Teknaf, Bangladesh: A two-member Australian delegation, led by Australian High Commissioner of Bangladesh Dr Justin Lee, visited the Nayapara official refugee camp on December 8, at about 11:00 am, said a refugee leader on condition of anonymity.
The Camp Leader-in-Charge (CIC) Kamaruzzaman warmly welcomed the delegation.
“The delegation observed the whole camp including schools as well as the soap making cottage industry. They also met with refugees and with refugee teachers after their arrival. The delegation wanted to gauge refugee opinion on whether refugees wanted to return home or not, in light of the recent visit to Burma by the Bangladeshi PM," the refugee leader added.
“We are not willing to go back until we receive full citizenship rights based on our ethnicity,” a refugee teacher said. “We want our confiscated lands returned, a stop to human rights violations, including that of racial discrimination. We want compensation for our properties, the withdrawal of the army and the Nasaka from northern Arakan, an end to Natala (model) villages in northern Arakan and guaranteed full rights with the other nationalities,” he concluded.
Habib, one of the refugee teachers, asked the High Commissioner to consider providing opportunities for refugee children’s higher education in cooperation with the of Bangladesh government. This does not currently exist and informal education ends at 5th Standard.
The delegation also participated in an ongoing16-day long activity in the camp. That included sports, acting, environmental work and the making of phita (local sweets). The activity ended on December 8.
Theprogram was supervised by RTM, PAI, ACF and RIB and by the United Nations Higher Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), said another refugee teacher from the camp.
At about 12:00 noon, the delegation left the camp.
