Bernicat appreciates BD's help to vulnerable people
Thousands of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar are facing a humanitarian crisis and continuing to cross the border into Bangladesh and taking shelter in different parts of the country.
The repeated attacks by Myanmar military forces on Rohingya Muslims has made human rights group, Amnesty International to forewarn them their acts will be counted against humanity. The attacks including, mass murder, rape of several women and looting.
Since communal violence began in June 2012, displacing more than 1,000,000 and leading to more than 500 deaths. At least five lakh undocumented Rohingyas are staying in different parts of the country.
Myanmar is major producer of both refugees and internally displaced people, with over 100,0000 (ten lakh) people staying in countries including Bangladesh, China Thailand and Malaysia, according to the United Nations.
The USA will help Bangladesh, Myanmar and other regional countries find just and durable solutions to the Rohingya problem.
United States Amba-ssador to Bangladesh Marcia Bernicat said this while visiting Cox's Bazar from December 21 to 22. During the visit, she met district officials, undocumented and registered Rohingya refugees and organisations providing humanitarian assistance there, said a press release of the US Embassy on Thursday.
Bangladesh for decades hosted hundreds of thousands of Rohingyas, said Bernicat. She appreciated that the country helped this vulnerable population.Southeast Asia human rights group said, "The Myanmar military has targeted Rohingya civilians in a callous and systematic campaign of violence. The deplorable actions of the military could be part of a widespread and systematic attack on a civilian population and may amount to crimes against humanity."
Al-Hussein, UN's High Commissioner for Human Rights said, "Myanmar's handling of northern Rakhine is a lesson in how to make a bad situation worse. The results have been catastrophic, with mass displacement, the nurturing of violent extremism, and everybody ultimately losing."
Amnesty has advocated the Myanmar government to immediately stop the military attacks provide help to the sufferers and investigate the entire situation.
Our correspondent from Cox's Bazar reports, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) sent two boats carrying more than 36 Rohingyas back to Myanmar from Teknaf border area of Cox's Bazar early Friday.
Maj Abu Russel Siddique, Deputy Commander of BGB Teknaf-2, said boats tried to enter Bangladesh through Teknaf border crossing the river Teknaf between 4:00am and 7:00am. He said most of them were children.
Around 32,000 registered Rohingyas are now living in two refugee camps in Ukhia and Teknaf. The government has introduced free education up to Class VI, vocational skill training, computer training, and primary and secondary healthcare to prepare the Rohingyas for a better life when they voluntarily return to their homeland.
At least 1.5 lakh Rohingya refugees are living in two slums surrounding Rohingya refugee camps in Ukhia and Teknaf. At least 3.5 lakh Rohingyas are living different parts of the Cox's Bazar district. Rest of the Rohingya refugees are living in different part including Chittagong.
The United Nations says that some 22,000 Rohingyas have recently fled to Bangladesh. Sources in Cox's Bazar said quoting the homeless Myanmar people that at least 100 Rohingyas have been killed and 50,000 displaced.
Abu Kashim, Executive Director of HELP, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) at Cox's Bazar said at least 3.5 lakh Rohingyas are living different parts of the Cox's Bazar district. Meanwhile, nobody has the real number of Rohingyas in the country.
A military crackdown began after nine border police personnel were killed in attacks by 'insurgents' at three outposts on October 9
Sources in Cox's Bazar said quoting the homeless Myanmar people that some Rohingyas are feared to have drowned in the Naf river during bids to flee the ethnic cleaning in Myanmar's Rakhine state (bordering Cox's Bazar).
Bangladesh has stepped up security along its border with Myanmar to prevent influx of Rohingyas fleeing violence in Rakhine state that has killed at least 86 people and displaced 30,000 others.
Myanmar and the military have denied accusations by Rohingyas and rights groups of raping women, torching houses and killing civilians during their operations.
Myanmar does not recognise the Rohingyas as its citizens and dubs them 'Bangalis'. The latest violence is the most serious since the 2012 communal clashes. Many have criticised Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi for her silence although her party is in power.
