Undocumented Rohingya refugees suffer in silence

By Anisur Rahman Khan back from Cox’s BazarMay 26, 2005, 13:37

About 14,000 Rohyingyas, who entered Bangladesh illegally 15 years ago, were staying at an undocumented Rohyingya refugee camp at Dumdumia under Teknaf upazila in Cox’s Bazar district.Most of the people in Rohyingya camp have been suffering from starvation, diarrhoea, malnutrition, unhygienic sanitation, lack of pure drinking water and lack of proper treatment.

Talking to The New Nation, some Rohingyas burst into tears while describing the sufferings of their family members and children from various diseases. They described heinous torture and sexual abuses done on them by the Myanmar army before they had entered Bangladesh.For example, Myanmar police had violated Syeda Khatun, when she was 14. Later she married one Zafar Alam.Syeda, hailing from Mamra, Akyab in Myanmar was forced along with her parents to push into Bangladesh about 12 years ago by Nasaka.This ethnic Muslim woman has been staying at Dumdumia, Teknaf in Cox’s Bazar district.

The 25-year-old woman, while explaining her harrowing tale to The New Nation, said, “When I was 14 years old, the Mamra sadar police of Myanmar called me to their camp and two police personnel raped me. Subsequently, I was able to flee from their heinous claws after two days in the police camp.”Syeda said those policemen threatened that since she was a Muslim, she would be killed unless she did not carry out their order. ‘At least 10 minor Muslim girls were continuously raped by several police personnel in this camp when I was there,’ Syeda said.Another victim Hasina Begum, 20, wife of Ahmad Ali, hailing from Merulla, Mongdu of Myanmar, said that Nasaka Bahini attempted to rape her, but failed. She said she managed to escape after the local people protested.According to stranded Rohingyas, many people had died from starvation and lack of proper treatment at the camp. Abdul Hakim (25) who married Laila Begum (20) hailing from Youngshons, Buchidong, were living in Bangladesh for the last 15 years illegally.“We want to return to our homeland Arakan. But Nasaka and Myanmar police torture us mercilessly, and even they sexually abuse our wives and daughters.

We want peace and release from their barbaric torture permanently,’ Zalal Uddin (40) said crying. “We are living here without food, medicines, water and also without job. I think my son could not survive long because he is not getting food and medicines,” he said.This substantial community of Rohingyas have been effectively denied Myanmar citizenship, are subjected to severe restrictions of movement, to forced labour, forced evictions, extortion and arbitrary taxation.

Rohingyas, an ethnic Muslim community of Myanmar, had been evicted from their homes to Bangladesh territory by Nasaka.Some human rights organisations like Centre for Development Studies (CDS), Bangladesh Lawyers Association and Human Rights Forum (HRF) were working for securing the rights of these Rohingyas.They are trying to attract international attention to the matter to solve the problem. These human rights organisations alleged that even volunteers could not supply food to these Rohingyas because of the government’s restrictions. These illegal Rohingyas requested the governments of Bangladesh and Myanmar, as well as international community to solve the issue immediately, as they want to return to their motherland Myanmar.Plz check it out : http://nation.ittefaq.com/artman/publish/article_18703.shtml