More people have been deported back to Burma after trying to illegally enter Bangladesh over the weekend. After sectarian violence started in June, Rohingyas facing starvation and ongoing harassment from the authorities - including Buddhist Arakanese - are trying to flee the country. Bangladesh has closed the border; stepping up patrols to catch asylum seekers. The Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) arrested and deported many people in November.
Thirty-one people were caught trying to penetrate Bangladesh in small boats at different entry points according to a BGB officer. All of them have been handed over to the Burma government.
Bowing under pressure from the international community Burma’s President Thein Sein has said that the government would address the various contentious issues affecting Muslim populations in Arakan State. These include resettlement of displaced populations and granting citizenship for the stateless Rohingya. But so far it’s just talk.
