Date: Thursday, June 10, 2004
Burmese Rohingya Refugees Called Hunger Strike at refugee Camp
Cox’s Bazar, June 10: Burmese refugees called an indefinite hunger strike at Khutu Palong refugee camp from yesterday morning till now, following a meeting among the refugees yesterday, said a refugee who preferred not to mention his name.
On the 7th June 2004, while the refugees were sleeping at 12:00 pm, some police entered the refugee camp to arrest one Mr. Qurban Ali of Khutu Palong refugee camp, with the permission of Abu Hurirah, the camp-in-charge of the Khutu Palong refugee camp. However, Qurban Ali managed to escape. But, his wife and his (12) year old son were severely injured by the police and even some valuable belongings of him were also looted. This incites the refugees to against the government, he further added.
On June 8, 2004, the refugees of Khutu Palong camp held a meeting at the football ground of refugee camp for the cause of harassment of Bangladeshi authorities for forced repatriation. At about 3,500 refugee men, 1,500 refugee women and 1,000 children, in total, 6,000 refugees were participated in the meeting. The aforesaid Qurban Ali and other refugee leaders contributed speech in the gathering. They focus in the meeting that how to protect the harassment of Bangladeshi authorities and the current political situation of Burma, said another refugee who is declined to mention his name.
According to the decision of the meeting, the refugees didn’t purchase their daily ration from the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society (BDRCS) though the Bangladesh authorities tried all their best to pursue them to receive the ration. The refugees claimed that until and unless their demands to be reached, they didn’t receive any ration. They cried and cried---slogans such as--- stop---stop ---stop--- the arbitrary arrest and unlawful harassment, he further added.
The refugees also claimed the following demands:
1) To get full rights of refugee status and the camps will be transferred to a suitable place from existence where refugees’ safety is granted. 2) To allow forming a refugee committee, which will conduct the entire refugee matters and the candidates of the committee have to participate at the international meetings, seminars and others concerning the refugees. These will be arranged by UNHCR.3) To elect their refugee leaders, free and fair election to be held in the refugee camps. 4) The safety of the refugees will be granted, said a refugee leader.
Yesterday, while the refugees called hunger strike, the Bangladesh authorities said, “ It is suitable to give you (refugees) punishment like as SPDC (State Peace and Development Council) of Burma gives to their countrymen. It will be good for the refugees.” It made refugees very angry. So, the refugees again added some demands. These are as follows:
1. All the political prisoners including Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and U Tin Oo are to be released immediately without any condition. 2. To condemn the SPDC’s sponsored sham National Convention. 3. To allow all the ethnic nationalities including Rohingya people, all the MPs who were elected in 1990 election, all the other democratic organizations’ candidates including Daw Suu and U Tin Oo of National League for Democracy (NLD) to be participated at the National Convention.4.To get fully grantee of human rights and equality for Rohingyas as per other nationalities in Burma. 5.To solve the Burmese refugee problem immediately, he further added.
Mr. Sha Jahan of WFP, Agadjan Kurban Ali of UNHCR try to their best to stop the hunger strike, but in vain. The authorities remarked that it was very difficult to stop the strike.
Similarly, on June1997 and in 1992, there were two strikes called by refugees and also asked some demands, but those times the refugees failed to reach their demands. So, this time they determine to continue their hunger strike until and unless to reach their demands. ##
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