Friday 17 February 2012

One killed, two injured in Rohingya refugee camp

Ukiah, Bangladesh: A woman was killed and two were serious injured with knives in the Kutupalong makeshift camp by a drug addict refugee on February 15 at night, said a refugee elder from camp.

Rafique Uddin – a unregistered refugee from Kutupalong refugee camp – was listening music with a mobile phone nearby his shack at around 10:00pm and Jafar Alam (25) son of Ulla Meah – a drug addict—approached to him where Jafor tried to snatch mobile and become a quarrel between them, the elder added.

Rafique screamed and called his family member for help to save his mobile and his life as he was stabbed. Rafique’s mother, Azeda, (40) went to the spot to save her son and his mobile, but suddenly, Azeda was stabbed by Jafor where she died on the spot, according to neighboring refugees.

“Mamataz Meah, the father of Rafique went to the spot after hearing screamed and noisy of his family member, but he was also stabbed by Jafor  and ran away from the seen while nearby refugees rushed to the spot.”

Rafique and Mamtaz were seriously injured, admitted at Shamak hospital in Cox’s Bazar where Azeda was sent to government hospital of Cox’s Bazar for autopsy. She was buried at refugee cemetery on February 16, said a relative of the victims.

Regarding the accident, son in law of Azeda had filed a case against the Jafor in Ukhiya police station.

Jafor was arrested by the refugees on February 16 and sent to the Ukhiya police station.

According to Camp-In-Charge, Jalal Uddin of official Kutupalong camp confirmed that the accident was occurred in the unregistered makeshift camp.

BGB alerts on Rohingya along Bur ma - Bangladesh border

Teknaf, Bangladesh: Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) have alert on Rohingya to arrest, pushed back who enter Bangladesh without legal travel border pass, according to border security forces’ source.

“The alert was imposed after information was spread out along the Burma-Bangladesh border that BGB personnel from outpost camps take 100 taka per head who is crossing illegal into Bangladesh.”

Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) arrested sixty two Rohingyas from different border areas on February 13 -15 after warning, said a local from Teknaf.

“Twenty Rohingyas were arrested from various buses at Whykong BGB check-post after being investigated while they were going to Cox’s Bazar.”

The conducted operation was led by Company Commander Nurul Amin of Whykong. BGB-out post. Later, they were pushed back to Burma through the entry point of Lamba Bill under Teknaf police station, according to BGB sources.

On the other hand, twenty three Rohingyas were arrested by Shapuri Dip BGB personnel, while they were entering the Bangladesh.

The Company Commander Fool Meah from Shapuri Dip BGB-out post confirmed that they were pushed back to Burma same day.

Besides, on February 13, nineteen Rohingyas were arrested by Dum Dum Meah BGB check-post after being checked on different buses which ply from Teknaf to Cox’s Bazar. Of them, twelve male, three female and four children, they all are belonging to different areas of northern Arakan State, Burma.

Sources also said that most of Rohingya people cross Burma-Bangladesh for medical treatment and visiting to their relatives who live in the refugee camps.

BROUK highlight discrimination against Rohingya in Norwegian Parliament and Human Rights Human Wrongs Documentary Film Festival

Chittagong, Bangladesh: Burmese Rohingya Organization UK (BROUK) President Maung Tun Khin (aka) Ziaul Gaffar highlighted untold suffering Rohingya people’s situation in Norwegian Parliament, Norwegian Ministry of Foreign affairs and Human Rights and Human Wrongs Documentary Film Festival in Oslo on February 9, according to Ahmed Hussein Jarmal, General Secretary, BROUK.

U Tun Khin, president of BROUK with Norway former Prime Minister and other officials
Tun Khin, the BROUK, president met several  high level officials from Norwegian government including the Norwegian former prime minister Mr. Kjell Magne Bondevik who is also director of Oslo Centre for Peace and Human Rights where he highlighted  discrimination against Rohingya and their situation in northern Arakan, according to their press statement.

“I had an extremely valuable discussion with the Former Prime Minister of Norway. I express our gratitude for his long time efforts for human rights and democracy for Burma. I urged him to continue to put pressure on the Thein Sein Regime to stop human rights violations in ethnic areas particularly in Arakan State where Rohingyas are facing serious persecution,” said Tun Khin, the president of BROUK.

Tun Khin with Member of Parliament Peter Skovholt Gitmark (Standing Committee on Foregin Affirs and Defence).

Recently, the Norwegian government is engaging with the Thein Sein Regime and cancelled its earlier calls for Norwegian Companies not to do business or invest in Burma.

