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Rohingya boys flee Myanmar’s ‘ethnic cleansing’ and find a new family in Salt Lake City

Related Topics: Myanmar

The Santarosas, who both work in administration at Westminster College, have two American-born adopted daughters, Maddie, 5, and Josie, 7. And they just took in a second Burmese boy, Faisal, 18.

More than 800,000 Rohingya have fled to neighboring Bangladesh. A military crackdown that began in August has led to a humanitarian crisis, according to the United Nations.

Faisal’s family members trekked to Bangladesh to escape the violence, he said through interpretation from Rohim. They now live in harsh conditions in a sprawling camp. Faisal went to Thailand to earn money to support them, but was arrested by Thai authorities and sent to a detention facility.