The Great Unrooting

Human Rights Watch
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The Unrooting follows Maung’s story from the early warning signs of exclusion to the moment his family is forced to flee — and then into the grueling logistics of survival on the move. Subsequent episodes explore life in limbo, the systems that govern who can move and who cannot, and what it means to rebuild in a new place while still longing for home.

Episodes

  1. 16 MAR

    PROLOGUE: The Night the Sky Cracked Open with Fire

    Welcome to The Great Unrooting, a five-episode narrative podcast special season of Rights & Wrongs that explores what it means to lose home — and what it takes to start again. Anchored in the story of Maung, a Rohingya refugee now living in New York, the series traces his journey of flight, survival, and rebuilding and explores displacement at a moment when more people are forcible displaced than at any point since World War II. Excerpt from forthcoming poem, "The Rusted Key" by Kumar M. Tiku.

    5 min

  2. 16 MAR

    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

    28 min

  3. 30 MAR

    Getting From Here To There

    When anti-Rohingya sentiment turned into gunshots in Myanmar in 2017, 16-year-old Maung Sawyeddollah was forced to flee. But what do you do when you’re forced to leave your home? Where do you go? This week on The Great Unrooting, host Ngofeen Mputubwele asks how migrants get from here to there. What happens if you need medicine while you’re traveling or are living with disabilities that make traveling difficult? What challenges do migrants face as they make these strenuous journeys? This week, we hear from people around the world who have faced these questions. We hear about Maung’s mom, who fled while pregnant. Her story, alongside accounts from HRW researchers, paints a picture of resilience and bravery of the migrants who risk everything in pursuit of safety. Maung Sawyeddollah: Agent of Change, Rohingya Muslim Nadia Hardman: Researcher, Refugee and Migrant Rights Division at Human Rights Watch Emina Ćerimović: Associate Director, Disability Rights Division at Human Rights Watch Lindsay Mputubwele: Doula and child-birth educator Chinda Precious: Nigerian refugee Hanaa Rahimi: Former Afghan policewoman sharing her story under alias

    23 min

  4. 13 APR

    The Shadow City: Earth’s Largest Refugee Camp

    When Maung and his family, his neighbors, strangers, cross the border from Myanmar into Bangladesh, they are officially refugees. But there’s no rest for the weary, and the hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees escaping to Bangladesh have to build a refugee camp for themselves. As Maung helps his family assemble a temporary shelter, a sort of shadow city starts to rise up around them. Almost a decade later, Maung’s family is still in Cox's Bazar. This week, Maung, other refugees and experts take listeners through a tour of life in the world’s largest refugee camp and life as a refugee more broadly. Maung Sawyeddollah: Agent of Change, Rohingya Muslim Chinda Precious: Nigerian refugee Johannes van der Klaauw: Former representative at the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Tamanna Tiku: Urban Designer 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: Former 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. Emina Ćerimović: Associate Director, Disability Rights Division at Human Rights Watch

    33 min
  • 4 Episodes

About

The Unrooting follows Maung’s story from the early warning signs of exclusion to the moment his family is forced to flee — and then into the grueling logistics of survival on the move. Subsequent episodes explore life in limbo, the systems that govern who can move and who cannot, and what it means to rebuild in a new place while still longing for home.

Information

  • Creator
    Human Rights Watch
  • Years Active
    2k
  • Episodes
    4
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026 Human Rights Watch
  • Show Website
    The Great Unrooting

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