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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...
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
PM calls upon UNDP to raise more funds for Rohingya
UNBPublished :
Mar 18, 2024 22:37Updated :
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.
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
Myanmar conflict visibly exposes Rohingyas to fresh persecution: Report
BSSPublished :
Mar 20, 2024 20:08Updated :
Mar 20, 2024 20:08The 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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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...
www.newagebd.net
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.
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.
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.
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."
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."
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.
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.
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.....
www.newagebd.net
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.'
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.'
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