The BROUK president also called the government of Norwegian to urge the regime to restore Rohingya citizenship rights, ethnic rights, to lift restrictions on marriage, movement, education, and to find a permanent solution for Rohingya refugees who are living in Bangladesh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Thailand and Malaysia while meeting with high level government official.

“I am extremely satisfied with the meeting with various officials from Norwegian government, parliamentary members and NGOs including Norwegian People's Aid -- Largest NGO in Norway and currently thinking to take part heavily to develop in Burma-- in which we were able to raise awareness about the suffering of all the people of Burma, and particularly the plight of the Rohingyas who are not receiving much international attention and less International NGOs are  working for suffering Rohingya in northern Arakan,” said BROUK president Tun Khin.

“I delivered the message that if Thein Sein regime wants to do genuine reform, the Burmese government has to stop human rights violations against all ethnic areas including Rohingya’s areas.”

“The regime is not showing even little sign of change on the Rohingya, instead tagging Rohingyas as foreigners, ignoring their glorious past and establishments in our own homeland.”

“Recent changes might be just to ease sanctions from western governments and I must say it is too early to lift the sanctions on Burma.”

In the evening, the BROUK president Tun Khin participated with Rohingya traditional dress in the Panel discussion “The Exodus of Rohingyas” at the Human Rights Human Wrongs documentary film festival in Oslo where about 70 people joined to the event including Norwegian Foreign Officials, Former Prime Minister’s Office, and Norwegian NGOs., according to Tun Khin, the president of the BROUK.

Tun Khin with Rohingya traditional dress in the Panel discussion “The Exodus of Rohingyas”

Tun Khin explained the Rohingya History and the recognitions of Democratic government of U NU era with references and evident. He also explained about Rohingya dress which was open used in the Democratic government of U NU era but it was kept in the dark by Dictator Ne Win and it was all most disappear in the recent period.

“I also share the situation Rohingya in northern Arakan, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia and Bangladesh with Democratic Voice of Burma –DVB in Oslo after the event,” Tun Khin said.

Tun Khin with Rohingya traditional dress in DVB studio  for interview

The film "The Exodus of the Rohingyas" describes the nightmarish legal limbo they are living in. The Rohingyas, a Muslim minority group in Burma, were made stateless in 1982 by the military dictatorship. Thousands of Rohingyas have fled brutal suppression in their home country to poverty, misery and abuse in neighboring Bangladesh. Bangladesh does not accept them as refugees while Burma does not want them back. After the film, follows a debate: The Rohingyas of Burma are stateless and have been living in misery for decades. They are a forgotten people. Why is it so difficult to find a solution to their situation and to give them a life with dignity?, according to global.no and uteliv.no website.

Teachers collect extra money from students in Maungdaw

Maungdaw, Arakan State: Teachers from Aley Than Kyaw high school have been collecting extra money from students for coaching and exam fee in the academic year of 2011-2012, which hampered to the poor students, said one of the parents of a student.

“The high school is controlled by its headmaster and collecting money from students per month and fee for sitting examination and to give them pass after final examination.”

The headmaster of the school collects Kyat 1,000 per head from class-half students, Kyat 1,500 from class-one students, Kyat 2,000 from (class-two and three) students, Kyat 4,000 from class-(four and five) students, Kyat 7,000 from class-six students, Kyat 7.5000 from even students, Kyat 15,000 from class-eight students, and class nine students, said a trader from the locality. 

This money is for extra tuition fees, monthly exam fees  which is huge amount for poor students,

The poor students are not able to pay the extra money, so they are not able to attend the coaching classes within the academic year, said one of the fathers of a student.

“We had never given money for extra classes that the schoolteachers took earlier and there was no collection for monthly exam,” said a student.

“If the collection is going on, more students will be got out of the school for fee,” said a local elder.

But, some of the students attend to the coaching classes in the area as the school classes are not sufficient to pass the final exam, said a mother of a student.

“There are over 800 students in the school, so the teachers will get a big amount from the students. The final exam will be held on February 14.”

Education is the back bone of a nation. But, poor students are not able to study in schools because of financial crisis, said a retired school teacher from the locality.

Nasaka extorts money for visiting guests in Maungdaw

Maungdaw, Arakan: Burma’s border security force (Nasaka) extorted money from  a villagers of Maungdaw Township for giving permission to guest to stay in their homes at night without informing to concerned authorities recently, said a local elder who denied to be named. .

