The Stateless Rohingya Blog

Teknaf, Bangladesh : An unregistered Rohingya refugee teenage girl of Leda camp (Tal) was raped by a local on October 29, 2014, Jalal, a refugee committee member from Leda camp said. The victim has been identified as— Bibi (not real name), 12, from leda camp and the rapist is Farid Alam (40), son of Lal Meah, hailed from Leda village. He is a  local Bangladeshi and  a staff of “NGO Forum,” which is established in Leda camp. He has duty to look after the camp, according to sources. On October 29, at about noon, the said Alam went to F-Block, shed No. 321 and suddenly entered the shed and forcibly raped the teenage girl while her mother was not present at the shed and the victim was alone. Her mother went to Nilla to buy some medicine, Hussain, a refugee from the camp said. Some refugees saw the said rapist while entering the shed, but refugees believed that he was working there as a staff of NGO Forum, Hussain more added. Suddenly, the victim gave hue and cry f...

Myanmar soldiers patrol in a street as Muslims take refuge at their camp in Sittwe, capital of Rakhine state in western Myanmar (Photo :AP) By KPN  October 28, 2014 Maungdaw, Arakan State : Maungdaw high level officers from all departments had applied a new law for Rohingyas who were arrested –more than 100 rohingyas- recently for so-called population data collection or census, said Halim, a Human Rights Watchdog from Maungdaw. The concerned authority – Burma Border Guard Police (BGP) officers, District Administration officer, Township administration officer, Army officers and Immigration officers – decided to file cases with a new law for Rohingyas who were arrested recently for refusing to identify as Bengali instated of Rohingya in so-called population data collection or census. The authority applied an Act to file cases with linked to Rohingya Solidarity Organization – RSO (a rebellion group), which was not functioning in the areas, Halim said. The false al...

By KPN October 27, 2014 Maungdaw, Arakan State: Amy committed robbery against four Rohingya villagers in Maungdaw north, Arakan State, Burma on October 22 in the morning, said Hamid, a village elder from the area.   “The robbery was took place at Balu Khali (Thee Chaung) village under the Powet Chaung village tract of Maungdaw Township.” The house owners (victims) are identified as—Anwar (25), son of Abdu Munaf; Shuraz Zaman (50), son of Amir Bokshu; Abdu Shuker (30), son of Abdu Malek and Maulana Yousuf (45), son of Abdu Matalab,  Hamid more added. The day before October 22, some of the collaborators or local agents of BGP (Burma Border Guard Police) informed to army that some of the RSO members penetrated to Balu Khali village from Bangladesh and taking shelter there. Therefore, about 200-army went to that village to see whether it was true or not, but, the army did not find any clue of RSO members, Ayub Ali, a businessman from the locality. However, t...

Teknaf, Bangladesh : Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and Bangladesh Coastguards arrested 14 Rohingyas from different entry points of Bangladesh- Burma border and handed over to Teknaf police station on October 21, Didar, a local from Teknaf town said. “A patrol team of BGB arrested nine Rohingyas from the Naff River on October 21, at about 3:00 pm while they were entering the Bangladesh through the entry point of Teknaf Jadimura by a small row boat.” According to BGB sources, members of BGB arrested one male, four women and four children after being conducted operation. They all belong to Khunna Para (village) of Maungdaw Township. After arrest, they were brought to Dumdum Meah BGB outpost of Teknaf Battalion No. 42 for further investigations. The BGB women checked their whole bodies and got more than 7,000 pieces of Yaba tablets, BGB sources said. A relative of a victim Hamida (29) said on condition of anonymity that they crossed Burma-Bangladesh border by a row boat, but ...

By Fayas Ahmed October 22, 2014 The latest tactics of arbitrary arrests, tortures, detentions and killings of Rohingya innocent people at Maungdaw Township in Arakan State, with false and fabricated allegation has become the daily phenomenon of President Thein Sein’s regime and his accomplices. Since September last week, the BGP personnel arrested more than 100 Rohingya villagers (including Maulanas, Hafezi Quran, students. women and even minor boys ) with false and fabricated case in Maungdaw Township to take avenge who did not participate in so-called population data collection. However, the concerned authorities have been trying to frame case against them implicating with Rohingya Solidarity Organization (RSO), which was not existed in Burma many years ago. Every night, the BGP personnel went to Rohingya villages and tried to arrest the villagers, so the Rohingya villagers are not able to stay in their homes because of arbitrary arrest of BGP.  Some instances ...

