[🇧🇩] Insurgencies in Myanmar. Implications for Bangladesh

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Rohingyas being forcibly recruited by Myanmar military: report

Community leaders have been pressured to compile lists of at least 50 men for each small village and at least 100 for each IDP camp and large village

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Rohingyas being forcibly recruited by Myanmar military: report​

Rohingyas offered citizenship cards, $41 monthly salary if they join the military

Photo: Collected

Myanmar's military is forcibly recruiting Rohingya men from villages and camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Rakhine State and it is feared that they will be used as human shields, said a report.

The report comes after the UN special rapporteur on the country said that Myanmar's ruling military junta has "doubled down" on civilian attacks while showing signs of becoming "increasingly desperate" by imposing military service.

Earlier this month, the military said it would enforce a law allowing it to call up all men aged 18-35 and women aged 18-27 to serve for at least two years, as it struggles to quell opposition to its 2021 coup, reports AFP.

"While wounded and increasingly desperate, the Myanmar military junta remains extremely dangerous," the UN's Tom Andrews said in a statement.

"As the junta forces young men and women into the military ranks, it has doubled down on its attacks on civilians using stockpiles of powerful weapons."

Activists and residents of Rakhine, meanwhile, said the military has conducted an initial drive to force Rohingya men in the war-torn state to join their ranks, which saw at least 400 Rohingya men from villages and IDP camps sent to military bases for two weeks of basic training.

"The training period is only two weeks. The junta's military can only use those who have been trained for just two weeks as human shields," Nay San Lwin, co-founder of the Free Rohingya Coalition, told The Irrawaddy, a Myanmar news outlet.

At least 400 Rohingya men have already been forcibly recruited from villages and IDP camps in Sittwe and Buthidaung townships to fight the Arakan Army (AA), residents of the townships and Rohingya activists say.

The recruitment drive follows the first-ever enforcement of Myanmar's conscription law on Feb. 10. Since then, the regime's military has pressured Rohingya community leaders and administrators in villages and IDP camps in three Rakhine townships -- Buthidaung, Maungdaw and Sittwe -- to compile lists of men between 18 and 35 years of age so that they can be conscripted to the military.

Community leaders and administrators have been pressured to compile lists of at least 50 men for each small village and at least 100 for each IDP camp and large village.

"What we were able to confirm on Wednesday (February 21) was that at least 300 people from IDP camps in Sittwe had already been drafted and are now in [military] training grounds," Nay San Lwin said.

Junta troops also arrested at least 100 men from four villages in Buthidaung Township on Feb 18 and 19 and they were sent to a nearby military base for basic military training, he added.

The conscription law only applies to Myanmar citizens. Rohingya people are not recognised as citizens of Myanmar.
Junta forces have told Rohingya men that if they serve in the military, each one will receive a sack of rice, a citizenship identity card and a monthly salary of 150,000 kyats (US$ 41), Rohingya residents of Rakhine State and activists say.

Sittwe, the state capital, has 13 IDP camps for about 100,000 Rohingya people who were displaced by ethnic and religious violence in the western state in 2012. The 300 Rohingya men already forcibly drafted to the junta's military from the IDP camps are just the first group. A list of 300 more, including their names, has already been drafted for the next group, local residents and activists say.

The Irrawaddy was unable to independently verify the numbers.

Rohingya people say they are anxious for those who have already been forcibly drafted as well as for themselves. Sooner or later, it will happen to them or a loved one, they say.

The first 300 Rohingya men forcibly conscripted from IDP camps are receiving "basic military training" inside the base of Artillery Battalion 373 in Sittwe.

The Irrawaddy was unable to independently verify the numbers.

Nay San Lwin is calling for rapid and more effective international action against the junta's atrocities and human rights violations. He called on neighboring countries and Asean to do more.

The junta's military is suffering major defeats in battles with the AA, one of three ethnic armies in the Brotherhood Alliance that spearheaded Operation 1027, which was launched in northern Shan State on Oct. 27 last year.
After humiliating the junta's military in northern Shan State, the AA did the same in Rakhine State.

On Nov. 13, it launched a large-scale offensive against regime targets across northern Rakhine State and in Paletwa Township in neighboring Chin State.

It has seized more than 170 junta bases and outposts since Nov 13, as well as six towns in Rakhine State and one in Chin State.

The junta's military is fighting an army that knows the terrain of Rakhine State better than it does and has public support.​

 

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Brigadier General (rtd) Shakhawat Hossain expressed concern about the volatile situation in Chin and Rakhine state of Myanmar and its effect on national security of Bangladesh.

Global, regional crises: Experts bat for pragmatic foreign policy

Experts yesterday urged Bangladesh to take a pragmatic foreign policy to deal with the challenges, including the worsening situation in Myanmar, in a changing world

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Global, regional crises: Experts bat for pragmatic foreign policy​

Experts yesterday urged Bangladesh to take a pragmatic foreign policy to deal with the challenges, including the worsening situation in Myanmar, in a changing world.

Violent situation prevailing in the eastern part of Myanmar, especially in Rakhine and Chin states bordering Bangladesh, is a big reason to worry, they added.​

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They said the absence of political consensus in Bangladesh is causing detrimental impact on diplomatic, economic, and geopolitical fronts.

Speaking at a programme in the capital's Brac Centre Inn they also raised concerns about the lack of transparency regarding government negotiations, emphasising the absence of parliamentary discussions on crucial matters such as the Rohingya crisis.

Titled, "Rifts in the Global Order and the Rise of Multipolarity: Counterbalancing Strategies for Bangladesh," South Asian Network on Economic Modeling (SANEM) organised the programme.

Dr Lailufar Yasmin, professor and chairperson of the Department of International Relations at Dhaka University, chaired the discussion.

Brig Gen (retd) M Shakhawat Hossain, former election commissioner and Senior Fellow at the South Asian Institute of Policy and Governance of North South University; Ambassador M Humayun Kabir, president of the Bangladesh Enterprise Institute (BEI); and Dr Imtiaz Ahmed, professor of the Department of International Relations at Dhaka University, took part in the discussion.

Shakhawat said it is still unknown where the ongoing violence in Rakhine will stop. Along with that, the radical nationalism that is developing in India and Myanmar can also threaten the security of Bangladesh.

He also said that the US-led unipolar world order is still in place, which is beginning to crumble.

Shakhawat also said Bangladesh's foreign policy -- friendship to all and malice to none -- is not working right now.

'I am worried about what is happening in our neighbouring country Myanmar. I am especially worried about Myanmar's Chin and Rakhine states. There is instability. We don't know where it will end up," he said
He concluded with a call to action, urging Bangladesh to chart its own path.

Humayun Kabir said changes are now taking place at a rapid pace. He outlined three layers of transformation, starting with the erosion of global norms and order.

Reflecting on past consensus, he noted, "The idea was that the international community should respect sovereignty and the world should enjoy equity."

Addressing the concept of multi-polarity, he questioned, "China wants to become like the US. India wants to become like the US. So where is the multi-polarity everybody is talking about?"

He expressed concerns over diminishing guarantees of sovereignty and privacy, saying, "Sovereignty is no longer a guarantee… privacy is no longer a guarantee. Everybody is being spied on. Where is human sanctity, human dignity?"

Concluding with a note of caution, he urged vigilance in assessing regional developments, stating, "We have to be careful about how our region is evolving."

Dr Ahmed positioned Bangladesh favourably in this multipolar world, stating, "Bangladesh is better placed when it comes to multi-polarity."

He underscored the importance of professionalism and global engagement for Bangladesh's success.

Dr Ahmed emphasised the inevitability of multipolarity, stating, "In no way can we go back to unipolarity."

