[🇧🇩] Insurgencies in Myanmar. Implications for Bangladesh

[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.'​

 

[Saif]

16 more Myanmar troops enter Bangladesh

At least 16 more Myanmar Border Guard Police and army personnel have sought shelter to the Bangladesh authorities after crossing the international border last couple of days amid...

www.newagebd.net

16 more Myanmar troops enter Bangladesh
Staff Correspondent 16 April, 2024, 00:12

File photo

At least 16 more Myanmar Border Guard Police and army personnel have sought shelter to the Bangladesh authorities after crossing the international border last couple of days amid the on-going conflict between the Myanmar's military junta and ethnic Arakan Army.

Of them, two members of the Myanmar army crossed the border at Naikhyangchhari in Bandarban, while the rest of them crossed Tekhnaf in Cox's Bazar until early hours of Monday.

All of them were taken to the Border Guard Bangladesh custody in Naikhyangchhari, said Lieutenant Colonel Md Mahiuddin Ahmed, commanding officer of the Teknaf BGB

They entered through the Kharangkhali border in Teknaf, with arms and ammunition, in two phases, he said, adding that the BGB seized their weapons and took them into custody. Two came with wounds and were put under treatment.

Since March 11, at least 196 Myanmar soldiers and border force members crossed the border and sought shelter to the Bangladesh authorities.

On February 15, 330 Myanmar nationals, including 302 BGP officials and four of their family members, two army members, 18 immigration members, and four civilians, entered Bangladesh and were returned to their country later.​

 

[Saif]

In a rebel-held Myanmar town, fragile unity pushes junta to brink

Myawaddy, a critical trading post in Myanmar that rebel forces seized from the ruling junta last week, offers a glimpse of dynamics playing out across the Southeast Asian country as its vaunted military reels from battlefield losses...

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In a rebel-held Myanmar town, fragile unity pushes junta to brink
New age Desk 18 April, 2024, 23:25

Myawaddy, a critical trading post in Myanmar that rebel forces seized from the ruling junta last week, offers a glimpse of dynamics playing out across the Southeast Asian country as its vaunted military reels from battlefield losses, reports Yahoo News Canada.

At the border town's outskirts, the site of the most intense fighting, abandoned homes sat next to buildings pockmarked with bullet holes, gas stations damaged by blasts and structures flattened by airstrikes, Reuters reporters saw on a visit this week.

Rebels who fought against junta troops in Myawaddy described a demoralised military that was unwilling to hold its ground.

'We managed to seize three bases and control the area in a very short period of time,' said Saw Kaw, a commander of a rebel unit involved in the battle for Myawaddy. 'Then, they fled.'

Guards from ethnic militias until recently loyal to the military administration roamed streets in the town — normally a conduit for over $1 billion of annual border trade with nearby Thailand. Those fighters stood aside when forces led by the Karen National Union laid siege in early April.

Reuters gained rare access to rebel-held territory on Monday and interviewed seven resistance officials for this story, alongside three Thai officials with detailed knowledge of the conflict and four security analysts.

They provided insight into the delicate diplomacy between armed groups with longstanding rivalries as they seek to hold key population centres and keep the junta they want to topple on the backfoot.

The fall of Myawaddy means that Myanmar's two most important land border crossings are in resistance hands, after the rebels last year claimed control of Muse, near the Chinese border.

Rebel successes have now cut off the cash-strapped junta from almost all the country's major land borders, with the economy in free-fall and poverty doubling since 2017, according to UN data.

The Thailand-based Institute for Strategy and Policy-Myanmar think-tank said in an estimate after Myawaddy's fall that the junta has been deprived of 60 per cent of land-based customs revenue.

It leaves the junta, which has failed to repel any major rebel offensive since October, in its weakest position since its 2021 coup against Aung San Suu Kyi's elected civilian government, according to analysts.

Neighbours such as Thailand, who were previously focused on engaging the junta, have started to rethink their stance on the conflict.

Thai vice foreign minister Sihask Phuangketkeow told Reuters on Wednesday that Thai security officials have been in communication with the KNU and other groups and that they were 'open to more dialogue,' particularly on humanitarian issues.

'We don't blindly side with the Myanmar military but because we want peace we have to talk to them,' he said.

A junta spokesperson did not respond to calls from Reuters seeking comment.

Junta chief General Min Aung Hlaing has accused rebel groups of seeking to undermine Myanmar's unity through armed insurgency and his government has called resistance fighters 'terrorists.'