Aung Mingala Nasaka out-post officer Myo Than extorted Kyat 100,000 from a  Maung Nama Nge villager named Ms Rashida Begum (35), daughter of Lukman Hakim, with allegation that she received a guest without giving information to the local Nasaka authority on December 28. The Nasaka personnel arrested the nephew of Ms. Rashida who visited to his auntie near the village at about 9:00pm and released after extorted the money from Ms. Rashida, according to a relative of Rashida.
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Moreover, on February 2, Khalek (25), son of Ahmed Hussain, hailed from Maung Nama Gyi village of Kawar Bill village tract was arrested by the same Nasaka while he was visiting his younger uncle’s house. He went to Maungdaw to visit his relatives from Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) where his father is now living. He went there with legal passport and informed to the Nasaka headquarters about his visit, but he did not informed to the Nasaka outpost---Aung Migla camp. He stayed only an hour after noon at his younger uncle Jamal’s house. After arrest, the Nasaka seized his passport and took away to their camp after releasing him. However, the Nasaka officer Myo Than returned the passport after taking Kyat 200,000 when he returned to Maungdaw Town, on that day, said a close relative of Khalek. 

Besides, on February 6, Sayed Hussain (aka) Gula (55), son of Sher Muluk, hailed from Maung Nama Gyi village under Nasaka Headquarters of Maungdaw Township was arrested by the Nasaka of same camp over the allegation that he received two guests at his home without giving any information to concerned authorities. Among the two, one guest informed to the concerned authority but another one was not. Both of them have ID cards. However, the house owner brought to the Nasaka camp where he was detained. After 24 hours, he was released after taking Kyat 200,000, according to a relative of the victim. 

In addition, on February 7, Ms Zaw lama (33), wife of Eliyas, hailed from south Maung Nama village under the Nasaka Headquarters of Maungdaw township, was arrested by the same Nasaka over the allegation that one of her relatives, a class (1X) student was giving private coaching to her children who are primary students in her home at about 8:00 pm. Now, her husband Eliyas is in KSA. However, she was released after giving Kyat 200,000 on that day. The coaching teacher is from Kyauk Pyin Seik village of Maungdaw Township, said a relative of the victim. 

In 2010, the Nasaka authority had declared that any villager will be arrested in the house, who has not enlisted in the family list and who has not informed to the concerned authority for permission to stay in a house as a guest. The Nasaka will arrest villagers after 9:00 pm. But, in 2011 and 2012, there was no any warning to villagers about night guests, said a local businessman preferring not to be named. 

“But, those above people were arrested between 8:00 pm to 9:00 pm,” said a local school teacher.

Nsaka personnel are very brutal to harass Rohingya community and to extort money in illegal ways, said a local trader who denied to be named

Dead bodies floating in the Naf River

Maungdaw, Arakan State: More than ten dead bodies are floating in the Naf River since February 7 along the Burma side near the Myinthlut village tract under Burma border security force (Nasaka) area number 8, said a village administration office member from Myinthlut village.

“The dead bodies floating in the Naf River are not allowed to collect and bury by their relatives and villagers. The order was given by the commander of Nasaka area number 8.”

“The dead bodies are hopefully belonging to Malaysia bound voyagers who left four days ago from Nasaka area number 8 with the cooperation of Nasaka where the Nasaka collected 50,000 kyats per head. The Malaysia voyage’s boat may capsize in the Bay of Bengal. But no one confirm it.”

The Nasaka personnel and the commander are denying collecting and burying of the dead bodies from river as fear of exposing their involvement in the boatpeople trafficking, said a school teacher from the village.

“The Nasaka also ordered the villagers to push the dead bodies to the river if any dead body reaches the shore.”

The Nasaka personnel want to destroy the dead bodies, but they afraid of investigation by Human Trafficking department which occurred last November 23, 2011 where more than 138 were missing while a Malaysia voyage’s boat capsized in the Bay of Bengal where the dead bodies were drowned in the sea by the Nasaka personnel after fastening heavy stone with dead bodies for destroying the evidences of the event, said an aide from Naska camp.

The voyage to Malaysia from Bangladesh and Burma is a risky route where some boatpeople were died on the way with risky boat which sank in the sea, some were arrested by Thailand and Burma, but voyagers from Burma and Bangladesh are still not stopped to go that risky route.

The Rohingya community in northern Arakan is facing same as before such as discriminations - restriction of movement, marriage, education, health, employment and etc.-.  Though there is some reforms appear to be marked in the Burma, the repression and oppression of the Rohingya community are not stopped, said a trader from Maungdaw.

The Nasaka is using the policy of “killing two birds in one shot” means the Nasaka is trying to reduce the population of Rohingya community from Arakan soil and earning money by giving permission to go abroad. But, there is no permission for Rohingya community to enter their homeland again.

About Me

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Maung daw, Arakan state, Myanmar (Burma)
I am an independent man who voted to humanitarian aid.