180 Rohingyas arrestees are not long march joiner: refugees

180 Rohingyas –who were arrested by border security force on 4-5 April - are not long march joiners of Hefazate Islam Bangladesh (HIB), said refugees from unregistered and registered refugees from Kutupalong,Ukhiya.
“Most of the arrestee refugees are from unregistered camp who are facing shortage of foods for blocking them to go to work for their survival. So, they are taking risk for their family survival and to feed them by working in different places along the border and Cox’s Bazar.”
The refugee demanded the concerned authority of camp to issue any kinds of identification to recognize us as refugee, while the camp authority block them not to go out of camp, said an elder from the camp to deny to mention his name.
“If we have any identification cards, we can go to work safely and no need to us to give any kinds of support. Our family member will not face starvation and never come hunger.”
The News which published in the Daily Independent, Dhaka, Bangladesh under the caption, “180 Rohingya arrested in Cox’s Bazar,” dated 6th April 2013 and Narinjara Burmese website also publish same news to show the Rohingya refugee are involving Bangladesh politics through ARNO is totally false and we are only going to Cox’s Bazar for our survival, said an elder from Rohingya refugee camp.
We strongly reject the news which says “Arakan Rohingya National Organization (ARNO) activists gave money to thousand Rohingyas on refugee camp of Teknaf and Ukhiya to participate in Hefazate Islam Bangladesh (HIB) long march.” This is a baseless allegation devoid of truth and evidence. ARNO has nothing to do with the HIB long march in Bangladesh, according to a press release which released on April 7.
“We strongly condemn the Narinjara, a news group of exile Rakhine Buddhits based in Dhaka, for publishing the same concocted news without verification with a view to tarnishing the image of the ARNO and Rohingya diaspora in Bangladesh,” the ARNO statement also stated.
We are committed to pursue a peaceful political settlement of our problem and crisis. We are committed to remain a community within Arakan and having peaceful and beneficial relations with our neighbors. We extremely dislike interfering in the affairs of other countries, ARNO stated.

Nasaka forces Rohingyas to fund for Buddhist Water-Festival in Maungdaw

Maungdaw, Arakan State: The Burma’s border security force (Nasaka) ordered to the local Village Administration officers to collect fund from Rohingya villages for  upcoming Buddhist water-festival in April in Maungdaw Township on April 6, according to one of the village Administrators who preferred not to be named, 
“The Village Administration officer of Maung Nama village tract of Maungdaw Township was ordered by the Nasaka Headquarters of Kawar Bill (Kyigan Pyin) to collect money from Maung Nama Village tract for the upcoming Buddhist water-festival in April ( Burmese New year).”
Maung Nama village tract has three Villages---- Maung Nama Gyi, Maung Nama Ngay and Maung Nama Aley (middle).  The tree villages have to pay Kyat 450,000 to the Nasaka Headquarters.  The water-festival will fall on April 13 to 16, according to Buddhist calendar.  The Nasaka also threatened to the Villagers that who does not comply with the order, he/she will be punished according to the law, said a local trader who denied to be named.
As a result, one village has to pay Kyat 150,000 to the Nasaka Headquarters before coming water-festival, the trade more added.
This money will use for the Aung Min Gala Natala village, which is established nearby Nasaka Headquarters. The villagers of Natala village have to borrow taxis and motor bikes to celebrate the water-festival.
The Natala village is mixed of Rakhines from Akyab (Sittwe), from Maungdaw rural areas and Rakhines from Bangladesh. There is a Nasaka camp nearby Aung Min Gala Natala village, and the Commander of the camp had married one Rakhine girl of this Natala village. So, the Natala villagers are powerful to do anything against the Rohingya villagers, said a local businessman.
It is not necessary to collect money from the Rohingya villagers to celebrate Buddhist water-festival; it is a deliberate action against the Rohingya community. The Nasaka is trying to collect the money while the Rohingya villagers are facing financial crisis due to movement restriction and also they have no jobs and money to provide  to the Nasaka, said a village elder  Karim, (it is not real name) from the locality.