The Democratic Karen Buddhist Army and Karen National Army, the forces still patrolling parts of Myawaddy and its vicinity even after they abandoned the junta, did not return requests for comment. The groups have not pledged loyalty to the resistance.

At the western edge of Myawaddy, Colonel Nadah Htoo, a senior commander of Brigade 6 of the KNU's armed wing, one of Myanmar's oldest ethnic fighting forces, was thinking about next steps after leading the patchwork of resistance fighters that defeated the army in roughly a week.

Surrounded by armed guards as he chewed betel leaves and peered over his Louis Vuitton sunglasses, Nadah Htoo described on-going talks with other ethnic armed groups about fighting the junta locally. Reuters has also reported that recent coordination between rebel armies in other parts of Myanmar has taken place at an unprecedented level.

For decades, the country of 55 million has been riven by insurgencies along its borderlands, where some two dozen ethnic armed groups operate. Many of them are part of, or supporting, the resistance.

Nadah Htoo and another resistance official acknowledged the challenges of maintaining cooperation over the course of what both expect will be a difficult war against a better-armed military.

'We have to constantly coordinate so there won't be any mistake,' the colonel told Reuters. He declined to be photographed or filmed until the operation ended, citing security concerns.

In Myawaddy, Reuters observed at least three armed groups coordinating to maintain control, reflecting recent rare cooperation among rebel forces that share a common enemy in the junta but otherwise have different interests.

Most of the rebels who took Myawaddy were ethnic Karen, though they fought along some ethnic Burman members of the national resistance, said rebel commander Saw Kaw.

'The first thing (is that) we don't kill each other,' said spokesman Saw Taw Nee of tensions between his KNU and other ethnic Karen groups that were allied to the junta until this month. 'And then we start from that.'

Last October, three rebel groups, including the powerful Arakan Army, led Operation 1027, a major offensive that saw the resistance take wide swathes of military-controlled areas along the border with China.

'After 1027, we saw the AA in Arakan starting to push. When the AA eased, then we decided to push,' said KNU's Nadah Htoo, describing how different rebel groups were hitting the military with successive offensives across multiple areas.

The junta 'is fighting the war on too many fronts,' said Lalita Hanwong, an assistant professor at Thailand's Kasetsart University.

'If you look back from the beginning of Operation 1027, the towns that the resistance forces seized have never been regained.'

In the battle for Myawaddy, KNU-led forces encircled the town and pushed the local junta administration to the point of collapse before taking over, said Nadah Htoo.​

 

[Saif]

Create right conditions for Rohingya repatriation: G7

Foreign ministers from the Group of Seven (G7) countries have stressed the need to create conditions for the voluntary, safe, dignified, and sustainable return of all Rohingya refugees and displaced persons to Myanmar

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Create right conditions for Rohingya repatriation: G7

Photo: Collected

Foreign ministers from the Group of Seven (G7) countries have stressed the need to create conditions for the voluntary, safe, dignified, and sustainable return of all Rohingya refugees and displaced persons to Myanmar.

They also called for justice and accountability for atrocities committed against Rohingyas and other ethnic communities in Myanmar.

They, in a joint statement, also reiterated their call on all states to prevent or cease the flow of arms and other dual-use materials, including jet fuel, into Myanmar.

They urged the Myanmar military to immediately cease any violence, release all prisoners arbitrarily detained including the democratically elected leaders and establish an inclusive dialogue with all stakeholders to restore the path towards a meaningful and durable democratic process.

"We also reiterate our call on the Myanmar military to respect human rights and international humanitarian law, to desist from any form of forced labour and to allow prompt, safe and unhindered humanitarian access to all displaced persons and people in need," said the G7 foreign ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States of America and the High Representative of the European Union in their statement issued by the US Department of State on Friday.

They will continue to support Asean's efforts to promote a credible and inclusive process to achieve the swift implementation of the Five-Point Consensus.

"We highlight the importance of a comprehensive implementation of United Nations Security Council resolution 2669 (2022) and support the UN's further engagement in the crisis, including through the leadership of the newly appointed UN Special Envoy on Myanmar and through the designation of a Resident Coordinator in country," said the G7 countries, noting that accountability for serious crimes committed in Myanmar remains essential.

The G7 countries reiterated their strong condemnation of the military coup in Myanmar and reaffirm our support and solidarity with the people of Myanmar in their quest for peace, freedom, and democracy.

