Myanmar
Here’s how many Myanmar border guards are taking shelter in Bangladesh, according to BGB
Seven more members of Myanmar's Border Guard Police (BGP) have fled to Bangladesh amid clashes between the Myanmar military and the armed rebel group, Arakan Army.
With them, the number of BGP personnel who took shelter in Bangladesh so far stands at 113.
Shariful Islam, public relations officer (PRO) of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), said that 113 BGP members have so far entered Bangladesh through Tumbru border in Naikhangchhari upazila of Bandarban district with arms and ammunition, due to the ongoing clashes inside Myanmar.
The BGB disarmed them and took them to a safe shelter, he said.
The BGB PRO said members of the BGP started taking shelter in Bangladesh since Sunday (February 04, 2024) morning.
Read more: 2 killed in 'shelling' in Bandarban's Ghumdhum
The Arakan Army is the well-trained and well-armed military wing of the Rakhine ethnic minority movement, which seeks autonomy from Myanmar’s central government.
It is a member of the armed ethnic group alliance that recently gained strategic territory in Myanmar’s northeast. Along with the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army and the Ta’ang National Liberation Army — operating together under the name of the Three Brotherhood Alliance — it launched a coordinated offensive on October 27, 2023 in northern Shan state along the border with China.
That offensive has posed the greatest battlefield challenge to Myanmar’s military rulers since the army seized power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021. The alliance says it has seized more than 250 military outposts, five official border crossings and a major city near the Chinese border, along with several important towns, according to an AP report.
Rakhine is where a brutal army counterinsurgency operation in 2017 drove about 740,000 members of the Muslim Rohingya minority to seek safety across the border in Bangladesh. Rakhine is also known by its older name of Arakan.
Read more: What Foreign Minister said on Myanmar’s BGP men taking shelter in Bangladesh
What the US Embassy said on situation in Myanmar
The United States is closely monitoring the situation in Myanmar, noting that like others, they are very concerned over the growing tensions amid ongoing conflict, an official at the US Embassy in Dhaka said on Monday (February 05, 2024).
“We are following it very closely. Obviously, we are very concerned, as the world is concerned. We are also monitoring the situation very very closely,” said Stephen F Ibelli, spokesperson of the US Embassy in Dhaka.
He made the remarks while responding to a question on the sideline of the opening of the first ever TechCamp in Bangladesh to empower young journalists.
Responding to a question, he said they are looking to work with Bangladesh in key areas like economy and climate change.
Read more: What Foreign Minister said on Myanmar’s BGP men taking shelter in Bangladesh
He said the United States is the number one foreign direct investor in Bangladesh and the number one location for goods and services exported from Bangladesh.
“I think that is very indicative of the interest of the United States and that is also indicative of the fact that we try to partner in the areas in which we have mutual interest,” he added.
Asked if the US would withdraw the sanctions imposed on RAB in 2021 and review the visa policy announced in May last year, Stephen said he has no information in this regard, but that after the sanctions, the number of extrajudicial killings declined.
On the three-day TechCamp being hosted by the US Embassy in Dhaka, he said it aimed to empower 50 aspiring journalists to fact check, learn best practices on artificial intelligence, and combat misinformation.
Stephen Ibelli said, “Every day, we are exposed to so much information that we can barely keep track of. Oftentimes, we mix rumors with facts and truths. It is really easy to become confused. To deal with this challenge, we need to equip ourselves with critical thinking and the correct tools to identify.”
Those participating in the workshop can later compete with their ideas on fact-checking, and the best ideas will be supported by the US embassy.
Organized by the Educational and Cultural Affairs Bureau (ECA) at the US Department of State, in partnership with the Global Youth Leadership Center (GYLC) Inc., TechCamp fosters technological innovation and empowers future leaders to address real-world challenges through pragmatic solutions.
Read more: Here’s how many Myanmar border guards are taking shelter in Bangladesh, according to BGB
What Foreign Minister said on Myanmar’s BGP men taking shelter in Bangladesh
Myanmar has reached out to Bangladesh to take back members of Border Guard Police (BGP) who entered Bangladesh territory to save themselves amid conflicts there with the Arakan Army.
"We are in constant communication. They want to take back their BGP members. The Myanmar government is communicating with Bangladesh as they (BGP members) want to go back. There is communication from both ends," Foreign Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud told reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday.