By KPN October 22, 214 Buthidaung, Arakan State : The situation of the Buthidaung jail is very depraved situation for prisoners, especially for Rohingyas who are in the jail, according to a prisoner recently released from Buthidaung jail. “Some of the recent arrested Rohingya villagers from Maungdaw Township had been sent to Buthidaung jail where they are being tortured severely every day.” Some of the prisoners are identified as—Maulana Sayed Amin ( 35), son of Sultan, hailed from Tolatoli (Min Gyi Rwa) of Maungdaw south; Maulana Wares (40), son of Jahid Hussain, hailed from Badaka Dewan Ali village of Maungdaw north;  Master Abdul Hai (30), son of Ahmeddu, hailed from Wetkin village of Maungdaw north;  Sayed ( 35), son of Gura Meah, hailed from Garata Bill;  Maulana Shaker (40), father’s name unknown, hailed from Garata Bill, Mohamed Tayub (40), son of Younos, hailed from Garata Bill, the released prisoner more added. Some others are unknown villagers that ...

Maungdaw, Arakan State : Four villagers including an 11- year old boy arrested by Burmese Border Guard Police (BGP) in Maungdaw north on October 13, at night without any reason, said Kasim (not real name) from the locality.   “The arrestees are identified as —Hashim Ullah (19), son of Abdul Khader; Mohamed Alam (30), son of Mohamed Rashid; and Farooq (22), son of Mohamed Rashid and a minor boy Sayed Alam (11), son of Khalu. They all belong to Kwan Thipin village of Maungdaw Township.” After arrest, they were brought to BGP headquarters of Kyikan Pyin ( Kawar Bill) village of Maungdaw Township where they are detained and interrogated with  severe torture. They were accused that they had link with Rohingya Solidarity Organization (RSO) a rebellion group, said one of the relatives of the victims who denied to be named. The authority targets the Rohingya youths even the minor boy. They are innocent villagers, but the concerned authority deliberately accused them that th...

Maungdaw, Arakan State : Burma Border Guard Police (BGP) personnel are watching religious buildings – Mosques, Madarasas (religious schools) and cemeteries at night since 2nd week of October, said Farous, a village admin officer from Maungdaw south. “The BGP personnel stayed near the religious building and cemeteries at night after people entered to their home and watching the areas. The BGP returned early in the morning to their stations.” The BGP personnel started this operation after they started arresting Rohingya youths and religious students where some Rohingyas were died under BGP custodies, said the officer. The BGP are suspecting the areas – religious building and cemeteries – for hideout of Rohingya Solidarity Organization (RSO) which the authority declared that RSO entered to Maungdaw. But, it is a pre plan of authority to harass the Rohingyas community and to show international community that Rohingyas are doing against the law, said Rafique, a politician from ...

Mohamed Farid, 35, a Rohingya from Kha Moung Zeik (Fakira Bazar) was tortured to death by the Burmese Border Guard police (BGP) at their headquarters in Maungdaw, Arakan State between 3rd October and 5th October according to Halim, a Maungdaw based human rights watchdog. Halim said that Farid, who lived in BGP area No. 2, was arrested on 3rd October by the BGP who alleged he was linked with the rebel group the Rohingya Solidarity Organisation (RSO). He was then sent to BGP headquarters in Maungdaw where he was tortured to make him confess to being a member of the RSO. Farid refused to admit being a member of the RSO or to name any other RSO members. He told the BGP he was a trader and had no links to the RSO. The BGP then tortured him from 3rd to 4th October until he was seriously injured. He was then sent to Maungdaw hospital during the night of 4th to 5th October and he died there on 5th October according to a village administration officer who wishes to remain anonymous. ...

Police stop a three-wheeled motorbike taxi carrying Muslim Rohingya in Maungdaw township on February 1. (Si Thu Lwin/The Myanmar Times) Maungdaw, Arakan State:  Burmese Border Guard Police (BGP) personnel produced 20 Rohingyas including four females to Maungdaw court on September 29 for remand, where the court granted seven days, according to an officer from court who denied to be named. “Now, they are kept in four miles riot police headquarters for more interrogations.” BGP personnel went to near Bawli Bazar villages and arrested about nearly 20 villagers including females and males for not taking part in so-called population data collection or census since September 14, said, Amin, a local trader from the local. Some of the arrestees are identified as—Maulana Nurul Islam (65); Hafez Abul Alam (25), son of Nurul Islam; Lalu (45), son of Mozer Meah; Abu Alam (43), son of Kadir Hussain; and Ms Tahera Begum (45), wife of Mohamed  Siddique. After arrest, all the arrest...

