The Stateless Rohingya Blog

Friday, 22 July 2011 10:54 Salai Han Thar San New Delhi (Mizzima) – Following a deadly attack on Rohingya refugees, a UK-based Rohingya organization on Thursday called on the Bangladesh government to impose more laws to protect the lives of Rohingya in Bangladesh.     Villagers from Fawliyapara Village in Cox’s Bazzar in Bangladesh on July 16 attacked Rohingya refugees in Kutupalong camp; one refugee was killed and more than 20 were injured.   A view of the Kutupalong Rohingya refugee camp in Cox’s bazar.  Photo - Bayazid Akter/Mizzima The Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK (Brouk) urged the Bangladesh government to do more to protect Rohingya.   “The residents always bully Rohingya. They usually seize the things sold by Rohingya, and they beat Rohingya occasionally. We want the government to effectively protect them from being bullied by residents,” Tun Khin, the chairman of Brouk, told  Mizzima.   The United Nations High Commissioner f...

Teknaf, Bangladesh: Heavy rainfall has continued along the border area for three days, said a refugee from Kutupalong camp. “Heavy rain and wind are destroying shacks in Kutupalong unregistered refugee camp.” Over 20 huts of unregistered refugees were destroyed by heavy rainfall, and the unregistered Rohingya refugees are now facing difficulties to live in their shacks as the roofs of the shacks have been damaged by wind and heavy rain, said a refugee committee member. “My hut was destroyed by heavy rainfall, and I can’t rebuild the hut as I am not able to go to the mountain to collect bushes for fear of local people’s attack. I don’t know what will happen for my family in the rainy season,” said Mahmed Anwer, a refugee at the unofficial camp. “The unofficial refugees are also facing food shortages as they aren’t able to go outside the camp to work for fearing of attacks.” “Similarly, the registered refugees from Kutupalong camp are also not allowed to go outside their camp by the aut...

Saturday, 16 July 2011 12:46 Cox’s Bazaar, Bangladesh:  Local villagers from Fawliyapara (Village) armed with wood and bamboo sticks, pickaxes, mattocks, swords, knives and bamboo spears attacked Rohingya refugees (registered and unregistered) in Kutupalong camp today at 10 a.m. Twenty refugees were seriously injured including four women, said a refugee elder from the camp. Nowbi Husson, the victim of local people who attack the Rohingya refugee camp today “More than 100 local people and police personnel came to the western and northern sides of the camp where the unregistered block D-3 and registered camp west side are. Most of the refugees were busy with their daily lives at that times.” “The police personnel only waited behind the local people, and didn’t join while the locals attacked the refugees.” Musa, the victim of local who attacked the Rohingya refugee camp today “The local people first attacked the unregistered camp where the local destroyed some shacks. Some refu...

Teknaf, Bangladesh:  The security police of Nayapara Official Refugee Camp arrested a registered refugee on July 12 who went outside the camp for his personal purpose, said Kala Mea, a refugee from the camp. Kabir Ahamed, 32, Block-C of Nayapara camp, went to Teknaf to buy goods without the knowledge or permission of camp authorities. He was arrested by police while re-entering the camp from a brick field near the camp. Kabir has a shop inside the refugee camp. He sells household goods and other essential goods with the understanding of camp security police. However, the camp security police arrested Kabir and his aunt who has a Nonfood Item (NFI) data sheet of UNHCR. She also went to Teknaf. After arrest, the two were brought to Nayapara Police Camp for investigation. The Camp-in-Charge and police officer alleged that they went outside the camp without the knowledge of camp authorities. Yesterday, Kabir’s family members complained to the UNHCR about the incident. The UNHCR...

Teknaf, Bangladesh:  Diarrhea is affecting many in the Lada unofficial refugee camp recently, said a refugee from the camp. The view of Lada camp in the raining season Some refugees from Lada camp have been suffering with diarrhea for over a week as the conditions in the camp are very unsanitary. Liala Begum, 27, wife of Mohamed Alam, Block-C of Lada camp, has been suffering with diarrhea. She has tried to reach the health officers from Muslim Aid, but has failed as the health center is closed at night, according to Hamza, a relative of Liala. “There is a diarrhea center in the camp, but it’s closed without notice at the night.” While her condition became serious, she went to a local doctor at night and took oral saline. So far, there is no information about deaths in the camp from diarrhea. If the situation continues in the camp, refugees fear that diarrhea will eventually kill refugees. The camp has over 1,200 unregistered refugees, who fled from Burma because o...

A medical aid organisation accuses most of the Norwegian media for not doing its job properly when it comes to reporting global human crises. Rohingya refugee in Bangladesh Photo: Juan Carlos Tomasi/Leger Uten Grenser “We get very frustrated after getting back from working as doctors in the field when we see there has been no coverage of many of these  [crises] ,” Doctor Morten Rostrup of Leger Uten Grenser, the Norwegian arm of  Médecins Sans Frontières , tells The Foreigner. He argues media attention is very important for these crises to change, and blames the press for its shortsightedness. “Basically, the media only reports on these if either Norway or Norwegians are involved, which also leads to no political interest. It blames lack of resources, the need for quick, pertinent news, even small travel budgets.” Results of an opinion poll conducted by Norstat show many Norwegians want more facts. Dr Rostrup finds it puzzling why, therefore, so little reporting is done. “T...

Written by:  DVB By Michael Gabaudan It’s the “Rohingya problem.” Burma’s history of brutal persecution of the Rohingya – coupled with their lack of citizenship rights – have forced hundreds of thousands of people to flee to neighbouring Bangladesh. Bangladesh’s Minister of Food and Disaster Management, Abdul Razzaque, recently blamed western countries for “keeping the problem alive.” However, western countries are not to blame for keeping the “Rohingya problem” alive. The plight of the Rohingya originates with the Burmese government’s abuses of this minority. Numerous Rohingya refugees say they can barely sleep at night in Burma due to the constant fear of the NaSaKa, or border police, at their door. However, persecution of the Rohingya is made worse by Bangladesh’s failure to respond in a humane manner to this refugee crisis. Bangladesh’s intransigence in refusing to allow protection and assistance to this very vulnerable and desperate population has only exacerbated one of the...