KALADAN NEWS
Date: Thursday, July 01, 2004
Rohingya Refugees Call off 21-day Long Strike
Cox’s Bazar, July 1: Burmese Rohingya (Arakanese) refugees in Kutupalong camp under Cox’s Bazar district of Bangladesh called off their 21 day long food Strike yesterday, after they have received positive assurance from both UNHCR and the Govt. of Bangladesh, according to our correspondent.
On 30 July 2004, at about 10:30 am, a team of high officials from UNHCR, Govt. of Bangladesh, NGOs and other local authorities met with refugee leaders at the women center of the Kutupalong refugee camp and discussed in details the matter of standoff between refugees and Bangladesh camp authorities for an amicable solution, he further added.
A total of 20 persons took part in the meeting. UNHCR Country Representative Mr. Christopher Lee, Head of UNHCR sub-office at Cox’s Bazar Mr. Boonchan, Protection Officer Ms. Suzeena and other field assistants had represented the UNHCR at the meeting. From the Bangladesh side Mr. Ishaq Ali Khan, Joint Secretary of the Relief Ministry together with Mr. Mohammed Siddik, In-charge of Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner (RRRC), Mr. Masud Karim, Ukhiya Upazila Nirbahi Officer, Mr. Abu Hurairah, the Camp-in-Charge of the Kutupalong camp had participated at the same. 7 refugee leaders represented the refugees. Also Mr. Shah Jahan, in- charge of WFP for Cox’s Bazar District, Mr. Dayal Babu and Project Manager of Bangladesh Concern were among those attended the meeting, said a refugee leader.
In the meeting Mr. Christopher Lee had categorically assured the refugee leaders of all their rights as in the followings:
No action would be taken against refugees for their altercations or arguments in the camp during standoff, from 6-30 June 2004; all the cases filed against the refugees would be withdrawn; and no future harassment would be made against them.
As agreed upon by the Bangladesh Government, the refugees would be allowed to work out-side the camps and to educate their children in local schools, collages and universities, which would be implemented after 15 days from the time of their withdrawal of strike.
The “Majees”, who are collaborators and nominated by the camp-in-charge, will be removed and a Refugee Committee will be allowed to be formed by refugees themselves, he further added.
Having been satisfied by the above assurances, they refugees had called off their strike and have started collecting their ration after 21 days. Yesterday about refugee 200 families were reported to have collected the ration, said a refugee.
Nevertheless, according to refugees, no untoward incident was occurred in refugee camp during the standoff.
After the meeting, the UNHCR officials took along with them the two Majees namely Nurul Haque and Hafez Ahmed for reason still unknown. But the two are well known in the camp for their anti-refugees activities, he further added.
However, doubt looms in the refugee minds if something untoward would develop like the unpleasant incident that took place in the refugee camp in 1997, he continued.
In this connection, it may be mentioned that a food boycott at Kutupalong ended after camp leaders decided to drop their protest following talks at the camp involving United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and a government delegation. After peaceful end of agitation, the camp officials terrorized the refugees putting arms to innocent refugees named Salimullah and Sayed Hossain of the camp through Majees in front of the police barrack of the refugee camp while refugees were collecting their rations. Later on, the camp officials with corporation of police arrested many refugees from sheds. Now, Salimullah and Sayed Hossain are still serving 14 years of jail term in Bangladesh. That altercation made many children, parentless under forced repatriation of 399 refugees on July 20 and July 22 in 1997 by the camp officials. ##
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