuted Rohingya Muslim children is raising money via Kickstarter to do the same with internally displaced people in Karen and Kachin states.
Earlier this year, Kayla Richards published the first part of ‘Through the Eyes of an IDP’, featuring photos taken by 10 Rohingya children inside four camps near Sittwe, the capital of Rakhine state.
Photo: Ma Khin Nu
Tens of thousands of Rohingya Muslims are confined in squalid camps across Myanmar, denied citizenship and freedom of movement. The country’s government and many citizens insist they are illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.
Camps filled with internally displaced people also abound in Karen and Kachin states, where ongoing fighting between armed groups and the government has forced tens of thousands to flee their homes.
Richards is hoping to raise $7,000 to travel there and continue her project, which she plans to turn into a book.
In a statement published on her Kickstarter page, Richards said: “The Rohingya, Karen and Kachin people are currently living in a state of aftermath from years of discrimination, brutal human rights violations and the struggle to stay alive every day.
“With your help this project can return to Burma and share their photographs not only with the photographers and the international community, but also with their local community and others alike, to create a bond where they could stand together and support one another to empower those in need of a voice and providing a platform for those to share their voice.”
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