Myanmar police officers stand guard near barricades as they provide security in Thandwe, Rakhine State, western Myanmar. AP By KPN  September 29, 2014 Maungdaw, Arakan State: Creating new method, the Burmese Border Guard Police (BGP) arrested six innocent villagers from Maungdaw north on September 27, over the allegation that they had linked with Rohingya Solidarity Organization (RSO), a rebellion group of Burmese Government, Shoffee (not real name) , a village leader preferring not to be named.  “On September 25, in the morning, a group of army went to Burma- Bangladesh border and made two separate small groups and fought each other group about 15 minutes pretending as they met a suspected armed group at the border.” On September 27, Radio Free Asia (RFA) released a news about a fight between BGP and a suspected armed group on September 26, at the Burma-Bangladesh border, nearby pillar Nos. 46-47, about 15 minutes but, there were no casualties in both sides. As a r...

File photo of Rohingya boat people fleeing Myanmar By KPN September 18, 2014 Sittwe, Burma :  Three boat-people including one man and two women were dead while going to Malaysia from Sittwe (Akyab) by boat after sinking at the sea on September 11, at about 9:00 pm,  said Shaker, one of the boat people from Sittwe. “There were about 38 Rohingya boat-people including man, women and children were leaving Malaysia by boat from Ohn Taw Gyi IDP camp of Sittwe, Arkan, the capital of Arakan State.” Suddenly, a group of Hluntin (riot police) arrived to the spot and fired 12 rounds of bullet to air to stop the boat. As a result, the boat-people were terrified and jumped into water and tried to escape from the arrest of Hluntin. However, among them a man and two women were dead because of boat sinking and 25 boat-people are still missing and 10 others could reach to the bank after swimming. But, they were arrested by Hluntin and sent to No.1 police station of Sittwe....

By KPN  August 30, 2014 Mangdaw, Arakan State: The Muslims minority was denied the right to identify themselves as” Rohinggyas” in so-called population data collection in northern Arakan, which was  conducted  since March 30 to April 10 and then from August to till now,  said Rahim( not real name) from the locality.   The census has been conducting with the help of the UN population Fund. The government claims they are illegal immigrants from Bangladesh and calls them “Bengalis” though they have been living there thousand years ago. Yesterday, on August 29, at about 8:00 pm, a group of BGP (Border Guard Police), army along with immigration officers went to Wabeg village of Pawet Chaung village tract of Maungdaw Township and tried to get so-called population data from the villagers. But, the villagers strongly refused to take part in the population data collection as the local authority tried to write” Bengali” in place of “ Rohingya” in the Form,...

By KPN August 28, 2014 Maungdaw, Arakan State : Authority from Maungdaw district had imposed restriction on Rohingyas’ social and livelihood after denying to participate the so-called population data collection program, said Halim, a Human Rights Watchdog from Maungdaw. We are facing so many restriction on social and livelihood – work, travel, education, marriage and health- which we need daily  for our survival, said Nur Mohamed at the meeting with authority and Rohingya community in Maungdaw middle school on August 27 at about 4:30pm. The Burma Border security Police (BGP) population data collection program director Aung Soe and other immigration officers met Rohingya community from block number two, where more than 100 Rohingyas participated on it. In the meeting two Rohingyas – Nur Mohamed and Abu Taher – delivery an explanation on Rohingya and its background. They also asked the officer that the Rohingyas are facing difficult to participate the so-called populat...

Tekanf, Bangladesh : Twenty two Rohingyas were pushed back to Burma by Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) on August 12, Jafar Alam from Teknaf borderTown said. “They BGB arrested 8 Rohingyas from Jaliapara (village) entry point under the Teknaf Police Station at about 3:00 pm while entering Bangladesh.” The operation was led by BGB officer Awtadin of Nilla out-post. Later, they were sent back to Burma the same way in the evening, according to BGB officials. Besides, BGB members of Whykong check-post arrested another 14 Rohingyas from different vehicles  while going to Cox’s Bazar from Teknaf on August 8. They were also pushed back to Burma. However, the concerned authorities of Bangladesh have been giving tight security along the Burma-Bangladesh border because of restriction of Rohingyas from entering the Bangladesh from Burma, according to sources. The members of Whykong BGB check-post investigated the whole bodies of passengers and gave harassment to the Rohingyas i...