Thirty-seven more members of Myanmar’s border police have taken shelter in Bangladesh border amid a conflict between the Myanmar military and the armed rebel group, the Arakan Army, in Myanmar’s Rakhine state.
With this, the total number of BGP personnel who took shelter in Bangladesh stood at 95 till this morning (February 5, 2024), said Shariful Islam, public relations officer at Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) Headquarters.
Number of Myanmar border guards who fled to Bangladesh stands at 103: BGB
The Foreign Minister said Myanmar Ambassador to Bangladesh and Myanmar Deputy Foreign Minister have communicated in this regard and Myanmar conveyed that they would take back the BGP members.
“How they will be taken back – by air or by road – is now being discussed. You know that the members of Myanmar security forces also entered Indian territory earlier, but they were sent back by air. We will also send them back,” Hasan said.
Responding to a question, the foreign minister said that the border is secure.
‘WE WELCOME BIDEN’S LETTER’
The foreign minister also said that Bangladesh has welcomed the letter written by US President Joe Biden and thinks that any question that was there has been cleared by this letter.
“We welcome the letter written by President Biden. We already have very good relations with the US. Through this letter, our partnership will further advance,” Hasan told reporters.
There is no more “discomfort” in the Bangladesh-US relations, Hasan said.
US President Joe Biden has written to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina expressing his willingness to work together to achieve Bangladesh’s economic goal.
He also expressed willingness to partner with Bangladesh on their shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific.
"The United States is committed to supporting Bangladesh's ambitious economic goals and partnering with Bangladesh on our shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific," President Biden said in his letter.
As the two countries embark on the next chapter of the US-Bangladesh partnership, the US President said he wants to convey the sincere desire of his administration to continue their work together on regional and global security, economic development, climate change and energy, global health, humanitarian support, especially for Rohingya refugees, and more.
"We have a long and successful history of working together to solve problems, and our strong people-to-people ties are the foundation of this relationship," the US President wrote to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
TALKS WITH THAI, LIBYAN AMBASSADORS
During the maiden courtesy meeting with Foreign Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Thai Ambassador to Bangladesh Makawadee Sumitmor congratulated the Bangladesh Foreign Minister on behalf of the Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara.
Reflecting on the excellent Bangladesh-Thai relations, they discussed issues to deepen ties, such as possible high level visits, trade and investment, possible free trade agreement (FTA) and existing tax regime, port connectivity, enhanced frequency of flights and energy cooperation.
Ambassador of Libya to Bangladesh Abdulmutalib S Suliman also met Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud.
The Foreign Minister said Bangladesh will stand beside Libya in its rebuilding efforts.
They discussed working facilities for doctors, nurses, engineers and other skilled workforces.
Read more: 37 more Nasaka personnel take shelter in Bangladesh; total number now 95
2 killed in 'shelling' in Bandarban's Ghumdhum
Two people, including a woman, were killed in reported shelling on a house at Jolpaitoli under Ghumdum union of Naikhongchhari upazila in Bandarban district on Monday (February 05, 2024).
One of the deceased was identified as Hosne Ara, 50, wife of Badsha Mia while the identity of the other could not be known immediately.
Myanmar violence spillovers: 7 Educational Institutions shut in Bandarban
Shafiqul Islam, Jolpaitoli Ward 1 member, said the explosion occurred around 2:30 pm inside Bangladesh and two people were found dead after the explosion.
ASP (Lama circle, Bandarban district) Md Nurul Anwar said he heard about the deaths of two people but they are yet to identify them.
37 more Nasaka personnel take shelter in Bangladesh; total number now 95
37 more Nasaka personnel take shelter in Bangladesh; total number now 95
Thirty-seven more members of Myanmar Border Guard Police (BGP) aka Nasaka have taken shelter in Bangladesh border amid a conflict between the Myanmar military and the armed rebel group, the Arakan Army, in Myanmar's Rakhine state.
With this, the total number of Nasaka members who took shelter in Bangladesh stood at 95 till this morning (February 5, 2024), said Shariful Islam, public relations officer at Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) Headquarters.
The BGB disarmed the Nasaka members and took them to a safe shelter, he said, adding that a process was underway to take action in this connection.
Read more: No more stray mortal shells from Myanmar to land in Bangladesh, hopes FM
Earlier on Sunday, 58 BGP members took shelter along the border, the BGB officer said.
