Bangladesh says refugees insist Bur

[FreeBurma@xxxxxxx]

Subject: Bangladesh says refugees insist Burma democracy

By Nizam Ahmed 

CHITTAGONG, Bangladesh, July 31 (Reuter) - Government officials said on
Thursday that Burmese refugees insist they will not return home until their
military-ruled country has achieved democracy. 

``We are at a loss (about what to do) as the defiant Rohingya refugees appear
quite stubborn on their precondition that they will go back home only if
democracy is ushered in Myanmar (Burma),'' a senior official said. 

``We are worried ... and a bit perplexed, too.'' 

Another official, Qamrul Huda, the government's Relief and Repatriation
Commissioner, said: ``We will not force them to go, but Bangladesh cannot
afford to give them permanent residence. Nor would Bangladesh be able to
ensure Burma's return to democracy.'' 

His comments to Reuters came after some 21,000 refugees again turned down
requests to accept food rations despite complaining that scores of their
number in two camps had fallen sick after refusing food since July 21. 

``Every time we go back to them with food they say 'no,' but we cannot force
them to take it,'' said one official who declined to be identified. 

``They are behaving strangely, apparently hoping that Bangladesh will be held
responsible for any consequences,'' he said. ``Unless the refugees budge from
their stance, maybe we will have to ignore their plight.'' 

The Burmese Moslem refugees, known as Rohingyas, began a food boycott on July
21 as part of a protest against what they believe are attempts by Bangladesh
to forcibly repatriate them. 

Clashes between police and Rohingyas resisting deportation on July 20 left
nearly 20 people injured, forcing authorities to postpone the repatriation
from the Nayapara and Kutupalong camps. 

The officials said they had repeatedly reassured the 21,000 refugees, the
remnants of 250,000 Rohingyas who crossed into Bangladesh in early 1992 to
escape alleged persecution by Burma's military junta, that Dhaka would not
send anyone home against their will. 

The refugees on Wednesday handed a list of demands to the government
officials. 

``They include permission for the Rohingyas in the refugee camps to stay in
Bangladesh until democracy is restored in Myanmar (Burma),'' one official
said. 
 Van To Nguyen, the representative of the UNHCR relief agency in Cox's Bazar,
said on Wednesday night that he saw no immediate solution to the crisis.
Cox's Bazaar borders on west Burma's Arakan province, home of the Rohingyas. 

``I see no immediate solution to the problem,'' he said after visiting the
refugee camps with Huda and other senior government officials. 

Earlier this month the UNHCR lodged a strong protest with the Bangladesh
government over the alleged forcible deportation of the refugees from camps
lining the highway from Cox's Bazar to Teknaf on the southernmost tip of
Bangladesh. 

Meanwhile, the refugees, provoked by their militant leaders, some of whom
Bangladesh believes could be members of separatist guerrilla groups,
continued to shout abuse at officials and security personnel. 

``We are keeping our patience but there is a limit to everything,'' one
police officer at Nayapara told reporters on Thursday. 

``The militants are also preventing officials from entering their camps. So
it's not possible to count how many people are sick or if anyone has died,''
he said. 

06:05 07-31-97