Nasaka’s lucrative business in Maungdaw

Maungdaw, Arakan State:  Burma’s border security force (Nasaka) is earning money from local Rohingya villagers of Maungdaw Township by forcibly selling water- melons to the villagers with high price.  It is a lucrative business for the Nasaka personnel, said a village trader who declined to be named. 
“Recently, the Nasaka personnel of Nasaka headquarters provided 150 water-melons to the villagers of Maung Nama village tract of Maungdaw Township through the village administration officer. It has three villages---- Maung Nama Gyi, Maung Nama Ngay and Maung Nama Aley. The Nasaka provided 50 water-melons per each village and asked to pay Kyat 1,000 per each. Its real price is Kyat 150 to 200 per each in the open market.”
However, the Nasaka personnel asked extra Kyat at least 800 per one. The poor villagers are not able to buy this water-melon provided by Nasaka with high price, said a local youth named Hassan (not real name).
The water-melon planting is grown by the Nasaka personnel of Nasaka headquarters in the seizing lands of Rohingya farmers by taking forced labor from nearby Rohingya villagers, the youth more added.
The Nasaka always tries to get money from Rohingya villagers and also thinking how to plan for implementation, said a local elder.

Boat capsizes, one dies and two missing

Body of a man was recovered and two others went missing when a Malaysian bound boat capsized with 20 - 30 boatpeople in the Bay of Bengal near Sabrong coast of Teknaf early morning, April 6 (Saturday), according to BGB official. “The body was recovered from the Korermouk coast in Sabrong union of Teknaf.
The victim was identified as Abul Kalam (35), on of late Kobir Ahmed alias Kala Meah of Ohonci Pran village in Whykong union of Teklnaf.”
According to the local’s sources of Teknaf, a small boat capsized with 20-30 Malaysian bound boatpeople in the Bay of Bengal near the Korermouk coast in Sabrong union of Teknaf, at about 4:00 am while crossing to transfer boatpeople to a big boat, which was anchoring in the Bay of Bengal and was waiting its passengers.  One man died, two others missing and the rest were swum to the shore.
Locals found the body of one of the three who went missing at Korermouk point coast in Sabrong union under Teknaf at about 10:00 am and they immediately informed to 42 BGB (Border Guard Bangladesh) battalion of Teknaf and rushed to the spot and they recovered the body at around 1:00 pm.
The locals also said that three fishing trawlers with 70-80 boat- people, on Saturday, at around 2:30 am, went to Korermouk to send boat-people to the big boat, which was waiting in the Bay of Bengal to receive its passengers.
The boat owner is Abdu Salam, son of late Ali Hussain, hailed from Sabran village of Teknaf union. BGB files a case against him regarding the illegally sending people to Malaysia.
Most of the boat- people are from Rohingya community. They flee from Arakan because of political persecution by present pseudo-civilian government, said a relative of a boat-people.
Lieutenant Colonel Jahid Hossain, Commanding Officer of the BGB battalion told that BGB personal recovered the dead from the Korermouk coast.
Rapid Action Battalion-RAB personnel and Cox’s Bazar police said that they detained 133 illegal boatpeople from different areas in Cox’s bazar on April 3 and 4.

Burmese refugees face starvation in Bangladesh

Thousands of Rohingya refugees at an unofficial refugee camps in Bangladesh are facing starvation and acute malnutrition for their movement restriction from their camp, Nuru from refugee camp said.
“The situation of political struggled up and down, the security force of Bangladesh beef up along the border and open more check points. The camps officials ordered not to go outside the camp and locals are also harassing the refugee while they went out of the camps.”
“Most of the refugees were arrested at checked post along the border, when they tried to go for work for their survival.”
Nearly 200 Rohingya refugees were arrested from different vehicles and areas after being conducted operation by the Bangladesh authorities along the border under the Cox’s Bazar district on April 5, according to refugees from unregistered Kutupalong camp.
Some families in the unregistered Kutupalong makeshift camp haven't eaten for days as they are not able to go outside the camp for their survival and for fear of arrest by the concerned authorities, refugees said.
Similarly, the camp authorities of the Kutupalong official camp had already prohibited the refugees not to go outside the camp without taking permission, official said.
“The camp officials are not allowing refugees to go out of camps, who will feed them if they are not going to work, said a refugee committee member.
“We need some kind’s identification to recognize us as refugee, so we can go to work safely and no need to us to give any kinds of support.”
They are not being recognized as refugees by the government of Bangladesh and UNHCR. The government continues to block international humanitarian aid to support these people, according to different sources. “If any identification cards issue to them to work for survive.”
There is need for food ration for the unregistered Rohingya refugees as they don’t get any official support from any quarter.
Sources also said more than 60,000 Burmese Rohingya refugees of Kutuplong makeshift camp and over 12,000 unregistered refugees of Leda (Tal) are living in the miserable condition.
The Burmese Rohingya refugees took shelter in Bangladesh for their safety and to escape the persecution and harassed by Buddhist community and the concerned authorities of Burma. But, the Rohingyas face same problems in Bangladesh, said a politician from border.