He urged Bangladesh to enhance its engagement with regional powers like India and China, asserting, "Bangladesh needs to engage with India and China on a much bigger scale."

Dr Lailufar Yasmin noted the emergence of a new assertive Bangladesh on the global stage, prompting the necessity to develop indigenous policies tailored to the country's population.

She advocated for interdisciplinary collaboration to foster the holistic development of Bengalis, highlighting the importance of a multifaceted approach to national growth.

She highlighted the evolving centre of gravity in international politics, noting, "In international politics, the centre of gravity is gradually shifting toward Asia."

She underscored Bangladesh's pivotal role as a gateway to Northeast India.

She said, "When you do not write your own story, another person will write it from their vantage point. That is why we have to write our own story."​

 

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Sounds of firing return along Teknaf border

Sounds of heavy firing and shelling from Myanmar were heard daylong on Thursday in Teknaf of Cox’s Bazar, causing fresh tension among the local people...

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MYANMAR CONFLICT​

Sounds of firing return along Teknaf border​

Our Correspondent . Cox’s Bazar | Published: 00:14, Mar 01,2024

--File photo

Sounds of heavy firing and shelling from Myanmar were heard daylong on Thursday in Teknaf of Cox’s Bazar, causing fresh tension among the local people after days of break as fighting between the Myanmar army and the ethnic Arakan Army continued.

The residents of Teknaf said sounds of heavy firing and shelling were heard on the Hnila and Whykong borders, while airstrikes were also reported some two kilometres inside Myanmar territory.

A Myanmar national from Rakhine told New Age that firing and shelling continued in their area between the AA and Myanmar Army in the Bolibazar area.

Witnesses in Teknaf also saw Myanmar gunships using artillery.

Hnila union parishad chairman Rashed Mahmud Ali told New Age that they heard sounds of gunshots and explosions between the early hours and afternoon.

The Border Guard Bangladesh’s Teknaf battalion commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel Mohiuddin Ahmed, said they had kept their forces on standby and were observing the situation closely.

Myanmar-based Arakan Army on Tuesday claimed to have taken complete control of the junta’s 9th Central Military Training School based in Minbya Township, Rakhine State, after 10 days of intense fighting, according to Thailand-based news portal Irrawaddy.

Most residents and junta administrators have reportedly fled Sittwe as AA forces advance on the state capital.​

 

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Protecting Rohingyas: Don’t repeat mistakes of the past

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk has appealed to the international community not to repeat the failings of the past in protecting the Rohingya community in Myanmar’s Rakhine State which has spiralled further in violence since November.

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Protecting Rohingyas: Don’t repeat mistakes of the past​

UN rights chief urges int’l community

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk has appealed to the international community not to repeat the failings of the past in protecting the Rohingya community in Myanmar's Rakhine State which has spiralled further in violence since November.

"After suffering decades of systematic discrimination, repression, forced displacement, and other serious human rights violations, the Rohingya today remain essentially imprisoned in villages and internment camps," he said while addressing the 55th session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva yesterday.

He said more than a million continue to languish in refugee camps in Bangladesh, and in Myanmar, they continue to be denied citizenship rights and free movement, and there is currently no prospect for safe and sustainable return.
Türk said since November, amid communications blackouts, sources indicated that nearly 200 people have died in Rakhine, of which at least 50 were Rohingya. Over 150,000 people fled their homes seeking safety – most Rohingya, however, are not allowed to flee.

"Just yesterday [Thursday], military naval vessels shelled a market in Rakhine's capital of Sittwe, reportedly killing at least 16 civilians and injuring over 80 others. This violence impacts every community, many of which are still reeling from last year's Cyclone Mocha," he said.

"In Rakhine State, we have heard reports that displaced Rohingya youth are being offered money, food, and even citizenship if they join the ranks of those who displaced them years ago. They are threatened with punishment if they refuse. And reports of forced recruitment, including child recruitment, have already proliferated among many warring parties.

"Military-imposed movement restrictions have almost completely disrupted the delivery of life-saving humanitarian aid. Homes have been burned down. Supply routes connecting Rakhine to other parts of Myanmar have been closed, creating an acute food shortage and significant price hikes. Most families are now surviving on one meal a day."

"Up to 5,000 Rohingya undertook perilous boat journeys last year in their search for safe haven. Hundreds of others have been detained as they seek to escape to other parts of Myanmar," Türk added.

He said his office has received multiple credible reports that hundreds of Rohingya fleeing violence are being prevented from entering Bangladesh. I appeal to all Member States to ensure international refugee protection to people fleeing persecution and conflict in Myanmar.

Four years ago, the International Court of Justice called on Myanmar to halt any activities that could violate provisions of the Genocide Convention. It ordered that the authorities protect Rohingya communities, preserve evidence of wrongdoing against them, and create conditions conducive to a safe, dignified, and voluntary return to their places of origin.

"Yet, the military continues to engage in the same callous, heavy-handed behaviour. This Council must act on these alarming warning signs."​

 

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Myanmar now ‘never-ending’ nightmare: UN

Three years of military rule in Myanmar have inflicted unbearable cruelty, leaving people trapped in an unending nightmare as the conflict spreads, the UN human...

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Myanmar now ‘never-ending’ nightmare: UN​

Blast in Myanmar market kills, wounds civilians​

Agence France-Presse . Geneva | Published: 00:44, Mar 02,2024

Three years of military rule in Myanmar have inflicted unbearable cruelty, leaving people trapped in an unending nightmare as the conflict spreads, the UN human rights chief said on Friday.

The junta is crushing all forms of dissent with total impunity, Volker Turk told the UN Human Rights Council, urging the United Nations’ top rights body and countries to focus on preventing further atrocities.

‘The human rights situation in Myanmar has morphed into a never-ending nightmare, away from the spotlight of global politics,’ Turk said.

‘Armed conflict has escalated and spread to nearly every corner of the country. Three years of military rule have inflicted — and continue to inflict — unbearable levels of suffering and cruelty on people in Myanmar.’

He said the junta was cracking down on any opposition with ‘total abuse of power’, while development in the southeast Asian nation was now in freefall.

Meanwhile, a blast hit a busy market in Myanmar’s conflict-torn Rakhine state on Thursday, killing and wounding civilians, the country’s junta and an ethnic rebel group said, blaming each other for the attack.

Clashes have rocked Myanmar’s western Rakhine state since the Arakan Army attacked security forces in November, ending a ceasefire that had largely held since the junta’s 2021 coup.

The AA is one of several armed ethnic minority groups in Myanmar’s border regions, many of whom have battled the military since independence from Britain in 1948 over autonomy and control of lucrative resources.

A junta naval vessel shelled the popular ‘Korea port’ market in state capital Sittwe early Thursday, the AA’s political wing said in a statement, killing 12 civilians and ‘critically’ wounding 31 others.

Fifty others suffered minor wounds, it said, accusing the junta of targeting the civilian population.

The junta said the blast was a result of ‘careless heavy artillery shooting’ by the AA, which had killed and injured a number of local people. It did not say how many.

The junta came to power in the February 2021 coup that ousted Aung San Suu Kyi’s democratically-elected government, ending a 10-year experiment with democracy and plunging the country into bloody turmoil.

The junta is struggling to crush resistance to its rule by long-established ethnic rebel groups and newer pro-democracy People’s Defence Forces.

Turk told the council that credible sources had verified that over 4,603 civilians, including 659 women and 490 children, had been killed by the military since February 2021.

‘The actual toll is almost certainly much higher,’ he noted.

He said around 400 civilians, including 113 women, had been burnt — either alive or after being executed.

Turk said the violence had intensified since late October, when ethnic armed groups launched coordinated attacks, triggering punishing retaliation from the military.

