132 boat-people go down in Bay of Bengal

Shafuri Dip, Bangladesh: A boat with 132 boat-people of Rohingyas including 15 women sank off the Shafuri Dip, today at around 2:30 am while going to Malaysia, according to a survivor from sinking board.

However, other fishing boats rescued 23 boat-people and were sent to Teknaf police station and the rest boat-people are missing, according to police official.  

A local from Teknaf said that 82 boat-people were ferried to a big boat from Naya Para of Teknaf which was anchored off the Shapuri Dip and another 50 bat-peopled were also  ferried to that said big boat  from Mosh Khali Para of Teknaf. 

The boat was reportedly carrying about 132 Rohingya Muslims, from Burma to Malaysia when it sank in the Bay of Bengal early today at around 2 am to 2:30 am. 

Another boat carrying more than 130 people including ( Rohingya and Bangaladeshi ) sank in the Bay of Bengal on October 28, while going to Malaysia from Bangladesh coast.

Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) Commander Lt. Col. Zahid Hossain of Teknaf said no bodies had been recovered so far, but quoted survivors as saying they saw some bodies after the boat sank off Bangladesh's Teknaf coast.

“Search and rescue operation is underway. The voyagers used a  wooden motorboat which had only capacity of 70 passengers. The boat was heading to Malaysia illegally.”

“There were seven or eight women on board the boat. The boat capsized after one passenger fell from the boat into the sea and the boat turned suddenly in a bid to rescue him,” said the survivor.

Burmese government is responsible for boat-people tragedy. Rohingya youths are fleeing from their motherland for searching their livelihood as they have no works to support their family members because of their confinement in their villages and houses. 

Bangladesh Border Guard soldiers check survivors rescued from a boat capsize in Teknaf, Bangladesh, Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2012. Officials said Wednesday that 23 people were rescued.

High level officers visit Maungdaw

Maungdaw, Arakan State: High level officers – Army, police and home minister office- had visited Maungdaw today, according to an official from Maungdaw.

“The top level army officers along with Lt Gen Thein Htay, the Minister of Border Affairs had been visiting Maungdaw – border trade point, exit and entry gate, market and government offices. They were guided by Col. Maung Maung Oo, the Director of Burma border security force around the Maungdaw.”

The district administration officer and Township administration officer organized to open the shops in the market forcefully and ordered to say, in Maungdaw the two communities are living peacefully, according to a shopkeeper who didn’t want to give his name.

“In the shop, most of their collaborators were sitting while the army official visited the market and said as per the Maungdaw administration officers.”

Besides, the police chief meet with Maungdaw Buddhist monks in the Myoma monastery where he discuss with Rakhines community from 1:00pm to 3:00pm, said an elder from Maungdaw.

“We don’t know, what they discuss at the meeting, may be against Rohingya community as per recent happening Arakan State.”

Similarly, an officer from the home minister officers  called all the village administration officers from Maungdaw to meet him in Buthidaung where he held a meeting with them at Myoma Hall, according to an politician  from Rohingya community.

“The high level officers of authority all department visited northern Arakan, to make plan to drive out the Rohingya or to set up refugee camp for Rohingya in Taungbro. The authority is showing international community that the government is working hard to settle recent ethnic cleansing program. But, they are using program – collecting data with authority desire plan- to drive out the Rohingya from Arakan soil.”

“The authority are collecting data of Rohingyas who lost their villages for burned down where they authority asked the family list and ID card  which were burned when Rakhines set on fire their villages. In the form , the authority are using “Bangali” in the race where most of Rahingyas asked to fill with Rohingya. This is big problem which stopped the collecting of data from Rohingya in central Arakan.”

The authority is asking for aids from international community, but no aids went to Rohingyas of  northern Arakan – Maungdaw, Buthidaung and rathedaung - and central Arakan - Kyaukpru, Minbya, Mrauk-U, Mayebon, Rathedaung, Kyauktaw, Paukta and Rambree. The government only distributed Rohingyas in Akyab. It is also not fulfill for them and authority want  them to flee from Arakan to Bangladesh. It is their plann to drive out the Rohingya from Arakan soil.”