 On the way from Mrauk-U to Mahamuni Temple was taken by the photographer Medhasith on 13 October 2013. By KPN August 11, 2014 Maungdaw, Arakan State : Emergency Act 144 has been withdrawn from some townships – Kyauktaw, Mrauk-U,Min Bya and Pauktaw- and the Act 144 still remains  in other townships of Arakan State, according to U Hla Thein, press and information officer of Arakan state government. “The Act 144 was withdrawn from Kyauktaw Township, in Arakan State, on August 8. It was imposed from 10:00 pm to 4:00 am.” “The Act 144 was imposed in Kyauktaw Township after the violence between Buddhists and Rohingya Muslims in June and October 2012, U Hla Thein said. In Arakan State, after the violence in some of the Townships in June and October 2012, the Act 144 was imposed in many Towns. However, later, the Act 144 was withdrawn from other Townships including Mrauk-U, Min Bya and Pauktaw. But, the Act 144 is still remained in other Townships, according ...

By KPN August 11, 2014 Maungdaw, Arakan State: No one from Rohingya community is going to participate the so-called population data collection in block number 2 and Myoma Khayoungdan village, while the data collecting officers are waiting in the areas today, said Rashid Ahmed, a school teacher from Maungdaw. Block admin officer of number 2, U Yousuf, is trying to convince the villagers under his block to participate the so-called population data collection process, but nobody came forward, Rashid said. U Yousuf, the admin officer of block number 2, forced yesterday to influence persons who named names were appeared in the letters issued by BGP immigration officer Soe Myint Tun from BGP headquarters to participate so-called population data collection, to give their family list documents and filled the Forms with all data of family list without the influence persons who names were in the letters, said Halim, a Human Rights Watchdog from Maungdaw. Today, again the offi...

By KPN August 5, 2014 Teknaf, Bangladesh : Heavy raining at Burma-Bangladesh border areas since July 29, and destroyed some shacks of Leda refugee camp, Kamal Hussain from Leda camp said. The view of Lada refugee camp under rainy season“Mostly refugee shacks of unregistered Leda camp (Tal) have been destroyed by recent heavy rain.” The Leda refugee camp condition looks very bad in this year, rainy season –flooding,   falling water drops from ceiling and facing topical diseases, said Nawbi Husson from the camp. “We are not able to stay inside our shacks for falling water drops from ceiling, said Ms. Tahera. She also said that she has been suffering from cough and fever for a week and taken treatment from the clinic of Muslim Aids. According to refugees, many refugees have been facing difficulties in the camp for shelter since July 29, and also they are not able to work for their survival because of heavy rain. Some shacks of E-block of Leda camp had been repaired b...

By KPN  August 04, 2014  Maungdaw, Arakan state : Rohingya community in Maungdaw is under heavy threats and oppressions by the authority as they keep resisting a forced scrutiny by the government classifying them “illegal Bengali” immigrants, Khalil, a village elder from Maungdaw north. “The Burma Border Guard Police (BGP) of BGP headquarters and  number six commanding office arrested eight villagers on July 31,nights and August 1 because of not going to BGP headquarters for meeting which the BGP invited the elder from Borgar Bill village. BGP arrested 4 persons on night of July 13 and other were picked up in the daytime from the village.” “The elders were not gone to BGP headquarters for asking to accept census collecting or recent so called population data collecting, in which Rohingyas are identified as “Bengali” in place of “Rohingyas,” Kalil more added. On that day, some Rohingya villagers from Borgar Bill village of Kyauk Hla Khar (Dargardill) villa...

Maungdaw, Arakan State:   A clash between police and villagers was occurred yesterday at Maungdaw north as police forcibly took away beef from the villagers, Dilu, a villager said from the locality. “On that day, at about 10:00 am, in Maung Nama village of Maungdaw north, villagers slaughtered a cow for beef for religious festival – Laylatul Qadr (the Night of Power) – after getting permission from the concerned authority.” At around 11:00 am, a group of police from Aung Mingala police out-post of Maungdaw north led by police officer U Kyaw accompanied by present village Admin office U Thein Tun and ex-village Chairman U Thein Maung Gyi went to Maung Nama village and asked villagers to give them five- Visses (one Viss=1.66 kg) of beef, but villagers refused to pay them beef without money. However, in one stage, police and Admin officer snatched away about 7 Visses of beef from the villagers, but the villagers re- took it again from their hands. As a result, there was a clas...