He said that in January, 145 out of 232 verified civilian deaths were attributable to air strikes and artillery attacks as the military increasingly directs its jets on towns and cities.

‘This is horrific,’ said Turk.

‘For the last three years, people in Myanmar have sacrificed everything, and kept alive their aspirations for a better and safer future.

‘They need the entire international community to support them.’​

 

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Myanmar junta's access to arms, cash must be cut off, UN rights chief says

The international community must take "targeted action" to restrict the Myanmar junta's access to arms, jet fuel and foreign currency to prevent it from committing "atrocities" against its people, the UN human rights chief said on Friday. "I repeat my call to the international community to refocus

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Myanmar junta's access to arms, cash must be cut off, UN rights chief says​

REUTERS

Published :​

Mar 01, 2024 16:09

Updated :​

Mar 01, 2024 16:09

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Volker Turk, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, attends the high-level event commemorating the 75th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, December 11, 2023. Photo : Reuters

The international community must take "targeted action" to restrict the Myanmar junta's access to arms, jet fuel and foreign currency to prevent it from committing "atrocities" against its people, the UN human rights chief said on Friday.


"I repeat my call to the international community to refocus its energy on preventing atrocities against all people in the country, including the Rohingya," Volker Turk, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, told the Human Rights Council in Geneva, referring to the junta.

He said countries should "end the military's access to arms, jet fuel and foreign currency that it needs to sustain its campaign of repression against civilians."

Myanmar has been plunged in turmoil since the military seized power from an elected government in a 2021 coup.

Muslim Rohingya have faced persecution in Buddhist-majority Myanmar for decades and nearly a million of them live in crammed camps in Bangladesh's border district of Cox's Bazar. Most fled a military crackdown in 2017.

Myanmar's military rulers view the Rohingya as foreign interlopers and have denied them citizenship.

"After suffering decades of systematic discrimination, repression, massive forced displacement, and other serious human rights violations, the Rohingya today remain essentially imprisoned in villages and internment camps," Turk said.

Bangladesh said last month it will not allow any more Rohingya refugees from Myanmar to enter the country because supporting the huge numbers already there threatens its own security.

"My Office has received multiple credible reports that hundreds of Rohingya fleeing violence are being prevented from entering Bangladesh," Turk said.

"I appeal to all member states to ensure international refugee protection to people fleeing persecution and conflict in Myanmar."​

 

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Rohingyas are being forced into joining the army by Junta.

 

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Teknaf border shelling intensifies

Smoke and flames were observed at the border between Bangladesh and Myanmar after continuous loud explosions amid a violent conflict between the Myanmar military and rebels of the Arakan Army. Smoke was seen across the Hnila border in Cox's Bazar's Teknaf from 8am on Saturday. On the other side of

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Teknaf border shelling intensifies​

BDNEWS24.COM

Published :​

Mar 02, 2024 22:02

Updated :​

Mar 02, 2024 22:02

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Smoke and flames were observed at the border between Bangladesh and Myanmar after continuous loud explosions amid a violent conflict between the Myanmar military and rebels of the Arakan Army.

Smoke was seen across the Hnila border in Cox's Bazar's Teknaf from 8am on Saturday. On the other side of the border are Balibazar and Nagakura Para in Myanmar.

Tarek Mahmud Roni, the president of Hnila Adarsha Govt Primary School, believed that a village located between these areas appears to have been deliberately set ablaze.

Roni noted a shift in the conflict dynamics, with gunfire subsiding by Friday evening, only for explosions to intensify post-midnight into Saturday morning.

A series of around 40 to 50 explosions were reported between 7:30am and 8am, with fires raging until noon.

However, upon recalling the Rohingya crisis in 2017, Roni noted that the residents are terrified of the explosions and the smoke.

The Arakan Army clashed with the military in Myanmar's villages east of the Whykong and Hnila border, including Kumirhali, Naichdong, Kwangchigong, Shilkhali, and Nafpura.

The Border Guard Bangladesh and Coast Guard members have increased their patrols along the Naf River, covering a 54km stretch from Whykong in Teknaf Upazila to Shah Pori’s island at the border.

Residents of the border region reported intermittent shelling and mortar fire in some villages around Maungdaw in Myanmar’s Rakhine State from Friday evening to Saturday afternoon.

Rashed Mahmud Ali, chairman of Hnila Union, mentioned that fighting intensified in Rakhine State over two days, with mortar shells exploding across the Naf River.

Fear prevented thousands from going to their farms, he added.

Shah Jalal, the panel chairman of the Whykong union council, noted that the loud sound of mortar shells caused tremors in his area. Children were disturbed by frequent vibrations at night, and many cried out in fear.

The Arakan Army took control of the Totardia area on the Naf River bank across the Whykong Union two weeks ago, and now it is believed that the Myanmar security forces are trying to retake it.

Adnan Chowdhury, the Upazila executive officer or UNO, said the BGB and the Coast Guard have strengthened patrols along the Myanmar border and residents have been advised to remain vigilant amid the escalating conflict in Rakhine state.

Residents living on the Naikhongchhari border in Bandarban and the Ukhia border in Cox’s Bazar did not hear any gunfire last three days.

Lt Col Mohiuddin Ahmed, leading the Teknaf 2 Battalion of the BGB, said they are closely monitoring the situation in Rakhine and the BGB is on high alert to prevent Rohingya infiltration.​

 

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Arakan Army inflicts significant damage upon Myanmar Navy.

 

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'We need to demonstrate diplomatic agility and manoeuvring skills'

What Bangladesh can do regarding the ongoing crisis in Myanmar

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Civil War in Myanmar​

'We need to demonstrate diplomatic agility and manoeuvring skills'​

Maj Gen (retd) ANM Muniruzzaman, president of the Bangladesh Institute of Peace and Security Studies (BIPSS), suggests what Bangladesh can do regarding the ongoing crisis in Myanmar, in an exclusive interview with Naimul Alam Alvi of The Daily Star.

For Bangladesh, what are the implications of the current situation in Myanmar?​

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The current situation in Myanmar is in a state of flux. The Myanmar military junta is rapidly losing control of areas, including areas of interest to Bangladesh—Rakhine and Chin states. The Arakan Army's significant gains suggest they will soon control large swathes. They have already captured Pauktaw, Minbya, and Paletwa. Not only are civilians fleeing these areas, but military soldiers and paramilitary forces are also retreating. Some of them are crossing into Bangladesh, creating a tense and volatile situation. The rapidly changing situation makes it difficult for Bangladesh to receive complete information on the ground, posing a major security threat.

What are the specific challenges?

The first challenge is the insecure border. There have been airspace violations and mortar shells from Myanmar have landed in Bangladesh, damaging settlements; two civilians have already been killed and several villagers have been injured. This is disrupting life and security in Bangladesh.

Secondly, the influx of fleeing Myanmar soldiers poses a major threat. There is information that civilians are gathering on the other side of the border, preparing to enter Bangladesh, including over 400 members of the Chakma ethnic group. We can also expect that others may follow—even the remaining Rohingya who are in Myanmar may also try to enter Bangladesh.

Can the unrest there spill over and create unrest inside our border?

Instability is inherently contagious. When one region experiences turmoil, it can naturally spread to neighbouring areas. This concern is heightened due to the presence of shared ethnicities on both sides of the border. An attack on one group there could easily invite sympathy and even cause unrest among their kin on this side. Therefore, the potential for ethnic tensions spilling over is a significant cause for concern and something to be analysed.


Is there a possibility of unrest increasing in the Rohingya refugee camps?

Of course, the possibility exists. The Rohingya camps have already faced various security issues and disruptions over several years. Internal conflicts and violence between groups within the camps are still going on. If the instability on the other side intensifies, it will undoubtedly affect the Rohingya population here, further complicating an already complex situation.