UNB Cox’s Bazar correspondent reported that two Bangladeshis sustained bullet injuries during firing between Myanmar army and armed groups in Tumbru area along Ghumdhum border in Naikhongchhari upazila of Bandarban on Sunday morning.
Locals said there has been a fierce conflict between the country's army and armed groups inside Myanmar over the past few days.
High-powered ammunition and explosives have been used and people in the border area of Ghumdhum have become tensed.
Read more: Out of options, Rohingya fleeing Myanmar and Bangladesh by boat despite soaring death toll
Out of options, Rohingya fleeing Myanmar and Bangladesh by boat despite soaring death toll
Across a treacherous stretch of water, the Rohingya came by the thousands, then died by the hundreds. And though they know the dangers of fleeing by boat, many among this persecuted people say they will not stop — because the world has left them with no other choice.
Last year, nearly 4,500 Rohingya — two-thirds of them women and children — fled their homeland of Myanmar and the refugee camps in neighboring Bangladesh by boat, the United Nations’ refugee agency reported. Of those, 569 died or went missing while crossing the Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea, the highest death toll since 2014.
The numbers mean one out of every eight Rohingya who attempted the crossing never made it, the UNHCR said last week.
Yet despite the risks, there are no signs the stream of Rohingya is ebbing. On Thursday, Indonesian officials said another boat carrying Rohingya refugees landed in the country’s northern province of Aceh.
Not a good time for Rohingya repatriation, UN Resident Coordinator says
Fishermen provided food and water to 131 Rohingya, mostly women and children, who had been on board, said Marzuki, the leader of the local tribal fishing community, who like many Indonesians goes by one name.
Some passengers told officials they had been at sea since last month and their boat's engine had broken down, leaving them adrift, said Lt. Col. Andi Susanto, commander of the navy base in Lhokseumawe.
“Southeast Asian waters are one of the deadliest stretches in the world and a graveyard for many Rohingya who have lost their lives,” says Babar Baloch, UNHCR’s spokesman for Asia and the Pacific. “The rate of Rohingya who are dying at sea without being rescued — that’s really alarming and worrying.”
Inside the squalid refugee camps in Bangladesh, where more than 750,000 ethnic Rohingya Muslims fled in 2017 following sweeping attacks by Myanmar’s military, the situation has grown increasingly desperate. Not even the threat of death at sea is enough to stop many from trying to traverse the region’s waters in a bid to reach Indonesia or Malaysia.
“We need to choose the risky journey by boat because the international community has failed their responsibility,” says Mohammed Ayub, who is saving up money for a spot on one of the rickety wooden fishing boats traffickers use to ferry passengers 1,800 kilometers (1,100 miles) from Bangladesh to Indonesia.
Global indifference toward the Rohingya crisis has left those languishing in the overcrowded camps with few alternatives to fleeing. Because Bangladesh bans the Rohingya from working, their survival is dependent upon food rations, which were slashed last year due to a drop in global donations.
Returning safely to Myanmar is virtually impossible for the Rohingya, because the military that attacked them overthrew Myanmar’s democratically elected government in 2021. And no country is offering the Rohingya any large-scale resettlement opportunities.
Meanwhile, a surge in killings, kidnappings and arson attacks by militant groups in the camps has left residents fearing for their lives. And so, starving, scared and out of options, they continue to board the boats.
Ayub has lived in a sweltering, cramped shelter for more than six years in a camp where security and sanitation are scarce, and hope even scarcer. There is no formal schooling for his children, no way for him to earn money, no prospects for returning to his homeland and no refuge for his family amid spiraling gang violence.
World must find an end to Rohingya crisis for their return to Myanmar: PM Hasina tells UK MPs
“Of course I understand how dangerous the boat journey by sea is,” Ayub says. “We could die during the journey by boat. But it depends on our fate. ... It’s better to choose the dangerous way even if it’s risky, because we are afraid to stay in the camps.”
Two hundred of the people who died or went missing at sea last year were aboard one boat that left Bangladesh in November. Eyewitnesses on a nearby boat told The Associated Press that the missing vessel, which was crowded with babies, children and mothers, broke down and was taking on water before it drifted off during a storm as its passengers screamed for help. It has not been seen since.
It was one of several distressed boats that the region’s coastal countries neglected to save, despite the UNHCR’s requests for those countries to launch search and rescue missions.
