Bangladesh refused three big boats carrying approximately 1,000 Rohingya Muslims fleeing violence in Myanmar as they approached land Tuesday, after 500 refugees were turned back in recent days, officials said.
According to police official Jahangir Alam who said by phone on Saint Martins Island, a Bay of Bengal isle as the boats approached, "They have been chased away and we are keeping our eyes open so that nobody can enter Bangladesh illegally."
Afterward, Nurul Amin, a local government official in the island had this to say, administrators had arranged announcements by loudspeakers for islanders to be vigilant to prevent Rohingya Muslims from entering Bangladesh.
A Bangladesh spokesperson said, over the past three days it sent back 11 boats packed with approximately 500 Rohingya Muslims fleeing Myanmar.
Meanwhile, local authorities in Bangladesh's border districts have been asked to remain alert and increase vigilance.
In a statement a member of the Foreign Ministry said, “the neighboring countries are maintaining close contacts to ensure that developments in Myanmar's Rakhine state do not have any "transboundary spillover."
Violence between Buddhists and minority Muslims have left roughly12 people dead and burned down hundreds of homes since Friday.
Subsequently, the United Nations' refugee agency has an estimated 800,000 Rohingya live in Rakhine. Myanmar considers them illegal immigrants, effectively rendering them stateless. Rights groups say they face extortion, land confiscation, forced evictions, and other human rights abuses, and thousands attempt to flee Myanmar annually.
Also, Bangladesh says Rohingya have been living in Myanmar for centuries and Myanmar should recognize them as citizens.
However, during the 1990s, roughly 250,000 Rohyngya Muslims fled to Bangladesh in the face of alleged persecution by the military junta.
Later, Myanmar took back most of them, leaving approximately 28,000 behind who currently live in two camps run by the government with the assistance of the United Nations.
For years Bangladesh who have been unsuccessfully negotiating with Myanmar has commence sending them back to Myanmar said, in the meantime in recent years, tens of thousands of other Rohingya are entering Bangladesh illegally.
Bangladesh PRRO 10045.4 will assist refugees from Myanmar sheltering in Kutupalong and Nayapara refugee camps in the Cox’s Bazar district of Bangladesh.
The refugees are of the ‘Rohingya’ ethnic minority and mostly came to Bangladesh in 1991 following religious and ethnic persecution in Myanmar. The refugees are restricted from being involved in income earning activities or obtaining higher education in Bangladesh. As a result, the must dependent on humanitarian assistance for their survival.
Existing WFP activities to be continued under this new phase of the PRRO include General Food Distribution, Supplementary and Therapeutic Feeding and School Snacks.
Also, additional activities will be initiated to support livelihood development through the distribution of grants along with other non-food and training inputs.
Analysts said the subsequent root causes of Myanmar's refugee exodus lie in the ethnic and political conflicts since their independence in 1948 from the British.
Predicated on Myanmar estimated population of 57.6 million, it is believed that it is one of the most ethnically diverse countries in Southeast Asia.
According to the government approximately two-thirds of the population are ethnic Burmese, while the remainder are Shan, Karen, Rakhine, Chinese, Mon and Indian, as well as the Akha, Chin, Danu, Kachin, Kokang, Lahu, Naga, Palaung, Pao, Rohingya, Tavoyan and Wa peoples. There are roughly 135 ethnic sub-groups.
The minorities live mostly in the hills and mountains bordering Bangladesh, China, India, Laos and Thailand, while the Burmese are found in the central alluvial plains and major towns and cities.
The military, which has ruled Myanmar since 1962, has sought a centralized, unitary state, while ethnic groups want a federal structure and greater independence and autonomy, as well as greater recognition of their cultures.
Jack Dunford, executive director of the Thailand Burma Border Consortium (TBBC), which provides food and shelter in nine refugee camps in Thailand, one of 18 NGOs working in the camps said; "The root problem is that the government does not recognize ethnic aspirations and appears to want total military victory. Nothing will improve if that's what they want to do."
Myanmar's opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi is presented with flowers by cheering Karen refugees at Mae La refugee camp in Tha Song Yang district, Tak province, northern Thailand, on Saturday, June 2, 2012 as she visit refugee camps.
Written By.
Ishton W. Morton