The prospects for repatriation, already bleak, have dimmed further due to the escalating crisis in Myanmar. Discussions, effective arrangements, and sustained action seem nearly impossible in the current turmoil. The situation worsens daily.

Bangladesh recently summoned the Myanmar ambassador to express its displeasure. However, given the Myanmar government's precarious control, how effective is such an act? What can Bangladesh realistically achieve?

Traditional diplomatic methods might struggle in this fluid conflict zone. Summoning the ambassador and issuing a protest note is standard diplomatic practice, but this is no ordinary situation. It's a dynamic conflict demanding a robust approach. We may need to explore avenues of understanding and communication with various actors involved.

Major international players like India, China, the US, other Western powers, and Russia are directly involved due to their diverse interests. Communicating solely with Myanmar won't be entirely effective. We must engage in broader diplomatic manoeuvring, leveraging our existing relationships.

I fear crucial time has been lost, but establishing new communication channels is imperative. We need to demonstrate the diplomatic agility and manoeuvring skills required in such complex conflict situations. Clinging to routine diplomacy will leave us overtaken by events. We cannot repeat our inactiveness during the Rohingya crisis, when we'd started our diplomacy after the influx. We must be proactive, anticipating developments and taking steps to prevent the situation from spiralling out of control.


What additional measures can we take?

Beyond diplomacy, we must prioritise physical security. This requires fortifying and strengthening our borders, and closing any loopholes vulnerable to infiltration or security breaches. We need comprehensive armed arrangements to effectively respond to potential threats across the entire border region. These are immediate crisis management needs.

Furthermore, engaging with regional powers is vital. Understanding their perspectives on the security situation and aligning our own needs with theirs is crucial. This multipronged approach requires a comprehensive understanding of how to effectively secure our borders.

You mentioned major global players being involved. Can you elaborate on their motivations and specific interests in Myanmar?

Myanmar's geostrategic significance has long attracted major powers seeking spheres of influence, driven by national interests, security concerns, and strategic aspirations. The ongoing crisis has reignited their involvement, with each aiming to maintain or expand their reach.

For example, India has a significant presence in our bordering state Rakhine. There is the Kaladan Multi-Modal Highway, which enters India's northeast from Sittwe port by land and river. This is a multi-billion dollar project for India, and India's interests are directly involved in it.

We also know that Rakhine is a major gateway to the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean. And for this reason, all the major powers have a special interest in this region. The deep sea port that has been built in Kyaukpyu is a major Chinese port. It does not only serve as a deep sea port but is also a major energy hub—transporting oil and gas directly to China's Yunnan province. This strategic location aligns with their national and energy interests. So China has significant interest in Rakhine.

There are also several special economic zones being set up in Rakhine, where Russia and China plan to establish industrial zones, drawing Russia into the mix.

In the current geopolitical reality, with global strategic competition being high, wherever China has an interest, the US gets involved to counter it. So that's why the US has a big interest here too. This is evident in their close monitoring of Myanmar and the recent Burma Act legislation, signalling their readiness for action.

What strategy do you propose to deal with the current crisis?

Our approach must be exceptionally dynamic and innovative. We need unconventional solutions alongside traditional diplomacy, engaging with multiple actors. Maintaining active communication with Asean, given Myanmar's membership, is crucial. Additionally, establishing communication with the major global players I have mentioned, while considering their interests alongside our own, is essential. We must also reevaluate the timing of formally engaging with non-state actors. Time is of the essence. Delays in effective diplomacy could lead to even more significant challenges.

This is a crisis, and like any crisis, it demands more than a routine 9-to-5 office. Establishing a dedicated crisis task force is paramount. This team, comprising representatives from various ministries and government agencies (foreign affairs, home affairs, defence, intelligence), humanitarian organisations and relevant stakeholders, should operate 24/7. Their mandate would be to constantly monitor the situation, analyse developments, and propose solutions for political decision-making across various angles: security, diplomacy, conflict resolution, humanitarian aid, and resource management.

It's crucial to remember that this is not just a security concern; it's a multifaceted crisis with diverse dimensions requiring a holistic approach. Addressing emerging challenges swiftly and effectively necessitates a collaborative effort beyond the capabilities of any single ministry.

Traditional diplomatic methods of summoning ambassadors or issuing protests are inadequate for this dynamic situation. We need a fresh, analytical approach, tailoring responses to emerging threats. Proactive measures are essential; there is no time to lose.​

 

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Bangladesh has Stationed Missiles and TB-2 Drones near Myanmar Border

 

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Bangladeshi youth succumbs to bullet injury

A Bangladeshi youth who sustained bullet injuries in Ukhia of Cox’s Bazar during ongoing conflict in Myanmar a month ago died...

www.newagebd.net

MYANMAR CONFLICT
Bangladeshi youth succumbs to bullet injury
Our Correspondent . Cox’s Bazar | Published: 23:02, Mar 08,2024 | Updated: 23:40, Mar 08,2024

A Bangladeshi youth who sustained bullet injuries in Ukhia of Cox’s Bazar during ongoing conflict in Myanmar a month ago died at a hospital on Thursday.

The victim, Anowarul Islam, 35, a father of three, sustained bullet injuries on February 6 when a group of locals tried to resist Myanmar nationals from trespassing on the international border.

He was admitted to Cox’s Bazar District Hospital where he died at about 10:00pm on Thursday.

Palongkhali union parishad chairman M Gafur Uddin Chowdhury said that Anowarul sustained injuries when a group of armed Rohingyas, who were later arrested, entered Bangladesh along with members of the Myanmar Border Police.

The hospital resident medical officer, Ashikur Rahman, confirmed the death.

Moriam Khatun, wife of the deceased, said that they had two daughters and one son.

Anowarul was a farmer and got injured while working on land like every day, she added.

Ukhia police station officer-in-charge Shamim Hossain said that he had learnt about the death and were looking into the matter.​

 

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179 Myanmar troops take shelter in Bangladesh again

At least 179 personnel from Myanmar security forces crossed the border near Naikhyangchari in Bandarban on Monday and sought shelter in Bangladesh amid their ongoing...

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179 Myanmar troops take shelter in Bangladesh again
Muktadir Rashid | Published: 16:39, Mar 11,2024 | Updated: 00:13, Mar 12,2024

Members of the Angthapaya Border Guard Police Camp of Myanmar enter Bangladesh through the border of Jamchari union in Bandarban on Monday. — New Age photo

At least 179 personnel from Myanmar security forces crossed the border near Naikhyangchari in Bandarban on Monday and sought shelter in Bangladesh amid their ongoing conflict with the ethnic rebel group Arakan Army.

Initially, 29 personnel with camouflage and civil dress arrived in the daytime, and after dark, 150 others arrived, officials in Border Guard Bangladesh and Bandarban district administration said.

‘Now our security forces are disarming them,’ said Bandarban district deputy commission Shah Mujahid Uddin.

Earlier, a total of 330 troops and civilians fled fighting in Myanmar’s Rakhine State to enter Bangladesh between February 4 and 10, while the Border Guard Bangladesh rejected the entries of 75 Rohingya who wanted shelter around the same time.

A ship from Myanmar took back Myanmar troops and civilian officials on February 15.

After sending them back, BGB director general Major General Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman Siddiqui told the media that no more troops would be allowed to cross the border.

Different government authorities said that Bangladesh would also not allow any more Rohingya people here.

More than 700,000 Rohingya fled the Myanmar military’s crimes against humanity and acts of genocide in 2017. They joined thousands of Rohingya people already leaving Bangladesh, taking the number of Rohingyas here to over a million.