“When no action is taken, lives are lost,” says UNHCR’s Baloch. “If there is no hope restored in Rohingya lives either in Myanmar or in Bangladesh, there are no rescue attempts, (then) sadly we could see more desperate people dying in Southeast Asian seas under the watch of coastal authorities who could act to save lives.”
Six of Mohammed Taher’s family members were aboard the boat that vanished in November, including his 15-year-old brother, Mohammed Amin, and two of Taher’s nephews, aged 3 and 4. Their ultimate destination was Malaysia, a Muslim-majority country where many Rohingya seek relative safety.
Taher and his parents now struggle to sleep or eat, and spend their days agonizing over what became of their loved ones. Taher’s mother saw a fortune teller who said her relatives were still alive. Taher, meanwhile, dreamed that the boat made it to shore, where his relatives took refuge in a school and were able to bathe in warm water. But he remains unconvinced their journey ended so happily.
And so he has vowed to tell everyone to stay off the boats, no matter how unbearable life on land has become.
“I will never leave by boat on this difficult journey,” Taher says. “All the people who reached their destination are saying that it’s horrific traveling by boat.”
Yet such warnings are often futile. Ayub is now preparing to sell his daughter’s jewelry to help pay for his spot on a boat. While he is frightened by the stories of those who didn’t make it, he is motivated by the stories of those who did.
“Nobody would consider taking a risk by boat on a dangerous journey if they had better opportunities,” he says. “Fortunately, some people did reach their destination and got a better life. I am staying positive that Allah will save us.”
FM hopeful of Rohingya repatriation soon
No more stray mortal shells from Myanmar to land in Bangladesh, hopes FM
Foreign Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud on Monday hoped that there would be no further mortal shells from Myanmar landing inside Bangladesh territory amid conflicts inside Myanmar.
“There are conflicts in Myanmar. Amid those ongoing conflicts, mortal shells fell on Bangladesh territory from Myanmar. Our forces along the border remain alert,” he told reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs while responding to a question.
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The foreign minister said the government of Bangladesh remains in touch with the Myanmar authority and hoped that it would not happen again. “We remain alert.”
Media reported quoting the local sources that gunshots between the two conflicting groups were heard from Ukhiya and Teknaf border areas in Cox’s Bazar on Sunday.
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On Sunday, the foreign minister said, “Situation in Myanmar has never been good. It always fluctuates – sometimes good, sometimes bad. Myanmar is going through such a situation.”
He, however, said this current situation is an adverse one for the repatriation of the Rohingyas to their place of origin in Rakhine.
Talking to reporters, UN Resident Coordinator in Dhaka Gwyn Lewis said the security situation inside Myanmar is very difficult at the moment and it is not a good time for Rohingya repatriation.
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The UNRC said repatriation is a priority for Bangladesh, and Rohingyas as well as Bangladesh have agreed on their safe and dignified return to Myanmar.
“We will continue to work in that direction,” she said, noting that there is a shortage of financing for the basic services that the Rohingyas need.
Myanmar says overwhelming support for AL reflects people’s trust in PM Hasina, her leadership
Congratulating Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Myanmar has said the overwhelming support for the Awami League clearly reflects the trust reposed by the people of Bangladesh in PM Hasina and the strong approval of her leadership over the past decade.
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“I look forward to continue working closely with you and the Government of Bangladesh to further strengthen the existing friendly ties and deepen bilateral cooperation for the mutual interests and advancement of livelihoods of our two peoples in the coming years,” said Chairman of the State Administration Council and Prime Minister of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing.
Canada-Bangladesh Parliamentary Friendship Group congratulates PM Hasina on election victory
On behalf of the people and the government of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar and on his own behalf, the Myanmar Senior General extended warmest congratulations to PM Hasina on the sweeping victory of the Awami League in the recent general election.
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In his message to PM Hasina, he also wished for her well-being, personal happiness as well as for all success in her future endeavours.
Students in Indonesia protest the growing numbers of Rohingya refugees in Aceh province
Students in Indonesia's Aceh province rallied on Wednesday (December 27, 2023), demanding the government drive away Rohingya refugees who have been arriving by sea in growing numbers. The protest came as police named more suspects in human trafficking of refugees.
Over 1,500 Rohingya — who fled violent attacks in Myanmar to subsequently leave overcrowded refugee camps in neighboring Bangladesh in search of a better life elsewhere — have arrived in Aceh, on the tip of the island of Sumatra, since November. They have faced some hostility from fellow Muslims in Aceh.
