Myanmar’s delegation visits Rohingya camps in Cox’z Bazar

A 10-member Myanmar delegation team visited registered and unregistered Rohingya camps at Kutupalong in Ukhia upazila under Cox’s Bazar district.

The delegation comprises five-member investigation team and other officials of the government. They are Tayong, Tui Thet, Tun Mayart, Niyat Soya, Thet Thet Jhin and Nian Nai Man.

The team along with NGO activists on Sunday visited the area and talked with a number of Rohingya Muslims, who fled Rakhine State of Myanmar after allegedly being persecuted by Military forces and the Buddhists.

The recent crackdown on Rohingyas was carried out in October in last year, which forced 70 thousand people to take shelter in Bangladesh, according to a report by the United Nations.

Representatives of UN, ambassadors and high commissioners of different countries including USA and Kofi Annan commission, which was formed to investigate the alleged genocide, visited Rohingya camps and talked with the most persecuted people in the world.

Myanmar government, which denied acknowledgement of Ronhigyas as the citizens, sent a delegation led by Jong Mint Pay for the first time after Annan commission.

Local administration of Bangladesh government accompanied them to visit camps, said the district administration sources.

The delegation team met deputy commissioner of the district Md. Ali Hossain at 11:00 am and reached Kutupalong camp in Ukhia at 3:00 pm on Sunday.

They talked with Kutupalong Rohingy camps resident Abul Kalam, Nur Kamal, Abu Shama, Rahima Khatun and several more ones.

While talking with the members of the delegation, the Rohingyas expressed their willingness to go back to their own country, if the government gives citizenship and homes back, and ensures security for them.

They also handed over a list of Rohingyas, who came here recently after being persecuted, to the delegation, Kutupalong camp source said.

The delegation team also will visit new Rohingya camp at Balokhali in Ukhia, Leda-Nayapara camp and Muchuni camp in Teknaf on Monday.

Cox’s Bazar Deputy Commissioner Md. Ali Hossain said, “The delegation team agreed that Rohinyas had fled Myanmar to Bangladesh.”

Myanamar military forces carried out crackdown on Rohingyas after 12 personnel of the country’s border forces were killed at security outposts. They suspected that the attack was carried out by insurgent groups of Rohingyas.

Many civilian people including women and children were killed by the military forces, alleged the Rohingyas.

They raped women, burnt their children, husbands and houses in front of them and carried out ethnic cleansing activities, alleged the people who came to Bangladesh.

Though Myanmar government denied the allegations, they don’t allow any mass media to enter into the area.

Many international organizations said the act of military was act of ethnic cleansing.

(The article originally published in Bangla edition of Jagonews24.com is written in English by Zahidul Islam)