Two attempts to repatriate the Rohingyas failed, as they refused to return with out a guarantee of safety and citizenship.

An estimated 600,000 Rohingya are still believed to remain in Rakhine State, confined to squalid camps and villages under a system of apartheid.

Shayna Bauchner, Asia researcher at Human Rights Watch, noted in their latest report published on February 9 that in late January, between 12 and 24 Rohingya civilians were killed in Myanmar, while as many as 100 more may have been injured.

People living in Bangladesh villages living along the border have reported frequent sounds of gunfire in recent weeks.

BGB officials confirmed that 29 members of the Angthapaya Border Guard Police Camp came through the border area of Jamchari union and took shelter with Bangladesh Border Guard Battalion 11.


‘We are verifying their identities and documenting their details,’ said a senior BGB official.

The AA warned all regime forces in Rakhine to raise the white flag or face death, Thailand-based news portal The Irrawaddy reported on Monday.

The report, quoting AA, said that the rebel forces chased and attacked fleeing regime forces during their seizure of a military division headquarters in Kyauktaw Township and the junta’s 9th Central Military Training School in Minbya Township. It also claimed to have captured a number of fleeing regime forces.
​

 

[Saif]

Govt working to send back Myanmar escapees: FM

Foreign minister Hasan Mahmud said on Tuesday that the government was in touch with Myanmar authorities to send back the Myanmar security force members, who...

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Govt working to send back Myanmar escapees: FM
Civilians pushed back
Staff Correspondent | Published: 00:09, Mar 13,2024

Foreign minister Hasan Mahmud. --File photo

Foreign minister Hasan Mahmud said on Tuesday that the government was in touch with Myanmar authorities to send back the Myanmar security force members, who fled to Bangladesh again amid fighting with rebel forces in bordering Rakhine State.

He said that some civilians in a fresh move also made efforts to enter Bangladesh, but they were pushed back.

‘A total of 177 members of Myanmar’s Border Guard Police have entered Bangladesh again till Tuesday afternoon. We are working to send them back as before. Some civilians also tried to come, but they were pushed back,’ the foreign minister said, responding to reporters’ queries at his Segunbagicha office.

Asked whether the ambassador of Myanmar would be summoned following the latest incident, Hasan said that his ministry was in constant contact with them. ‘The Myanmar ambassador will be summoned if it is necessary,’ he added.

The Myanmar security forces crossed the border near Naikhyangchari in Bandarban on Monday and sought shelter in Bangladesh amid their ongoing conflict with the ethnic rebel group, the Arakan Army.


Initially, 29 personnel with camouflage and civil dress arrived in the daytime, and after dark, 150 others arrived, officials at the Border Guard Bangladesh and the Bandarban district administration said on Monday.

Earlier, a total of 330 troops and civilians fled fighting in Myanmar’s Rakhine State to enter Bangladesh between February 4 and 10, while the Border Guard Bangladesh rejected the entries of 75 Rohingya who wanted shelter around the same time.

A ship from Myanmar took back Myanmar troops and civilian officials on February 15.

After sending them back, BGB director general Major General Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman Siddiqui told the media that no more troops would be allowed to cross the border.​

 

[Saif]

Four ARSA members arrested with weapons

Rapid Action Battalion arrested four members of the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army from Cox’s Bazar camps on Thursday morning...

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Four ARSA members arrested with weapons
Our Correspondent . Cox’s Bazar | Published: 20:21, Mar 14,2024 | Updated: 23:45, Mar 14,2024

Rapid Action Battalion arrested four members of the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army from Cox’s Bazar camps on Thursday morning.

The RAB arrested Master Kalim Ullah, 32, a resident of camp-20 at Ghonarpara, Mohammed Akij, 27, of camp-7 at Kutupalong, Mohammad Jubaer, 29, of camp-13 at Balukhali, and Saber Hossain, 35, of camp-22 in Teknaf in a special operation at Ukhia.

The battalion seized one foreign pistol and a locally made gun, seven hand bombs, and six bullets from their possession.

Lieutenant Colonel HM Sajjad Hossain, the commanding officer of RAB-15, alleged ARSA were planning sabotage at Ukhia.

He said Master Kalim Ullah is the head of ARSA’s Bangladesh chapter and financer. Akij is one of the bodyguards of ARSA commander in chief Ataullah abu Ammar Jununi.

The battalion said they were accused in eight cases including murder and kidnapping, and were handed over to Ukhia police station after the filing of a case in in this connection.​

 

[Saif]

PM calls upon UNDP to raise more funds for Rohingya

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday urged the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to make an effort to raise larger international funds for the support of the Rohingya people. She made the call at a meeting with visiting UNDP goodwill ambassador and Crown Princess of Sweden Victoria at

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

PM calls upon UNDP to raise more funds for Rohingya​

UNB

Published :​

Mar 18, 2024 22:37

Updated :​

Mar 18, 2024 22:37

— Collected

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday urged the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to make an effort to raise larger international funds for the support of the Rohingya people.

She made the call at a meeting with visiting UNDP goodwill ambassador and Crown Princess of Sweden Victoria at a hotel in Dhaka.

PM’s speech writer Md Nazrul Islam briefed reporters after the meeting.

The prime minister said Bangladesh had given shelter to forcibly displaced Rohingyas from Myanmar on humanitarian grounds and arranged improved accommodation for them in Bhashanchar, ensuring many facilities for them. Now some one lakh Rohingya can reside there in Bhashanchar, she added.

She sought assistance from the UNDP to relocate more Rohingyas to Bhashanchar.

Princess Victoria arrived in Dhaka on Monday on a four-day visit to Bangladesh during which she will tour Rohingya camps in Cox’s Bazar and Bhashanchar.

Bilateral and multilateral issues including climate change came up for discussion during the meeting with the PM.

The princes said there is a huge scope to deepen the bilateral relations between Sweden and Bangladesh.

She expressed her optimism for strengthening the bilateral ties between the two countries especially in trade, business and investment.

The Bangladesh prime minister urged the Swedish businesses to make investment in Bangladesh, particularly in special economic zones.

The PM said Bangladesh is one of the worst victims of climate change. Bangladesh’s contribution to carbon emission is negligible but the country is badly affected. Bangladesh faces different natural calamities like floods and cyclones due to climate changes, she said.

About the local climate adaptation and mitigation programmes, she said Bangladesh formed a climate trust fund to protect the local community and their livelihood.

The PM said her government’s main goal is poverty alleviation, as it has already reduced the poverty rate to 18.7 per cent from 41 per cent and the extreme poverty rate to 5.6 per cent from 25.1 per cent.

She said the government has been providing the homeless people with free cyclone-resistant houses throughout the country so that there will be no homeless people in Bangladesh.

She said her government constructed cyclone shelter centres on the coastal areas.

Hasina recalled her first visit to Sweden in 1969 when her husband was there for study.​

 

[Saif]

Myanmar conflict visibly exposes Rohingyas to fresh persecution: Report

The ongoing armed clashes between government troops and rebel forces in Myanmar visibly exposed the remaining Rohingyas in their homeland in Rakhine, close to Bangladesh borders, to persecution afresh with security reports suggesting the ethnic minority Muslim group was now being harassed by Arakan

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

Myanmar conflict visibly exposes Rohingyas to fresh persecution: Report​

BSS

Published :​

Mar 20, 2024 20:08

Updated :​

Mar 20, 2024 20:08

The ongoing armed clashes between government troops and rebel forces in Myanmar visibly exposed the remaining Rohingyas in their homeland in Rakhine, close to Bangladesh borders, to persecution afresh with security reports suggesting the ethnic minority Muslim group was now being harassed by Arakan Army insurgents, security sources said on Wednesday.

