Kaladan News
Dated
FACING AN UNCERTAIN FUTURE:
During 1991-92, nearly 300,000 Rohingya Muslims sought
refuge in
repatriated, but new influxes are happening
occasionally, as the situation was not improved at all
in Arakan. The Burmese junta has not yet restored
citizenship of the Rohingyas also breaking the promise
they have given to
refugees remain in camps under difficult conditions.
The conditions in the refugee camps are particularly
appalling. The UNHCR has provided the refugees with
dry rations, clothes and fuel for cooking but field
findings suggest that the refugees do not consider
these adequate for their needs. Nor are camp
conditions particularly healthy. They lived in
congested spaces with limited water and sanitary
services, and access to education has been restricted.
Almost 60 per cent of children and 53 per cent of
adults were reportedly suffering from chronic
malnutrition, exposing them to disease and hampering
their physical and mental development.
The refugees’ movement has been restricted and they
have not been allowed to seek employment or engage in
any activities outside the camps. Furthermore, it was
not until mid 1996 that formal schooling was allowed
in some camps.
The Bangladesh Government has always insisted that
this offer of asylum was temporary and has encouraged
an immediate return to
are reluctant as forced labor and the violation of
rights is still common in
improved to guarantee a return in safely and dignity.
The UNHCR has suggested they should be settled
temporarily, because the Burmese authorities are
unwilling to accept their return and donors are
unwilling to fund the Rohingya operation indefinitely.
To date, Bangladesh Government has refused to allow
the refugees to move out of their camps. Implications
for policy are: I). To help the refugees make and
informed choice about their situation, they should be
provided with credible information on conditions in
authorities should not take any action that coerces
refugees to “volunteer” for repatriation and the UNHCR
should ensure that the voluntary nature of
repatriation is respected. 3). Donors should not
insist on solutions that ultimately compromise refugee
protection, according to C.R. Abrar, Insights 44.
The local press reports that as many as 200,000
Rohingya are living illegally in slums or villages in
the southern region of
as undocumented migrants without any protection from
UNHCR nor humanitarian assistance.
The
authorities refer to them as “ economic migrants” or
“illegal immigrants” and don’t allow any relief for
fear of creating a pull-factor. During the year 2002,
283 refugees repatriated from
assistance. UNHCR provided the returnees cash and
housing grants, as well as some commodities. The WFP
gave them six months of food rations.
Late in the year 2001, UNHCR offices in
authorities to review the repatriation process, which,
according to UNHCR, has been impeded by technical
difficulties during the past few years. As a result of
the meetings,
some 5,000 Rohingya refugees that it had previously”
approved” for return. Most Rohingya refugees in
At present, the slow pace repatriation of the Rohingya
refugees are being done every week so that the fate of
the remaining refugees still is hanging in the
balance. But the
of taking back the refugees while General Than Shwe
paid a visit to
Presence of large number of refugees for along time
some social problems have also
arisen. So,
government expected that all Rohingya refugees could
be repatriated by June 2003.
Refugees from
3 categories: 1). Rohingya refugees in 2 refugee camps
(nearly 20,000), 2). Rohingya refugees outside the
camps in the southern part of
and 3). Rakhine
urban refugees case loaded in
(50).
The Rakhine Buddhists are also neglected ethnic group
in
forcibly assimilate them. They are also subjected to
forced labor. They tightly controlled and taxed.
Whereas very few Rakhine refugees
came to
many left
opportunities in the urban centers
of central
and, whenever possible, on to
About 50 Rakhine political activists have been
recognized by UNHCR as urban
refugees in
Assistance from UNHCR was curtailed in 1998 and most
survive in substandard condition.
received much less international attention than the
difficult access to refugees in these border areas due
to policies of the host governments. However,
out-flows of refugees from
mostly Chin refugees have fled to
In their host countries--- whether in
recognized as “refugees” but labeled as “economic
immigrants”. The root causes behind this forced
migration are ignored in order to keep out-flow in
visible and to deprive these refugees from protection
and assistance. Meanwhile, the two host governments
are engaging in negotiation with the military regime
in
economic ties.
A few hundred who came to
protection, the vast majority have taken shelter in
of
Chin refugees in
accommodate even the most vulnerable and they have
joined the local labor market, in the weaving
industry, on road construction sites. As undocumented
migrants, their situation is very precarious.
mandate in
to most outsiders. As a result Chin refugees receive
little or no assistance.
About 800 Burmese refugees and their relatives are
facing persecution in
them have been recognized by the UNHCR as “ persons of
concerns, ”their situation in
But, UNHCR has provided them with a small monthly
subsistence allowance and even less for dependents.
Now, UNHCR has been threatening to cut this financial
assistance in order to promote self-reliance. Lack of
education, employment opportunities and working
experience make their lives miserable, according to
Chris Lewa, Forum-Asia, Bankok.
The western border of
and
International Community, whether for capacity
building, humanitarian assistance or advocacy.
Editor,
Kaladan Press Network