The continuing attacks by the military destroying civilian infrastructure (including homes, schools, places of worship and hospitals), the repeated and serious violations of human rights and the alarming humanitarian situation – which particularly affect those in most vulnerable situations, including children, women and members of minority religious and ethnic groups – are unacceptable.

"We also condemn the recent implementation of the 2010 conscription law by the military regime," they said.

The forced recruitment of young people can only lead to further violence and trigger a massive exodus to neighbouring countries, according to the joint statement.​

 

[Saif]

24 more Myanmar troops enter Bangladesh

At least 24 more personnel of Myanmar’s Border Guard Police crossed international borders with firearms and ammunition and sought shelter in Bangladesh amid...

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24 more Myanmar troops enter Bangladesh
Staff Correspondent 19 April, 2024, 11:44

At least 24 more personnel of Myanmar's Border Guard Police crossed international borders with firearms and ammunition and sought shelter in Bangladesh amid continued fighting between Myanmar junta forces and ethnic rebel group Arakan Army between Thursday night and Friday evening, officials said.

Border Guard Bangladesh public relations officer Shariful Islam said that a total of 285 Myanmar personnel had taken shelter in Bangladesh since March 11.

All but 13 personnel entered through land borders in Bandarban and Cox's Bazar, officials from the bordering areas said.

The 13 personnel sought assistance from the Bangladesh Coast Guard on the Naf River on Thursday night and were later taken into custody of BGB authorities.

Later on Friday evening, the BGB headquarters said 11 others sought shelters crossing the Jhimonbkhali and Hatimarajhiri borders.

Bangladesh border guard officials told New Age that they had learned that a large number of soldiers were dismantled following a clash with the Arakan Army, and small groups were trying to sneak into Bangladeshi territories to save their lives with the hope of repatriation to their homeland soon.

A senior BGB official said that they had disarmed them and taken them to safe custody, where they would be quizzed for their ranks and files in the force they belong to.

A home ministry official said they were yet to finalise the repatriation date as the Myanmar soldiers kept coming.

In early February, 330 members of Myanmar security forces, including BGP, army personnel, and immigration officials, took shelter in Bangladesh.

On February 15, they were handed over to the Border Guard Police of Myanmar amid tight security.

Thailand-based news portal The Irrawaddy reported this week that the junta was now facing its most serious threat after losing control of strategic border regions adjacent to India, China, and Bangladesh.

Beijing, meanwhile, has urged all warring parties in Myanmar to halt hostilities and begin peace talks after escalating clashes saw the military regime lose more territory, including another major border town last week.

The message came as Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian addressed inquiries on recent developments in Myanmar, including the fall of Myawaddy, at a press briefing on Tuesday.​

 

[Saif]

Myanmar army, BGP personnel will be repatriated Monday: FM

Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud has said the government has finalised plans for the second phase of repatriation of Myanmar’s Border Guard Police and army personnel who fled the conflict between junta forces and armed insurgents. “Many members of the BGP and the army have sought refuge i

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

Myanmar army, BGP personnel will be repatriated Monday: FM
Hasan Mahmud says 150 Bangladeshi citizens stranded in Myanmar will return by ship
BDNEWS24.COM
Published :
Apr 19, 2024 20:47
Updated :
Apr 19, 2024 20:47

Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud has said the government has finalised plans for the second phase of repatriation of Myanmar's Border Guard Police and army personnel who fled the conflict between junta forces and armed insurgents.

"Many members of the BGP and the army have sought refuge in Bangladesh, including some who arrived this morning," he told reporters at the foreign ministry on Friday.

"So far, a total of 285 individuals have taken shelter in our country. We are currently negotiating with them for their return. We have granted clearance for Myanmar to take them back by ship on April 22."

"However, whether they can be transported on April 22 depends on the sea and overall situation there. Myanmar has agreed to their repatriation, and they will be returned via waterways, " Hasan added.

He added that 150 Bangladeshi citizens stranded in Myanmar will return onboard ships arranged for the repatriation.

On Feb 15, the government repatriated a total of 330 individuals, including members of Myanmar's border guards and armed forces, who had fled the conflict in Rakhine State.