Security and intelligence officials said a group of nearly 500 Rohingyas rallied at Buthidaung Township in Maungdaw District of Myanmar’s troubled Arakan province to mark their stance, denying to be drafted by either the rebels or the government troops.

The Rohingyas said they wanted peace, not war in Rakhine.

“The government troops earlier wanted to draft Rohingyas to be their fighters against the rebels, while the scenario now suggests the (rebel) Arakan Aramy also wants them to join the rebel force to fight against the junta rule,” one security official familiar with the development told news agency BSS.

He said the army-led brutal crackdown forced over a million Rohingyas to flee their homes in 2017 when Bangladesh extended them makeshift refuge on humanitarian grounds.

The majority Buddhist Rakhine population’s attitude towards the Rohingya’s at that time was visibly no different to that of the government troops, while Arakan Army which comprises the Rakhines, were believed to have taken a softer stance about the Rohingyas after they launched an offensive against the military junta visibly to gain their support.

But the security reports gathered from the other side of the border suggested that the more the Arakan Army established their position in Rakhine, the Rohingyas were exposed to their repression afresh.

The security report came as a second group of 177 Myanmar’s paramilitary Border Guard Police (BGP) has taken refuge in Bangladesh and currently, they are under Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) custody in Naikkhanchhari area of bordering Bandarban district, awaiting repatriation process.

Until a year ago, Bangladesh exterminated over a million Rohingyas took shelter in Bangladesh to evade persecution while the figure has now been assumed to reach 13 million.

The reports suggest some 3 million Rohingyas still live in Rakhine, while they are assumedly sandwiched between government troops and Arakan Army.

The United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Monday expressed “alarm” at reports that the Myanmar military is bombing civilian areas.

Guterres called for calm following reports that continuing air attacks on villages in the restive country’s Rakhine state have killed dozens.

Clashes have rocked the western state since the Arakan Army (AA) attacked the government forces in November, ending a ceasefire that had largely held since the army’s 2021 coup.

“The expansion of conflict in Rakhine State is driving displacement and exacerbating pre-existing vulnerabilities and discrimination,” a spokesman for the UN chief said.

He added: “The secretary general calls on all parties to prevent further incitement of communal tensions.”

According to international media outlets, Minbya township lies east of the state capital of Sittwe, which has been all but cut off by AA fighters in recent weeks.

The air raid hit the village of Thar Dar, a predominantly Rohingya village about 5km (3 miles) north of Minbya, early on Monday, killing 10 men, four women and 10 children, one resident said.

“There was no fighting in our village and they bombed us,” he said, asking for anonymity for security reasons.

Another resident, also asking for anonymity, said 23 people had been killed in the blast and 18 wounded.

With most mobile networks down, communication with the riverine region is extremely difficult.

Myanmar’s military rulers view the Rohingya as foreign interlopers and have denied them citizenship.

Government troops hold Sittwe, but in recent weeks, AA fighters have made gains in surrounding districts.

Fighting has also spilt over into neighbouring India and Bangladesh.

Last month, at least two people were killed in Bangladesh after mortar shells fired from Myanmar during clashes landed across the border.

The AA is one of several armed ethnic minority groups in Myanmar’s border regions, many of whom have battled the military over autonomy and control of lucrative resources since independence from Britain in 1948.​

 

[Saif]

Blasts, gunshots heard along Teknaf border

Following a week of calm, gunshots and mortar shell explosions were heard from across the Naf river, suggesting the resumption of fighting between the Myanmar junta and rebel Arakan Army in Rakhine state

www.thedailystar.net

Conflict in Myanmar​

Blasts, gunshots heard along Teknaf border​

The Bangladesh Army inspect an unexploded rocket-propelled grenade, launched from Myanmar, on the Tumbru border in Bandarban’s Naikhongchhari. File photo:Naimur Rahman/Star

Following a week of calm, gunshots and mortar shell explosions were heard from across the Naf river, suggesting the resumption of fighting between the Myanmar junta and rebel Arakan Army in Rakhine state.

Locals in Teknaf upazila of Cox's Bazar said gunfighting near the Bangladesh-Myanmar border lasted five hours until 3:00am today and could be heard in Kharankhali, Naya Bazar, Mina Bazar, Kanjor Para, Jimmkhali, Unchiprang, and Lambabil areas of Whykong union, reports our Cox's Bazar staff correspondent.

Kabir Ahmed, a member of Ward 6 under Whykong Union Parishad, said, "The gunshots could be heard from my house, which is far from the border.

"This ongoing clash is disrupting the day-to-day activities of the people living along the border. Farmers and fishermen have to go to their fields or enclosures every day to work fearing for their lives because of the recurring explosions."

Earlier, BGB Teknaf-2 Battalion Commander Lt Col Md Mohiuddin Ahmed said, given the circumstances, the border guard members were ready to deal with any sort of security threat that may arise, including border infiltration.

The conflict escalated in early February when Myanmar government forces clashed with the Arakan Army at the Tumbru border in Ghumdhum union under Naikhongchhari upazila of Bandarban.

Subsequently, a significant number of Myanmar government troops, predominantly comprising Myanmar's Border Guard Police, sought asylum in Bangladesh in successive waves before being repatriated on February 15.

With the conflict spreading from the Naikhongchhari to the Teknaf border, where many Rohingya populations live in villages bordering Rakhine State, the situation remains volatile.

The ongoing clashes between the Myanmar junta and the Arakan Army have caused tragic incidents on this side of the border as well.

A Bangladeshi woman and a Rohingya man were killed and a child was injured as a mortar shell from across the border in Myanmar exploded in Ghumdhum union of Bandarban's Naikhongchhari on February 5.​

 

[Saif]

Myanmar polls may not be held nationwide: junta

Myanmar may not be able to hold its next election nationwide, the country’s junta chief admitted in comments published Monday, as the...

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Myanmar polls may not be held nationwide: junta
Agence France-Presse . Yangon | Published: 23:24, Mar 25,2024

Myanmar may not be able to hold its next election nationwide, the country’s junta chief admitted in comments published Monday, as the military struggles to contain escalating violence against its rule.

The military has made numerous pledges to hold elections since it seized power in February 2021, but has repeatedly extended a state of emergency as it battles opponents across swathes of the country.

Junta supremo Min Aung Hlaing said officials were currently focusing on verifying voter lists, reiterating that polls could only come once peace was restored.

‘If the state is peaceful and stable, we have a plan to hold the election in relevant sections as much as we can, even if the election is not held nationwide under the law,’ he said in an interview with Russia’s TASS news agency, reprinted in English in the state-owned Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper.

The generals justified their coup with unsubstantiated claims of electoral fraud during elections in 2020 won resoundingly by the National League for Democracy party of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi.

The junta-stacked election commission last year scrapped the first-past-the-post electoral system under which the NLD had won resounding victories.

Instead, a proportional representation system will be used.

Three years after seizing power the junta is struggling to crush widespread armed opposition to its rule, battling pro-democracy armed groups and older ethnic minority armed groups across large parts of the country.​

 

[Saif]

Myanmar to return 200 Bangladeshis, take back 179 border troops

Dhaka is finalising the repatriation of 179 Myanmar troops who fled conflict in Rakhine and sought refuge in bordering Bandarban...

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Myanmar to return 200 Bangladeshis, take back 179 border troops
Muktadir Rashid | Published: 00:01, Mar 28,2024

Dhaka is finalising the repatriation of 179 Myanmar troops who fled conflict in Rakhine and sought refuge in bordering Bandarban, Bangladesh on March 11, while Naypyidaw wishes to give back over 200 Bangladeshis languishing in Myanmar prisons.

At least four officials in Dhaka and Cox’s Bazar confirmed that the swap would be held by the first week of April.

