Where are you from my friends; Bangladesh or Myanmar?

A critical study on Rohingya People (Rohingya Refugees)

Md Shahjalal

Dedicated to the Rohingya People

Chapter 1
Prologue

The Rohingya is mainly a Muslim ethnic group of Arakan in Northern and Western Burma. The inhabitants of Rohingya are mostly contemplated to the cities of Rathedaung Maungdaw, Buthidaung, Akyaband Kyauktaw1.

Nearly 100,000 refugees form former Burma now (Myanmar) on 28 March 1942, which was almost half of Rohingya population (Rohingya Muslims) of that instant, was demolished by the AXILE forces (Japan)2.

Image 01-

Image02

(A long cue for food)

(A Rohingya is escaping through river)

This source is fully based on UNHRC and Amnesty Internationals and the refugee and illegal migr council of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bangladeshs Annual report. (Primary source is Wikipedia) 2 UN Report on Nippon-Ban jay activities during 142-45. 3 A sad Mob for food relief programme during the massacre in Burma by Japanese forces in WWII. 4. Agony of Rohingya Refugees, By BBC.CO.UK, 22 June, 2010

During Japanese forces occupied Burma5 in WWII, the territory was under British colonial regime. The Allied forces (British Soldiers) recoiled and in the authority became extinct and along with outsized violence had exploded6. This integrated collective aggression between Buddhist Rakhine and Muslim Rohingya villagers. The phase also witnessed hostility between groups loyal to the British and Burmese nationalists. The Rohingya shored up the Allies during the battle and go up against the Japanese forces, assisting the Allies in exploration7.

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(Some killing with pleasure)

(a soldier slaughtering a Rohingya)

(A Death Penalty in progress)

Numerous war crimes were committed by the Japanese forces; they headed for thousands of Rohingya11, the Exile Delegation of South East Asia (Japan) slotted in a Festival of rape, this sad occasion is even named comfort women. Some victims were even adopted this shameful status as quiet normal because of cruel fate of the then
5 6

The Then Burma now Myanmar. The East India Company and British Raj by Syed Hamid Khan, Delta University Press, Mexico City, pp-98-145. 2008 7 Lieutenant M K Cimox in the proceedings of Tokyo Tribunal in 1949. 8 warcrimes.foreignpolicyblogs.com 9 Provided by dba-oracle.com, References from UNHCR and ICC archive on war crime, Geneva. 10 Provided by hubpages.com References from UNHCR and ICC archive on war crime, Geneva 11 Amnesty International Annual Report 2010-11.

Armageddon.12. Not only that it became a service to the tired and busy soldiers as a custom. Below the given images laid down in page 3 indicates rudely the truthfulness of this very allegation. Even in this modern time after an unforgotten travesty the comfort women from Rohingya Minority are remembered with great grief. And some attempts were made to punish the accused but I would call it a travesty or adding insult to the injury. An image of a trial is also presented below:

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(Some sad memories)

(A trial)

Having said that this also includes countless murder and indescribable torture.15 Imaged above. In this stage, some 22,000 Rohingya are thought to have escaped the border into Bengal, then part of British India, to run off the bloodshed.16 Approximately 40,000

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Data by ICC war crime report 2011-12 and image by womennewsnetwork.net Daily Rangoon, pp-08, 22 Feb 2009. 14 General X (cant be mentioned) in Tokyo tribunal in 1949. Image taken from Google.com 15 Kurt Jonassohn (1999). Genocide and gross human rights violations: in comparative perspective. Transaction Publishers. p. 263. ISBN 0765804174. 16 Ramod Mishra (2000). Human rights in South Asia. Gyan Books. p. 180. ISBN 8178350084

Rohingya finally ran away to Chittagong after constant carnage by the Burmese and Japanese forces17.

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(Labelled as Comfort
Women-08)

(In a friendly gesture! Did she

have any other choice?-09)

(Waiting in a long cue for sex.the Japanese Soldiers 10)

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ICJ report on 1942 South Asian conflict. 2005

Comfort Women: Sexual Slavery in the Japanese Military During World War II (Yoshimi Yoshiaka)

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womennewsnetwork.net 20 My life as a prostitute.. Interviewed from Mahida yasmin (Fake name).

Enough heard and seen; what is the current situation then?

The answer will be shallow and shy. According to Amnesty International, the Muslim Rohingya people have nonstop suffering from human rights violations under the Burmese junta since 1978, and many have fled away to neighboring Bangladesh as a result21.Two pertinent images have given.

