Narinjara News


Anti-repatriation Leaflets in the Burmese Refugee Camps

Cox’s Bazaar, 10^th May 03:  Members of the anti-repatriation group of Burmese refugees in one of the refugee camps in Cox’s Bazaar in the southern part of Bangladesh have taken a tough stand face to face with the administration, according to a source in the camp at Kutupalong in the district.

While distributing anti-repatriation leaflets a member of the group, Ibrahim, was arrested and interrogated last Wednesday.   He was later snatched away by the anti-repatriation group members who attacked the magistrate, police and paramilitary Ansars stationed in the Burmese refugee camp.  Four persons including the magistrate were hurt in the fight.

In recent months the camp has gone out of control of the law enforcement agencies, resulting in a state of despair, the source said.  In recent weeks the UNHCR and the government of Bangladesh have been compiling the list of names and permanent addresses of the 21,000 Burmese refugees and collecting affidavit of all the refugees willing to get repatriated to their own homes in Burma.  The affidavit was executed on nonjudicial stamps valued at taka 100 and 50, one part of which would be used by the government of Bangladesh and the other part by the Burmese side. 

Though a state of calm pervades at present the situation may go out of control any moment, an elder of the camp expressed his concern.  #