The group included 302 BGP personnel, four of their family members, two army men, 18 immigration officials and four civilians.​

 

[Saif]

Hundreds of Rohingyas await to enter Bangladesh

Breaking News, International News & Multimedia

thedailynewnation.com

Hundreds of Rohingyas await to enter Bangladesh
22 Apr 2024, 12:00 am
Staff Reporter :

Thousands of Rohingyas have sought refuge along the banks of the Naf River on the Myanmar side, waiting to cross into Bangladesh amidst escalating conflict between the military junta and rebel factions in the Arakan region.

Sources report that Myanmar is in turmoil due to the ongoing warfare between the junta and armed rebel groups.

According to reports, hundreds of Rohingya men, women, and children have gathered on the banks of the Naf River near Teknaf, attempting to enter Bangladesh.

In response, law enforcement authorities are taking stringent measures to prevent Rohingya infiltration into Bangladesh.

Law enforcement is maintaining a vigilant watch both day and night to ensure tight security.

Despite these efforts, locals claim that several Rohingyas have managed to clandestinely enter Bangladesh.

It's estimated that around 2,000 Rohingyas are seeking to enter Bangladesh, hiding in various areas along the border.

Additionally, there have been instances of pushback after the detention of some Rohingyas arriving by boat. This situation has persisted along the border for several days.

Sources said several thousand Rohingyas have come and taken shelter in different places on Shahporir Island since April 11, (the night of Eid).

They took shelter with their relatives in Rohingya camps. However, BGB claims that they are not aware of any Rohingya infiltration.

Meanwhile, pushbacked Rohingya claims, this time, along with the Myanmar army, the Arakan Army (AA), the armed forces of the Mugads, have attacked the Muslim minority in Rakhine. They are trying to move away as the conflict escalates.

The Bangladesh Coast Guard held a Rohingya-laden boat carrying 26 people while infiltrating along the Golapara Jhowban near the Naf River on Shahparir Island on Tuesday.

A Coast Guard official confirmed this information and said that the Rohingyas who infiltrated will be pushed back after verification.

According to Rohingya sources, several thousand Rohingyas are currently hiding in Mandipara Char across the Naf River, trying to enter Bangladesh through Shahparir Island. Sensing the opportunity, they are waiting to infiltrate.

Locals said there was a movement of suspects in the Jhowbagan and Kachubaniya remote fields of Teknaf Shahparir Island. Local people usually avoid going there because of the remoteness and poor communication system.

BGB members are not easily seen patrolling there. Rohingyas are trying to enter Bangladesh by choosing this difficult route.

Meanwhile, local people said that some Rohingyas have entered by getting help from four brokers on Shahparir Island. They alleged that the brokers take Tk 20,000 to 25,000 per person.

Most of the fleeing Rohingyas are residents of Buthedong village in Rakhine. Several of them are from some villages in Mangdu.​

 

[Saif]

JS body fears Myanmar border situation may deteriorate

The ongoing tense situation in Myanmar, bordering Bangladesh’s Bandarban and Cox’s Bazar, is likely to worsen next month, and as a result, more Rohingya people and...

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JS body fears Myanmar border situation may deteriorate
Staff Correspondent 28 April, 2024, 23:53

The ongoing tense situation in Myanmar, bordering Bangladesh's Bandarban and Cox's Bazar, is likely to worsen next month, and as a result, more Rohingya people and Myanmar nationals could attempt to infiltrate into Bangladesh, the Jatiya Sangsad standing committee on home ministry observed.

Such apprehension was expressed in a report placed in the meeting of the committee held in the parliament building on Sunday.

The report presented on the Bangladesh-Myanmar border situation said that by May 2024, the conflict situation in the region bordering Teknaf was likely to deteriorate further, several JS officials confirmed New Age.

'This could lead to increased attempts by the Rohingya people and members of Myanmar Border Police to enter Bangladesh,' the report stated.

The report highlighted the risks faced by Bangladesh due to the worsening situation along the Myanmar border.

The risks include influx of Myanmar nationals, including Rohingya, security threat along the unprotected land and marine borders of Bangladesh and Myanmar, smuggling of Rohingya rations, drug trading, subversive activities by terrorist groups, and the smuggling of firearms.

The report said that the Arakan Army could try to destabilise the Chittagong Hill Tracts area by taking advantage of its affinity with local ethnic communities.

According to meeting insiders, in the previous meeting of the committee, the senior secretary of the public security department of the home ministry mentioned that effective action was not taken against the culprits after the Bayley Road fire.