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(Inhuman life near to the check BD and Myanmar) (Caught and Ready to be deportedby Burmese Nasaka Force)

"The Rohingyas freedom of movement as a faction is relentlessly constrained and the vast majority of them have in fact been deprived of Burma nationality. They are also subject matter to a mixture of extortion and capricious taxation; land exclusion; forced deportation and house demolition; and pecuniary limits on marriage and also nude discrimination in medical facility.24

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Myanmar - The Rohingya Minority: Fundamental Rights Denied, Amnesty International, 2004. The Daily Star, UK (Border tensions between BD and Myanmar) 31st April, 2006 23 ibid 24 UNHRC on summit on Rohingya in Hague, 2004

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(Life in a Boatbecause she has no house

which is forcefully acquired from her by the Govt)

(one little boy awaits for vaccination.if he is lucky enough!)

Rohingyas continue to be used as forced labourers on roads and at military camps, although the amount of forced labour in northern Rakhine State has decreased over the last decade27. As mentioned earlier and above in 1978 over 200,000 Rohingyas fled to Bangladesh, following the Nagamin28 (Dragon King) operation of the Myanmar army29. Officially this campaign aimed at "examining each individual living in the state, authorized citizens and foreigners in accordance with the commandment and pulling conducts against foreigners who have sifted into the country unlawfully. This armed faction in a straight line; targeted civilians, and resulted in prevalent assassinations, rape and annihilation of mosques and further religious persecution.

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The Al-Qaeda, Hamas, Israeli Zionist LTT and Burmese Janta; same propaganda? Amnesty International conference in Colombo, Srilanka. Dec 19th, 2009. 26 Image by IFRC 27 UNHRC Annual report on Myanmar. 2010-11. 28 In Burmese an ancient Demon as they say.. 29 Ministry of Defence Bangladesh reports on Nasaka forces, 2000-01

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(Live operation by Nasaka Forces named as Operation Dragon king December 12, 1991-15)

(A Secret Document-16)

(A mosque was massacred-17.)

During 1991-92 a new wave of over a quarter of a million Rohingyas fled to Bangladesh. They reported widespread forced labour, as well as summary executions, torture, and rape. Rohingyas were forced to work without pay by the Burmese army on infrastructure and economic projects, often under harsh conditions. Many other human rights violations occurred in the context of forced labour of Rohingya civilians by the security forces. There is a continuing tension going on between Bangladesh and Myanmar.31

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www.burmaissues.org/index.php?...operation-dragon-king.

bbc.co.uk, 4th June 2008

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(In a Hot Pursuit.between borders)

(BD army is on its way to Coxs bazaar checkpoint to face Nasaka forces challenge for the prospective border combat)

As of 2005, the UNHCR had been assisting with the repatriation of Rohingya from Bangladesh, but allegations of human rights abuses in the refugee camps have threatened this effort.34

Despite earlier efforts by the UN, the vast majority of Rohingya refugees have remained in Bangladesh, unable to return because of the off-putting approach of the ruling government in Myanmar. Now they are facing problems in Bangladesh as well where they do not receive support from the government any longer. In February 2010, many Rohingya refugees were rescued by Acehnese Navy in the Coast of Malacca, after 21 days at sea.35

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Image-BD Army website ibid 34 ibid 35 ibid

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(A regular patrolling by the

The coast Guards, causing deaths)

(Peace Measures between BD and Myanmar.Absolute eye wash

according to UN report)

In recent past many Rohingya fled to Thailand. There are approximately 1, 41,000 refugees housed in 11 camps along the Thai-Myanmar edging. There have been charges that groups of them have been dispatched and hauled out to open sea from Thailand, and left there. In February 2009 there was solid verification of the Thai army towing a boatload of 190 Rohingya refugees out to sea. Thailand's prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said there were "some instances" in which Rohingya people were pushed out to sea. Imaged below-

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bbc.co.uk, 4th April, 2005 ibid

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(190 Rohingya refugees waiting Deportation in Thailand) (a guilty look by Thai PM)

A group of refugees salvaged by Indonesian Navy also in February 2009 informed worrying chronicle of being imprisoned and trodden by the Thai military, and then cast off at open sea. By the end of February there were reports that of a group of 8 boats were towed out to open sea, of which 7 boats sank in a storm, and 1 boat washed up on the shore.40

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bbc.co.uk, 24th February, 2005 Thai Prime Minister on 24th February on the sea incidence; bbc.co.uk, 24th February, 2005 40 Cnn reports on Rohingya 41 ibid 42 ibid

(Badly tortured and imprisoned

In a military camp in Indonesia)

(some legacies by Thai Army)

In February 12, 2009 "There are attempts, I think, to let these people drift to other shores. [...] when these practices do occur, it is done on the understanding that there is enough food and water supplied. [...] It's not clear whose work it is [...] but if I have the evidence that who exactly did this I will bring them to account." 43 The prime minister said he would be apologetic for "any losses", and was operational on remedying the dilemma.