About 200 students protested in front of the provincial parliament in Banda Aceh, the capital of Aceh, calling on lawmakers to turn away the Rohingyas, saying their presence would bring social and economic upheaval to the community.
"Get out Rohingya," the protesters chanted. Many criticized the government and the U.N. refugee agency for failing to manage the refugee arrivals. Some protesters burned tires on the street.
"We urged the parliament speaker to immediately take a firm action to remove all Rohingya refugees from Aceh," said Teuku Wariza, one of the protest organizers.
The protesters marched to a local community hall in Banda Aceh, where about 137 Rohingya are taking shelter. The demonstrators threw out clothes and household items belonging to the refugees, forcing authorities to relocate them to another shelter.
Also read: Hundreds of residents on Indonesian island protest the growing arrival of Rohingya refugees by sea
Footages obtained by The Associated Press shows a large group of refugees, mostly women and children, crying and screaming as a mob, wearing university green jackets, is seen breaking through a police cordon and forcibly putting the Rohingya on the back of two trucks.
The incident drew an outcry from human rights group and the UNHCR, which said the attack left the refugees shocked and traumatized.
"UNHCR reminds everyone that desperate refugee children, women and men seeking shelter in Indonesia are victims of persecution and conflict, and are survivors of deadly sea journeys," the agency said in a statement released late Wednesday.
The statement called on local authorities to urgently act to protect the refugees and humanitarian workers.
Indonesia had once tolerated the refugees while Thailand and Malaysia pushed them away. But the growing hostility of some Indonesians toward the Rohingya has put pressure on President Joko Widodo's government to take action.
Also read: US finds Rohingya situation a priority, pledges to increase number of resettled refugees from Bangladesh in 2024
Widodo earlier this month said the government suspected a surge in human trafficking for the increase in Rohingya arrivals.
Also Wednesday, police in Banda Aceh named two more suspected human smugglers from Bangladesh and Myanmar, following the Dec. 10 arrival of another boat with refugees. One of the suspects, the boat's captain, himself a refugee, was charged with trafficking.
"This is not an easy issue, this is an issue with enormous challenges," Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi told reporters.
About 740,000 Rohingya were resettled in Bangladesh after fleeing their homes in Myanmar to escape a brutal counterinsurgency campaign carried out in 2017 by security forces. Accusations of mass rape, murder and the burning of entire villages are well documented, and international courts are considering whether Myanmar authorities committed genocide and other grave human rights abuses.
Efforts to repatriate the Rohingya have failed because of doubts their safety can be assured. The Rohingya are largely denied citizenship rights in Buddhist-majority Myanmar and face widespread social discrimination.
Also read: Holy See to Bangladesh urged to encourage Myanmar for sustainable Rohingyas repatriation
Holy See to Bangladesh urged to encourage Myanmar for sustainable Rohingyas repatriation
Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen on Thursday urged Apostolic Nuncio of the Holy See to Bangladesh Archbishop Kevin S. Randall to encourage Myanmar authorities to create a conducive environment for the sustainable repatriation of the Rohingyas.
He said this while Apostolic Nuncio of the Holy See to Bangladesh Archbishop Kevin S. Randall met Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
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The foreign secretary congratulated His Excellency Archbishop Kevin S. Randall on his assumption of responsibilities as the Apostolic Nuncio of the Holy See to Bangladesh and assured him full support in discharging his responsibilities.
He also highlighted Bangladesh’s glorious history of religious harmony and age-old tradition of peaceful coexistence of the people of different religions.
He commended the significant role played by the Christian community in Bangladesh through their noticeable involvement in promoting education and social services.
Bangladesh remains extra vigilant about Myanmar violence: MoFA spokesperson
The Apostolic Nuncio appreciated religious harmony in Bangladesh and expressed satisfaction at the constitutional guarantee to freedom of religion.
Momen also commended the Holy See’s constructive role in promoting global peace and harmony and hoped that the Holy See would apply its high moral standing to impress people across the globe to respect the sacred values and religious symbols of all religions.
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He deeply appreciated His Holiness Pope Francis’ personal commitment to the cause of over 1.2 million forcibly displaced Rohingyas, who fled atrocities in their homeland in Myanmar, and briefed the Apostolic Nuncio about the Rohingyas in Bangladesh and the need for their safe, voluntary and dignified return to their homeland Myanmar at an early date.