Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) have arrested more than 85 Rohingya and deported them to Burma after conducting raids from Jan.15-16, according to one local who didn’t want their name used.
Since the sectarian violence in Arakan state broke out in June and October, Bangladesh has closed the border to thousands of Rohingya asylum seekers. In the last three-months they have stepped up patrols along the border and started deporting many Rohingya from around Cox’s Bazar.
In Bangladesh there are an estimated 300,000 Rohingya; most are living in squalid camps along the border. There are about 800,000 Rohingya living in Arakan state.
After facing mounting pressure by the international community after the sectarian violence, Burma’s President Thein Sein said that the government would address the various contentious issues affecting Muslim populations in Arakan State. These include resettlement of displaced populations and citizenship for those who are eligible, but so far nothing has changed. Meanwhile, thousands of displaced Rohingya are hunkered down in temporary camps for the winter. Many are receiving little support from state authorities or aid groups.