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(The Thai PM should be aware of this or not? Or is deliberately avoiding this?-Paxman on BBC Hard talk)

(A live operation in Indonesian sea. by Thai Navy)

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Thai PM admits at last, about this brutalityFebruary 12 2009. Red Cross report on this incident, 2009 45 ibid

Bangladesh? What is your current score?

As far as Bangladesh is concerned who is a major player of this game; has since announced it will send back around 9,000 Rohingya living in refugee camps in the country back to Burma, after a meeting with Burmese diplomats. Steps to sending back Rohingya began in 2005.

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(DR Dipu Moni in a conference: but would it be fruitful? NO)

(US observation on BD-Myanmar, 2005)

But Bangladesh is accused of 'crackdown' on Rohingya refugees48. A global aid organization has laid blame on Bangladesh of conducting a violent onslaught against unregistered Rohingya refugees from Burma49. Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) also tipped off of a humanitarian crisis notifying in an unlawful tenant camp where an

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Honourable Foreign Minister of BD. Camera of Max Guptilk, CNNreport on 28th March 2010 48 By Mark Dummett, BBC News, Dhaka 10:09 GMT, Thursday, 18 February 2010 49 ibid

increasing number of them now reside. Although some promises were made but became visible rather dodgy.50 But the government body in charge has denied the MSF contentions51.

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(Many refugees lack adequate

No medication, no support.because I do Belong no where MSF image

food and sanitation)

Rohingya repatriation commissioner Firoj Salauddin told the BBC there had been "no crackdown" against them.54 He also admitted that "If the police find any Rohingya without passports or any identity cards, they arrest them according to the law of the country,"55

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Mohamed Mijarul Quayes, the Bangladesh Foreign Secretary, said Myanmar has assured Dhaka that it will begin the process of repatriation "as soon as possible, Tuesday, December 29, 2009, 17:54 51 We are trying our best but not them by any means (Myanmar), please divert your question to the FM of our neighbour country -Dr Dipu moni in an interview with MSF Official. Dhaka, 11th October 2010 52 ibid 53 MSF captured images in Teknaff. 54 BBC news Dhaka 10:09 GMT, Thursday, 18 February 2010 55 ibid

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(An Anguish look!)

(Again some promising aspirations; but promise not a reality, by any means)

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(In quest of Rohingyaby BGB)

(Waiting for Bail.lawyers anyone?)

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has set up camps in Bangladesh for the eventual repatriation of the Rohingya people60.

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Registration of Rohingya in Dhaka. 04th Aug 2010 ibid 58 BGB in patrolling duties, 28th of Aug, Teknaff check post. 59 Dhaka Central Jail. 15th of Dec 2009, Nation about to celebrate the Victory Day 60 DR Dipu Moni in Meet the Press, 19th April 2011-04-23

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(The Minister had confirmed about the bilateral agreement, but she seems uneasy) (it happened to be relaxed a little but; Nasaka force had being almost multiplied)

Myanmar accepted the instant repatriation of some 9,000 of the 28,00063 Rohingya refugees registered as their identities have been verified, Quayes said here after talks with Myanmar Deputy Foreign Minister Maung Myint here.

This (refugee) issue was a top priority in our bilateral consultation and they will soon start the repatriation process to take back their nationals whose identities have been already verified64 he told reporters.

Mr. Quayes emphasized that a large number of the 28,000 registered refugees were ready to go back home while Dhaka "pressed Myanmar to expedite the process of their repatriation".65

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ibid Foreign Minister Maung Myint stated that Nasaka force will not bother, in reply of FM DR Dipu Monis claim of violation. 27th April 2011-04-23 63 This figure is vaguestated by Amnesty International Report.2010-11 64 ibid 65 ibid

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(What is so freighting of them? has BD declared war on Myanmar.) (Is it the willingness? whos suffering Indeed?

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ibid Recent expedition near in the Bay of Bengal. 24th April 2011-04-23