No formal comment from the BGB headquarters was available when they were approached on Sunday and Monday. One BGB commander only said that they were waiting to execute the order.

‘We are not given any date,’ said the senior BGB official.

Separate meetings were held in Dhaka recently over the repatriation and evacuation process, officials said.

Bandarban deputy commissioner Shah Mujahid Uddin only confirmed that discussion was going on about repatriating all of the Myanmar soldiers.

Another official in Dhaka said that it was difficult for Naypyidaw to maintain prisons in Rakhine and other war-ravaged areas and so they are willing to return Bangladeshi prisoners on the ship that would reach Cox’s Bazar to evacuate the BGP members.

‘It’s not technically a prisoner swap as the BGP members escaped and sought shelter. All of them are willing to return home. If any of them seek refuge we will communicate with the UNHCR,’ said the official.

Officials in Dhaka and Cox’s Bazar said that most of the 200 Bangladeshis were held on charges of trespassing during fishing.

Several hundred Myanmar border guards recently fled to Bangladesh from the clashes with the Arakan Army, an ethnic resistance organisation in the Rakhine State of Myanmar.

Earlier between February 4 and 10, a total of 330 troops and civilians fled fighting in Rakhine and entered Bangladesh, while the Border Guard Bangladesh refused entry to 75 Rohingyas who wanted shelter about the same time.

A ship from Myanmar took back Myanmar troops and civilian officials on February 15.

After sending them back, BGB director general Major General Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman Siddiqui told the media that no more troops would be allowed to cross the border.

Later on March 11, at least 179 personnel from Myanmar security forces crossed the border near Naikhyangchari in Bandarban and sought shelter in Bangladesh amid their ongoing conflict with the ethnic rebel group Arakan Army.

More than 7,00,000 Rohingyas fled the Myanmar military’s ‘crimes against humanity and acts of genocide’ in 2017. They joined thousands of Rohingya people already living in Bangladesh, taking the number of Rohingyas here to over a million.

Two attempts to repatriate the Rohingyas failed, as they refused to return without a guarantee of safety and citizenship.

An estimated 6,00,000 Rohingyas are still believed to remain in the Rakhine State, confined to squalid camps and villages under a system of apartheid.

On March 12, foreign minister Hasan Mahmud said that the government was in touch with the Myanmar authorities to send back the troops.​

 

[Saif]

Explosions in Myanmar as ship spotted in Naf river

People in the border area said they heard sounds of multiple explosions intermittently from last night to Friday afternoon. However, between 3:00pm and 4:00pm today, there were more than 10 loud explosions

www.thedailystar.net

Explosions in Myanmar as ship spotted in Naf river​

File photo of a tourist ship travelling to St Martin's Island from Teknaf via the Naf river. Photo: Star

Sound of explosions intensified after a Myanmar ship was spotted across the Naf river on the border of Shahparir Dwip in Teknaf, Cox's Bazar today.

Locals said the ship was seen there from this morning for a few hours till 11:00pm, then it moved away. Since then, loud explosions have been heard on the border of Shahparir island, reports our Cox's Bazar staff correspondent.

People in the border area said they heard sounds of multiple explosions intermittently from last night to Friday afternoon. However, between 3:00pm and 4:00pm today, there were more than 10 loud explosions.
Mohiuddin Ahmed, commanding officer of Bangladesh Border Guard (BGB) Teknaf 2 Battalion, said, "In the morning, a large ship was seen across the Naf river in the waters of Myanmar. It could not be confirmed whether it was a warship or some other ship of the country. But the ship moved there before noon.

"But soon after the ship moved away from the Naf river border, there were intermittent loud explosions coming from the other side of Myanmar opposite St Martin's Island," he added.

There is no connection between these two incidents and the conflict going on in Myanmar's side is their internal matter. People of Bangladesh should not be worried about this matter, he added.

Myanmar's junta forces have been fighting with the rebel Arakan Army for the past few months. Rebels have already shown some success by occupying several important areas and army posts in Rakhine State.

Infighting in Myanmar is rattling the lives of Bangladesh people living along the border.

Amid the ongoing fighting along the bordering areas, a Bangladeshi woman and a Rohingya man were killed when a mortar shell fired from Myanmar exploded in Bandarban's Ghumdhum union on February 5.​

 

[Saif]

3 more soldiers from Myanmar take refuge

Three more members of Myanmar military forces Saturday morning fled to Bangladesh through the Tambru border of Naikhyangchari upazila in Bandarban amid conflict in its...

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3 more soldiers from Myanmar take refuge
Our Correspondent . Cox's Bazar | Published: 00:58, Mar 31,2024

Three more members of Myanmar military forces Saturday morning fled to Bangladesh through the Tambru border of Naikhyangchari upazila in Bandarban amid conflict in its bordering Rakhine State between junta forces and rebel Arakan Army.

They took shelter in Tambru government primary school of ward no 2 of Ghumdhum union parishad in the upazila.

Bandarban deputy commissioner Shah Mujahid Uddin said that the Myanmar soldiers were disarmed and took shelter at Tambru government primary school.

According to the local people, the three Myanmar soldiers took refuge in Bangladesh to escape the fighting between the Myanmar junta and the Arakan Army.

The fresh intrusion of the Myanmar forces happened at a time when Dhaka was finalising the repatriation of 179 Myanmar troops, who fled the conflict in Rakhine and sought refuge in bordering Bandarban on March 11.

Several hundred Myanmar Border Guard Police recently fled to Bangladesh to escape the clashes in the Rakhine.

Earlier between February 4 and 10, a total of 330 troops and civilians fled the fighting in Rakhine and entered Bangladesh, while the Border Guard Bangladesh refused entry to 75 Rohingyas, who wanted shelter about the same time.

A ship from Myanmar took back Myanmar troops and civil officials on February 15.

After sending them back, BGB director general major general Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman Siddiqui told the media that no more Myanmar troop would be allowed to cross the border.

More than 7,00,000 Rohingyas fled the Myanmar military's 'crimes against humanity and acts of genocide' in 2017. They joined thousands of Rohingya people already living in Bangladesh, taking the number of Rohingyas to over a million in the country.

Two attempts to repatriate the Rohingyas failed, as they refused to return without a guarantee of safety and citizenship.​

 

[Saif]

Fighters target military in drone attacks on capital

Opponents of army rule in Myanmar said yesterday they carried out drone attacks on two military targets in its capital Naypyitaw, attacks which, if confirmed, would be a major blow to the image of a junta struggling to govern.

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POST-COUP MYANMAR
Fighters target military in drone attacks on capital

Opponents of army rule in Myanmar said yesterday they carried out drone attacks on two military targets in its capital Naypyitaw, attacks which, if confirmed, would be a major blow to the image of a junta struggling to govern.

The National Unity Government (NUG), an alliance of anti-junta groups formed to challenge military rule in the wake of a 2021 coup, announced coordinated drone attacks on two military installations, but provided no details on the drones or weapons used, or whether the targets sustained any damage.

"The synchronized drone operations were simultaneously executed against Naypyitaw, targeting both the headquarters of the terrorist military and Alar Air Base," the NUG said in a statement. "Preliminary reports suggest there were casualties."​

 

[Saif]

Rohingya crisis at United Nations: BD urges SC to resolve soon

Breaking News, International News & Multimedia

thedailynewnation.com

Rohingya crisis at United Nations: BD urges SC to resolve soon
6 Apr 2024, 12:00 am

Staff Reporter :

Bangladesh has called on the Security Council to swiftly address the Rohingya crisis, emphasizing the challenges stemming from delays in initiating the repatriation of these persecuted individuals to Myanmar.

