EU envoys slate condition in Rohingya camps

Thursday November 10 2005 11:14:38 AM BDT

CHITTAGONG, Nov 9:

Ambassadors of the European Commission, France and the Netherlands Wednesday said the human rights of more than 20,000 Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh "are not being respected" by the government, reports UNB.The diplomats made the comments to reporters in Chittagong airport a day after visiting the two refugee camps in the coastal district of Cox''s Bazar, bordering Myanmar.

"The human rights of the refugees are not respected," Dutch ambassador Kees Beemstrboer said while the three diplomats were talking to UNB and a national daily at Shah Amanat Airport.Head of EC delegation Dr Stefan Frowein and French Ambassador Jacques-Andre Costilhes along with Kees Beemsterboer Tuesday visited the refugee camps to have a first hand experience about the ''plight'' of the stranded refugees from Myanmar. The Dhaka office of United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) organised the visit.The ambassadors visited Kutupalang camp in Ukhia upazila and Nayapara camp in Teknaf upazila. They also visited the make-shift camp near border town of Teknaf where several Rohingyas had taken refuge.

They saw different facilities inside and talked to the inmates.Among others, UNHCR Country Representative Christopher Lee, Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner Shoyebur Rahman and EC Development Advisor Graham Tyrie accompanied the ambassadors.Talking to accompanying journalists at the Airport prior to their departure for Dhaka, they said the overall situation in the camps was appalling and the refugees are deprived of the basic needs.Most of the several lakhs of minority Muslim Rohingya refugees, who fled to Bangladesh in the early 1990s alleging persecution in their border villages in Myanmar, were repatriated to their homes under bilateral agreements and UNHCR supervision.

The remaining 20,000 either refuged to go back or have not been cleared by Mayanmar authorities for repatriation.The diplomats criticised Bangladesh government for failing to provide secondary education for the Rohingya children in the camps. They also expressed their concern for the ''absence'' of fire extinguishers in the camps."International standard is not met in the camps," EC envoy said, adding, "condition of the shelters in the camps is unacceptable."
UNB/ The Bangladesh Observer