Referring to the Bayley Road fire incident, he said that often a crackdown starts after an incident before everything becomes business as usual within a short time.

According to the press release of the Parliament Secretariat, the committee has recommended action against juvenile gangs in addition to urging everyone to come forward to eliminate drugs.

In the meeting, the committee recommended that all forces under the home ministry should be more aware and vigilant in maintaining law and order.

Committee members and home minister Asaduzzaman Khan, Shamsul Alam Dudu, Samil Uddin Ahmed Shimul, Moyj Uddin Sharif, Sanowar Hossain, Chayan Islam, Md Saddam Hossain,

and Hasina Bari Chowdhury attended the meeting presided over by committee chairman Benjir Ahmed.​

 

[Saif]

Three Bangladeshis injured in mine explosions along Myanmar border in Bandarban

Three Bangladeshis have been injured in two separate incidents of landmine explosions at Naikhongchhari in Bandarban along the Myanmar border. Two people were injured in the first blast near border pillar No. 47 in the Fultali area on Saturday night and the second explosion in the same area injure

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

Three Bangladeshis injured in mine explosions along Myanmar border in Bandarban
Published :
May 05, 2024 20:30
Updated :
May 05, 2024 20:30

Three Bangladeshis have been injured in two separate incidents of landmine explosions at Naikhongchhari in Bandarban along the Myanmar border.

Two people were injured in the first blast near border pillar No. 47 in the Fultali area on Saturday night and the second explosion in the same area injured a third person on Sunday morning, said Nurul Absar Emon, chairman of Naikhongchhari Sadar Union Council.

All of them crossed the border into Myanmar illegally to bring cattle, Absar said.

The injured are Md Rafique from Ramu in Cox's Bazar, Mohammad Abdullah of Garjania, and Rashid Ahmed of Kachchhapia, reports bdnews24.com.

One of the explosions caused the dismemberment of Abdullah's both legs. He was sent to Chattogram Medical College Hospital in a critical condition.

The two others were transferred to Cox's Bazar District Hospital.

Md Ashikur Rahman, resident medical officer of the district hospital, said one of the injured was brought in a critical condition on Saturday night and the other on Sunday morning.

Saber Ahmed, member of Naikhongchhari Sadar Union, said Border Guard Bangladesh strengthened security along the border.

Bangladeshis experienced casualties in mine blasts along the Myanmar border several times in the recent years amid intense fighting between the Myanmar military and rebels in the Rahine state.​

 

[Saif]

Myanmar armed group captures hundreds of junta personnel

A Myanmar ethnic armed group said on Monday it had captured a military command and taken hundreds of junta personnel prisoner in...

www.newagebd.net

Myanmar armed group captures hundreds of junta personnel
Agence France-Presse . Bangkok 07 May, 2024, 00:36

A Myanmar ethnic armed group said on Monday it had captured a military command and taken hundreds of junta personnel prisoner in western Rakhine state, the latest blow to the military.

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

The military still holds the state capital Sittwe but AA fighters have seized territory in surrounding districts, including bases on the border with India and Bangladesh.

A video released by the AA's media channel said the group had captured 'Military Operations Command 15' near the town of Buthidaung, around 90 kilometres north of Sittwe.

The video did not say when its fighters had captured the site but local media have reported regular clashes around Buthidaung in recent days.

'The video record of the deputy commander of MOC 15 after a certain period of siege,' read a message published in Burmese, Chinese and English.

After a 'final assault' the junta troops had 'faced total defeat and surrendered,' it said.

Images showed a long line of men, some wearing what appeared to be military uniforms, walking single file through a field.

Some were in shorts and T-shirts and sandals while others were not wearing any footwear. Some shots showed women and children accompanying the men.

One man with a bandage around his knee was limping and some were being carried in makeshift stretchers.

The video also showed around 200 people sitting in rows in a clearing and men in uniform and guns watching over them.

AFP has attempted to contact a junta spokesman for comment.

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.

The AA claims to be fighting for more autonomy for the state's ethnic Rakhine population.

In 2019 clashes between the AA and the military roiled the region and displaced around 2,00,000 people.

In 2017 the military launched a crackdown on the Rohingya minority there that is now the subject of a United Nations genocide court case.

Since the November outbreak, fighting had spread to 15 of Rakhine state's 17 townships, the UN's human rights chief said last month.

Hundreds have been killed or wounded and more than 3,00,000 displaced, it said.​