"Amid the unresolved crisis of 2017, the Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine are now facing new dangers as conflicts between the Myanmar military and the Arakan Army escalate," stated Ambassador Muhammad A. Muhith, Bangladesh's Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations, during a Security Council session on Friday, as noted in a press release.

His remarks were part of the Open Briefing on Myanmar, hosted by the Maltese Presidency, to deliberate on the recent surge in violence in Rakhine State and its impact on civilians, particularly the Rohingya minority.

The briefing included insights from Khalid Khiari, the Assistant Secretary-General at the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, and Lisa Doughten, Director at the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Representatives from Malaysia, Indonesia, and Bangladesh also addressed the Council.

Ambassador Muhith stressed that the recent escalation in Rakhine has hindered the repatriation process, which he identified as the ultimate resolution to the Rohingya dilemma.

He expressed optimism for the resumption of the repatriation process once conditions permit and urged Myanmar to show real political willingness to cooperate with Bangladesh under the bilateral return agreements signed in 2017 and 2018.

"We call for significant and impactful engagement from the international community, particularly regional organizations and neighboring countries, to restore peace in Rakhine and support the reintegration of returnees," he added.

Referencing UN Security Council Resolution 2669, Ambassador Muhith highlighted the necessity of creating a conducive environment in Rakhine and addressing the deep-rooted vulnerabilities among the Rohingya, largely due to Myanmar's discriminatory legal and political structures.


"Without tackling these root causes, bilateral and regional efforts are likely to fall short," he remarked.

Ambassador Muhith laid out several expectations for resolving the crisis, including enhancing the UN's presence in Myanmar, consistent reporting on the execution of Security Council resolution 2669, accountability for crimes against Rohingya Muslims and ongoing violations of international humanitarian law, and the prompt realization of key agreements and recommendations.

He also stressed the importance of international support in fostering a sustainable environment for the reintegration of Rohingya into Myanmar society.

Highlighting the adverse social, economic, environmental, and security repercussions on Bangladesh from the prolonged presence of Rohingyas, Ambassador Muhith appealed to the Council for focused action on the Rakhine situation and a comprehensive, enduring solution to the Rohingya crisis.

Other speakers expressed grave concerns about the escalating conflict and violence in Myanmar, urging the authorities to tackle the root causes of conflict in Rakhine and facilitate the voluntary, safe, dignified, and sustainable return of all displaced Rohingyas and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).

They also advocated for increased international solidarity and support for the UN and ASEAN's peace efforts in Myanmar, in alignment with Security Council Resolution 2669.

Commending Bangladesh for its humanitarian leadership in hosting over a million Rohingyas, the speakers called for further support for the humanitarian efforts in Cox's Bazar until the displaced population can safely return.​

 

[Saif]

Military forcibly recruiting Rohingyas in Mayanmar: HRW

The Myanmar military has abducted and forcibly recruited more than 1,000 Rohingya Muslim men and boys from across Rakhine State since February 2024, Human Rights Watch has said in a statement.....

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Military forcibly recruiting Rohingyas in Mayanmar: HRW
Staff Correspondent | Published: 11:10, Apr 10,2024

The Myanmar military has abducted and forcibly recruited more than 1,000 Rohingya Muslim men and boys from across Rakhine State since February 2024, Human Rights Watch has said in a statement.

'The junta is using a conscription law that only applies to Myanmar citizens, although the Rohingya have long been denied citizenship under the 1982 Citizenship Law,' the statement, posted on HRW website on Tuesday, said.

Rohingya described being picked up in nighttime raids, coerced with false promises of citizenship, and threatened with arrest, abduction, and beatings.

The military has been sending Rohingya to abusive training for two weeks, then deploying them. Many have been sent to the front lines in the surging fighting between the junta and the Arakan Army armed group, which broke out in Rakhine State in November 2023, and a number have been killed and injured.

'It's appalling to see Myanmar's military, which has committed atrocities against the Rohingya for decades while denying them citizenship, now forcing them to fight on its behalf,' said Shayna Bauchner, Asia researcher at Human Rights Watch.

'The junta should immediately end this forced recruitment and permit Rohingya unlawfully conscripted to return home.'

Human Rights Watch documented 11 cases of forced recruitment, drawing on interviews with 25 Rohingya from Sittwe, Maungdaw, Buthidaung, Pauktaw, and Kyauktaw townships in Rakhine State and in Bangladesh, according to a message received from Bangkok on Wednesday.

On February 10, the military activated the 2010 People's Military Service Law, enabling the conscription of men ages 18 to 35 and women ages 18 to 27 for up to five years during the current state of emergency. The announcement followed months of increased fighting with ethnic armed groups and resistance forces.

The junta announced that conscription would start in April, with a monthly quota of 5,000, but the authorities in Rakhine State began forcibly recruiting Rohingya in early February.

In late February, the military abducted over 150 Rohingya in raids on villages in Buthidaung township, according to people interviewed, Rohingya activists, and media reports. A 22-year-old Rohingya man said that light infantry battalion soldiers abducted him and 30 other young men and boys at gunpoint at about 11:00pm on February 25 in Buthidaung town.

'The youngest boy taken away with us was 15 years old,' he said. 'There were three recruits under 18 among us. After we were apprehended and taken to the military battalion, we saw the list of Rohingya who were going to be recruited. All the Rohingya youths in the region were included.'

Further raids took place in Maungdaw township in March. A 24-year-old Rohingya man who was abducted with about two dozen others from Ka Nyin Tan village said the officers told them, 'Protecting Maungdaw is upon you.'

An estimated 630,000 Rohingya remain in Rakhine State under a system of apartheid and persecution, including about 150,000 held in open-air detention camps.

Since the February 2021 military coup, the junta has imposed severe movement restrictions and aid blockages on the Rohingya, increasing their vulnerability to forced recruitment.

Rohingya camp management committee members said that junta authorities have been tallying 'eligible' Rohingya or compelling the committees to make lists.

Two members said when they tried to refuse, junta authorities further restricted movement in the camps and threatened mass arrests and ration cuts. 'We had no other option,' one committee member said.

At meetings in camps in Sittwe and Kyaukpyu, junta officials promised to issue all forced recruits pink citizenship cards, reserved for 'full' citizens. 'In the meetings, officers picked up their citizenship cards and told people, 'We will give you this type of ID card if you join the military service,'' a camp management committee member in Thet Kae Pyin camp said. 'People believed them.' Authorities also promised 4,800 kyat (US$2.30) a day and two sacks of rice.

About 300 Rohingya from the Sittwe camps were sent to two weeks of military training in late February. Upon completion, the military gave the forced recruits 50,000 kyats ($24) but no citizenship cards.

'When the junta broke their promise to issue citizenship cards to the first 300 Rohingya recruits, people stopped believing them and started avoiding the recruitment campaigns,' a camp management committee member said. Rohingya in the Sittwe camps said that for the second round of forced recruitment, the few hundred Rohingya were taken at gunpoint in raids.

Officials have also threatened to beat Rohingya to death if they refuse to join or to punish their families if they fled.

Many young Rohingya men have tried to escape Rakhine State or gone into hiding in the jungle to escape forced recruitment. The authorities rounded up and beat about 40 Rohingya from Kyauk Ta Lone camp when their family members ran away, according to Radio Free Asia.

On March 18, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres expressed his concern about 'reports of forcible detention and recruitment of youths, including Rohingya, and the potential impact of forced conscription on human rights and on the social fabric of communities in Myanmar.'

'The Myanmar military's forced recruitment of Rohingya men and boys is its latest exploitation of a community made vulnerable to abuse by design, over decades of oppression,' Bauchner said. 'Concerned governments should be strengthening avenues to justice to hold junta leaders accountable for their abuses, past and present.'​