KALADAN NEWS

Dated: June 19, 2005

 


Bangladeshi camp officials step up propaganda against Rohingya refugees

 

Cox’s Bazar, June 19: Bangladeshi camp officials step up propaganda against Burmese Rohingya refugees, organizing some small families to support repatriation and to deny human rights abuses in the camps, a confidential source said.

 

Yesterday at about 11:30 am, Mr. Mohammad Siddik, the Officer-in-Charge of the Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner (RRRC) went to the office of the Camp-in-Charge (CIC) of Nayapara camp and held a meeting with Mr. Asaduzzaman (CIC), his all collaborators (Majees) and 21 members of organized family heads. They discussed about the policies of the government and hope for the supporters, source further added.

 

In the same way, the said officer went to Kutupalong on 16th of June 2005 and gathered a meeting at the office of Mr. Nurul Alam Choudhury, the CIC of the camp, together with his collaborators (Majees) to organize at least 3 families from each block, in total of 9 families from all 3 blocks of the camp to follow the official instructions, while Majees Shamsul Alam, Ilias, Hafez Ahmed and Badu (naked name) put their full agreement with the policies, a refugee from Kutupalong camp confirmed.

 

Sources also said that Mr. Mohammad Siddik, the Officer-in-Charge of the Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner (RRRC) is routinely visiting the both official camps of Kutupalong and Nayapara and instructed to the respective Camp-in-Charges (CICs) to find out some small families to support repatriation and to deny the events human rights abuses in the camps.

 

The government officials will bring these refugee members to Dhaka who are expected to arrive there in the early morning of June 20, 2005 to put their briefings to high level officials or international community in support of repatriation, denying the events human rights abuses in the camp. The officials shall give them satisfactory awards and provide unexpected facilities to the supporters.

 

But, the office of the RRRC from Cox’s Bazar denied to provide information about the propaganda and policies against Rohingya refugee camp, said a staff, who declined to mention his name.

 

Sources further said that Salamat Ullah, 33, son of Shona Ali, MRC No. 90059, shed No. 44/5 of Block--B, Salama Khatun, 25, wife of Salamat Ullah from same family, Abdu Shkkur, MRC No. 17370, Shed No. 29/2, Hamida, 18, wife of Abdu Shukkur, MRC No. 21617, Shed 15/4 of Block—P, Abul Baser, Shed No. 19/1 and Sakina wife of Abul Baser from the same family are among those who took part in the meeting. But the details of participants are not open to the refugees till writing of this report.

 

Policies of Bangladesh officials came out into different ways, after breaking out the news of UNHCR’s dissatisfaction over human rights situation in the two refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar through BDNEWS wire on May 22, 2005 that Mr. Mulusew Mamo, the deputy representative of UNHCR in Dhaka, said, the human rights situation in the camps was really bad.

 

‘The refugees in the camps have no freedom of movement... Virtually they are passing a captive life. We informed the Bangladesh government on the issue several times and hope that they will give more attention to the matter”, he further said.

 

“We are in fear of unexpected and double persecution under new strategic policies of the Bangladeshi camp officials. We have no any freedom to the expression, think and movement in the camp, although the Bangladesh is democratic country,” said, Mr. Ahmed, a refugee leader from Rohingya Refugee Welfare Association (RRWA).

 

“We respect democracy and fighting for it, establishing human rights in Burma. So, we would like to request international community to take necessary measure for the durable solution of our Rohingya refugee problems, reforming democracy in Burma”, he further said.

 

For further information, please contact at:

Tel: +880-11 227 138

E-mail: [email protected]

Web: www.kaladanpress.org/ www.bnionline.net