The different kinds of events and activities organized by RTM International, ACF, TAI, RIB and UNHCR. The organizer also included sports for school children. The event started on November 25 to December 8, 2011.
Saturday, 10 December 2011
Australian delegation visits Rohingya refugee camp
Teknaf, Bangladesh: A two-member Australian delegation led by Australian High Commissioner of Bangladesh Dr Justin Lee visited the Nayapara official refugee camp on December 8, at about 11:00 am, said a refugee leader on condition of anonymity.
“The delegation observed the whole camp including schools and cottage industry of soap center and also met with refugees and refugee teachers in the camp after arrival at camp. The delegation more wanted to know about the opinion of refugees whether the refugee want to go home or not after Bangladesh PM’s visit to Burma.”
“We are not willing to go back until we are not accorded citizenship rights with ethnicity,” a refugee teacher said. “We more wanted to return our confiscated lands, to stop human rights violations and racial discrimination, to get compensation of our properties, to withdraw army and Nasaka from northern Arakan , to withdraw Natala (model) villages from northern Arakan and to ensure rights as par other nationalities.”
One of the refugee teachers named Habib asked to the High Commissioner to consider for providing opportunity for refugee children’s higher education along with the cooperation of Bangladesh government. In fact, in the camp, there is no higher education and the informal education is existed up to class V.
The delegation also participated in “a 16-day long activism”, in the camp, which include, sport, drama, cleaning environment and in making local Phita (local sweets), which was held since November 25 to December 8. The extraordinary performers were award by the camp authority.
This programs were supervised by RTM, PAI, ACF and RIB and United Nations Higher Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), said another refugee teacher from the camp.
At about 12:00 noon, the delegation left from the camp. The Camp-in-Charge (CIC) Kamaruzzaman warmly welcomed the delegation.
“The delegation observed the whole camp including schools and cottage industry of soap center and also met with refugees and refugee teachers in the camp after arrival at camp. The delegation more wanted to know about the opinion of refugees whether the refugee want to go home or not after Bangladesh PM’s visit to Burma.”
“We are not willing to go back until we are not accorded citizenship rights with ethnicity,” a refugee teacher said. “We more wanted to return our confiscated lands, to stop human rights violations and racial discrimination, to get compensation of our properties, to withdraw army and Nasaka from northern Arakan , to withdraw Natala (model) villages from northern Arakan and to ensure rights as par other nationalities.”
One of the refugee teachers named Habib asked to the High Commissioner to consider for providing opportunity for refugee children’s higher education along with the cooperation of Bangladesh government. In fact, in the camp, there is no higher education and the informal education is existed up to class V.
The delegation also participated in “a 16-day long activism”, in the camp, which include, sport, drama, cleaning environment and in making local Phita (local sweets), which was held since November 25 to December 8. The extraordinary performers were award by the camp authority.
This programs were supervised by RTM, PAI, ACF and RIB and United Nations Higher Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), said another refugee teacher from the camp.
At about 12:00 noon, the delegation left from the camp. The Camp-in-Charge (CIC) Kamaruzzaman warmly welcomed the delegation.
Burma gives assurance to repatriate Rohingya refugees
Chittagong, Bangladesh: Burmese President U Thein Sein gave the assurance to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina during official talks at the President's Office in Nay Pyi Taw on December 6 to take back Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh after verification by Burmese authorities, according to Government official.
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Burma President U Thein Sein in Nay Pyi Taw
The Burmese president assured the Bangladesh premier, Burmese’s readiness for an early resumption of the repatriation process of the already cleared list of refugees under the aegis of the UNHCR.
“Burma government will take back the Rohingya refugees numbering about 28,000, who have been living in two official refugee camps - Nayapara and Kutupalong – since long period of time.”
“We would take back all Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh after verifying them and as per agreed criterion between the two countries,” he said.
A similar call was also made by Bangladesh Foreign Minister in Bali in September 2009, after the Awami League led alliance government assumed the power. But, Burma delayed to process the repatriation where the repatriation program was disappeared. Whenever Bangladesh and Burma met, the Rohingya repatriation issue was raised but no success and this time, Burma will take back the Rohingyas after verification, particularly for the reason that Burma has shifted its earlier position that Rohingyas were not an ethnic entity of that country, said some of the politicians of Bangladesh.
“Bangladesh has had to tolerate great pressure for almost two decades of a very large number of Rohingyas, who were illegally evicted from their homes despite the fact that they were living in that region of Burma for centuries.”
