ASEANEWS HEADLINE-| DHAKA, Bangladesh: Rohingyas fleeing Myanmar amid alleged Arakan Army brutality
In this photo taken on September 12, 2024, a Rohingya refugee man holds his child while carrying relief material at a camp in Ukhia, Bangladesh. PHOTO: AFP
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DHAKA (ANN/Daily Star) – Increasing violence in Myanmar’s Rakhine State is driving a daily influx of Rohingyas into Bangladesh, with many alleging they are fleeing atrocities committed by the Arakan Army (AA) rebel group.
Rohingya sources within Rakhine State report facing killings, enforced disappearances, torture, and forced recruitment by the AA. They claim they are being used as human shields against junta forces and forced labourers for construction projects.
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Md Mizanur Rahman, the Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner (RRRC), confirmed the escalating arrivals. “Currently, a large number of Rohingyas are fleeing from Rakhine State and taking shelter in various refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar. Since November 2023 until now, 113,000 Rohingyas have entered Bangladesh. Of them, most arrived since June last year.”
The RRRC stated that conversations with fleeing Rohingyas indicate they are escaping persecution by the Arakan Army. “In the homes they leave behind, people from other communities are settling. These accounts have been consistently shared by the fleeing Rohingyas. We have not been able to independently verify this information.”
Official sources confirmed that Bangladeshi authorities and the UNHCR have registered the 113,000 new arrivals since November 2023, bringing the total number of officially sheltered Rohingyas in Bangladesh to at least 1.3 million.
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The UNHCR has reportedly sent a letter to Bangladesh requesting arrangements for accommodating the new arrivals. Mizanur acknowledged receiving the letter, stating, “We have received a letter from UNHCR requesting arrangements for the accommodation of more than one lakh new Rohingyas. We do not have space to build houses for such a large number.” He also expressed concern that building new shelters would hinder Rohingya repatriation efforts by encouraging more to cross into Bangladesh.
Md Zubair, chairman of the Arakan Rohingya Society for Peace and Human Rights, corroborated the allegations against the AA. “Arakan Army is carrying out atrocities against the Rohingyas living in Rakhine State. Rohingyas are called to Arakan Army camps and forced to work as labourers. They are picking Rohingyas for recruitment into their forces to fight against the military junta. They are also detaining many Rohingyas, accusing them of having links with the junta forces. Some of these Rohingyas were killed, and others, brutally tortured. Many Islamic scholars from the Rohingya community were victims of enforced disappearance.”
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Zubair further alleged, “Recently, the Arakan Army has started evicting Rohingyas from their houses and resettling Rakhine people (Mogh) from other countries like Bangladesh, Nepal and India into those areas.” He asserted that these actions are the primary reason for the ongoing Rohingya flight to Bangladesh, describing the situation in Rakhine as dire and demanding immediate international intervention and investigation into the alleged persecution by the AA.
Prior to November 2023, approximately 1.2 million Rohingyas, primarily fleeing Myanmar’s military junta, had already sought refuge in Bangladesh. During that earlier period, Rohingyas alleged that Rakhine people participated in the persecution alongside junta forces.
The Arakan Army, representing the Rakhine community, launched a campaign against the junta forces in November 2023, claiming control over 80 percent of Rakhine State, including 14 out of 17 townships and the entire 270-kilometre border with Bangladesh. During the conflict between the AA and junta forces, many Rohingyas fled to Bangladesh after allegedly being targeted by both sides. However, following the AA’s consolidation of control, reports suggest a shift, with Rohingyas increasingly becoming victims of torture, killings, and enforced disappearances allegedly perpetrated by the AA.
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