The Unrooting

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 Transgender Rights Program at Human Rights Watch

Belkis Wille: Associate Director of Crisis & Conflict division at Human Rights Watch.

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