Myanmar army's ultimatum to Rohingyas
Myanmar army has issued an ultimatum to the Rohingyas to leave Rakhine State within Saturday or Sunday. The flow of Rohingya refugees entering Bangladesh has increased since the demand was made by the Myanmar military.
Hundreds of people, mostly Rohingya men, were killed in communal clashes in Rakhine State and about 500,000 people, including women and children, were displaced and sought refuge in Bangladesh.
"If you do not flee to Bangladesh we will kill you," Abdur Rahim told the Daily Observer on Friday quoting the Myanmar army as saying.
The refuge seeker, Abdur Rahim, added, "We had begged the authorities for a safe passage to Bangladesh but the Myanmar army and Buddhists attacked us from the flanks on our way to the border."
Nearly 1,000 people have been killed and more than half a million Rohingyas have fled to neighbouring Bangladesh to escape what the United Nations has called a "textbook example of ethnic cleansing".
Thousands of Rohingya - hungry, tired and traumatised from their harrowing experience in Myanmar and arduous journey to Bangladesh - have continued to gather at Teknaf's Shah Porir Dwip to flee persecution in Rakhine State.
In the last five days, nearly 10,000 Rohingya men, women and children have landed there. Many of them, having lost their parents, children and relatives, were still haunted by the painful memories. Members of the Bangladesh army were collecting information of the refuge seekers who were taken to Hariakhali Govt Primary School in Teknaf's Sabrang union. From there, they were given aid and sent to various camps in Ukhiya and Teknaf.
Dost Mohammad, 35, crossed the river on a boat with 25 others Wednesday morning. He had to pay Tk 30,000 for the ride with ten members of his family.
"They torched our houses a couple of days ago," he said and added he was happy to have made it to Bangladesh with other members of his family.
But Abdullah was not so fortunate. The man from Ghonapara said he had to leave behind his parents and siblings. He crossed the Naf River with two of his sons, daughter and wife.
"About a week ago, the army told us not to escape. But later, they made mass arrests and killed people. They raped and murdered the women and set our houses on fire," he said, visibly shaken and exhausted.
Myanmar army's violent offensive targeting the Rohingyas followed insurgent attacks on police posts and an army base on August 25. More than half a million Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh since then.
The military and local mob have been burning and looting Rohingya villages while raping and killing their residents. Buddhist-majority Myanmar has institutionalised discrimination against the mainly-Muslim ethnic group, which it does not recognise and see as illegal Bangladeshi immigrants.
Before the latest influx, Bangladesh already hosted around 400,000 Rohingyas. Dhaka has been successfully building up global support to compel Naypyidaw to allow the Rohingya to return home.
Bangladesh, one of the neighbouring countries of Myanmar, has received a total of 490000 Rohingya refugees fleeing persecution in the Rakhine State of Myanmar since August 25, according to the Inter Sector Coordination Group, a coordinating body of the UN agencies.
The mass exodus came following a Myanmar military offensive allegedly targeting ARSA insurgents who attacked military outpost on that day.
