Cox’s Bazaar, Bangladesh: Another Arakanese Rohingya driving committee named “Youths Awareness of Ukhiya” was formed in Ukhiya union under Cox’s Bazaar district on January 4, after a protest meeting over Arakanese Rohingya refugees in Ukhiya with local youths and elders, said a local youth from the area on condition of anonymity.
On January 2, the Rohingya Resistance Committees (RRCs) were formed in Ukhiya and Teknaf unions with local elders.
At the meeting, the committee members said that the Arakanese Rohingya refugees have been creating numerous problems in local areas and the youths have the duty to protect Bangladesh from ruin. Bangladeshi people do not want them to stay for a long time as Bangladesh is a small and densely populated country. Bangladeshi people want immediate repatriation of Arakanese Rohingya refugees. They also want to stop Arakanese Rohingya infiltration into Bangladesh with the assistance of local people in border areas.
The Committee members such as--- Mosaffar Ahmed, Abdu Khorim, Jamal Uddin, Aftar Kamal, Meton Redu Wan, Masod Amin, Belal, Anif, Sayed Mohamed Noman, Md. Sha Zaher, Boshir Ahmed, Shakel spoke at the meeting and said that they submitted letters to NGOs which have been working in the refugee camps regarding their 9-point demand on Arakanese Rohingya refugees. They also said that, if the demands are not met on February 14, they will hold protest rallies on the street. They also threatened the NGOs that their cars will be stopped on the road on the way to refugee camps, said a youth from Ukhiya.
The committee members also submitted letterd to Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner (RRRC) in Cox’s Bazaar and UNHCR.
They said that Arakanese Rohingya people have been living in other places apart from Nayapara and Kutupalong camps and are into many anti-social activities. Repatriation of the Arakanese Rohingya is needed immediately otherwise local people will be ruined and youths will not get work in NGOs.
The NGOs recruited people from the north of Cox’s Bazaar, not local people. When the local youths including women tried to get jobs in NGOs, they were rejected. But their 9-point demand is not known to the public so far, said an elder from Ukhiya.
Every day, police from Teknaf-Cox’s Bazaar highway arrest Arakanese Rohingya people from the work site. They go out to other places to work and support their family members. Some arrested Arakanese Rohingyas, able to pay money to the police are released and some unable to pay are sent to Cox’s Bazaar jail. Police collect Taka 2,000 to 3,000 per head, for their release.
For instance, on 24 January 29 Arakanese Rohingyas were arrested from buses or cars on the highway. Of them 14 were pushed back to Burma and the rest 15 Arakanese Rohingyas were sent to Cox’s Bazaar jail.
Arakanese Rohingyas have been suffering from persecution by Burmese authorities as well as by police in Bangladesh. They are caught between the crocodile and the snake. Nasaka extorts money from Arakanese Rohingyas, detains and tortures them in Arakan and police extort money from Arakanese Rohingya refugees and send them to jail in Bangladesh, said an elder from Maungdaw.