This is a long outstanding issue and it has been dragging on over the last twenty years, out of 250,000, 225,000 were repatriated long time ago and the remaining has been lying despite several times commitments made by the Burma, it has been tantalizing, verification is needed but the process should not be to create impediment and we have been observing last many years . The Rohingya refugees are not only the registered but also there have been several hundreds of thousands unregistered refugees in Teknaf that also to be considered. What we need a good intention and acceptable solution and easy process to mobilize, otherwise nothing would happen, according to Nasarullah, a Bangladeshi who comment in the daily star website, a leading Bangldesh Newspaper.
One of the bilateral issues that often cause a misunderstanding is the issue of Rohingya refugees. It first cropped up in 1978. Within a year, it was resolved amicably with Myanmar. Another flow of refugees came to Bangladesh in 1991 and in 1997. About 38,720 refugees reportedly remained in Bangladesh and negotiation on the issue continues still, according to Barrister Harun Ur Rashid.
Besides, many of these refugees had also managed to merge with the local population and finally get Bangladeshi passports to travel abroad as Bangladeshi workers, said local politician s and elders.
“In spite of its limitations, not only had the Bangladesh government handled the refugee issue with the most humanitarian approach it had also extended all kinds of assistance to its eastern neighbor for the repatriation of the Rohingyas.”
Bangladesh people would like to highlight on quick repatriation, and since there is already a list cleared by the UNHCR, they feel that the process can begin immediately and support PM's suggestion to establish a working group for a permanent resolution of the problem,said a local trader from Teknaf.
Though the regular assistance of the donor agencies and other international organizations, the refugees were creating poor law and order situation in the camps. They also made social and environmental problems for Bangladesh and had destroyed resource of forest, said the local villagers nearby refugee camps.
“Burma government will take back the Rohingya refugees numbering about 28,000, who have been living in two official refugee camps - Nayapara and Kutupalong – since long period of time.”
“We would take back all Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh after verifying them and as per agreed criterion between the two countries,” he said.
A similar call was also made by Bangladesh Foreign Minister in Bali in September 2009, after the Awami League led alliance government assumed the power. But, Burma delayed to process the repatriation where the repatriation program was disappeared. Whenever Bangladesh and Burma met, the Rohingya repatriation issue was raised but no success and this time, Burma will take back the Rohingyas after verification, particularly for the reason that Burma has shifted its earlier position that Rohingyas were not an ethnic entity of that country, said some of the politicians of Bangladesh.
“Bangladesh has had to tolerate great pressure for almost two decades of a very large number of Rohingyas, who were illegally evicted from their homes despite the fact that they were living in that region of Burma for centuries.”
This is a long outstanding issue and it has been dragging on over the last twenty years, out of 250,000, 225,000 were repatriated long time ago and the remaining has been lying despite several times commitments made by the Burma, it has been tantalizing, verification is needed but the process should not be to create impediment and we have been observing last many years . The Rohingya refugees are not only the registered but also there have been several hundreds of thousands unregistered refugees in Teknaf that also to be considered. What we need a good intention and acceptable solution and easy process to mobilize, otherwise nothing would happen, according to Nasarullah, a Bangladeshi who comment in the daily star website, a leading Bangldesh Newspaper.
One of the bilateral issues that often cause a misunderstanding is the issue of Rohingya refugees. It first cropped up in 1978. Within a year, it was resolved amicably with Myanmar. Another flow of refugees came to Bangladesh in 1991 and in 1997. About 38,720 refugees reportedly remained in Bangladesh and negotiation on the issue continues still, according to Barrister Harun Ur Rashid.
Besides, many of these refugees had also managed to merge with the local population and finally get Bangladeshi passports to travel abroad as Bangladeshi workers, said local politician s and elders.
“In spite of its limitations, not only had the Bangladesh government handled the refugee issue with the most humanitarian approach it had also extended all kinds of assistance to its eastern neighbor for the repatriation of the Rohingyas.”
Bangladesh people would like to highlight on quick repatriation, and since there is already a list cleared by the UNHCR, they feel that the process can begin immediately and support PM's suggestion to establish a working group for a permanent resolution of the problem,said a local trader from Teknaf.
Though the regular assistance of the donor agencies and other international organizations, the refugees were creating poor law and order situation in the camps. They also made social and environmental problems for Bangladesh and had destroyed resource of forest, said the local villagers nearby refugee camps.
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About Me
- The Voice Of Rohingya
- Maung daw, Arakan state, Myanmar (Burma)
- I am an independent man who voted to humanitarian aid.