Media Release From Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK
Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK today welcomed the visit to Bangladesh by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, which comes at a critical time with multiple crises impacting Rohingya in Burma and in Bangladesh.
“Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh will be brought to the brink of starvation because of ration cuts, while in Burma they face ongoing genocide and a famine,” said Tun Khin, President of Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK. “Guterres must secure a humanitarian aid corridor, pressure donors to increase funding for refugees, and pressure the Arakan Army to end all human rights violations against Rohingya.”
Guterres’s three challenges:
Famine In Rakhine State
Last year the United Nations Development Programme warned of famine in Rakhine State, Burma, which borders Bangladesh. Rakhine State is where most of the Rohingya still living in Burma live. Almost all of the state has been taken over by the Arakan Army. The Burmese military has responded by blocking trade and imposing even more severe restrictions on humanitarian aid into the state. This not only means that more than half a million people displaced by conflict and attacks are unable to access aid, but also prevents farmers from accessing seeds and equipment to grow crops, and businesses unable to operate. 2 million people are at risk of starvation.
The only sustainable solution is for an emergency humanitarian aid corridor between Bangladesh and Rakhine State, into areas under the control of the Arakan Army. The government of Bangladesh must also allow cross border trade, enabling farmers to grow crops, and businesses to buy and sell goods.
Ongoing genocide
Rohingya in Burma now have two oppressors, the Burmese military and the Arakan Army. Both pursue genocidal anti-Rohingya policies ranging from the denial of our identity to killings, mass forced displacement, and a range of policies denying us equal rights.
The Arakan Army are now the administrators of most of the areas where Rohingya people live. Strong international pressure is needed on the Arakan Army to force them to end violations of international law against Rohingya. While the international community talks of creating conditions for safe voluntary return of Rohingya to Burma, the Arakan Army are creating more refugees and displacement. The UN Secretary General must mobilise concerted international pressure on the Arakan Army to abide by international law, end all attacks and discrimination against Rohingya to begin a process of enabling Rohingya to return to their original areas in Rakhine State.
Ration Cuts Will Bring Slow Death to Refugees in Bangladesh
With the previous government of Bangladesh imposing harsh restrictions on the support Rohingya refugees can receive in camps in Bangladesh, conditions were already unbearable and unsafe. Refugees are surrounded by barbed wire fences, not allowed to travel or work, or even have basic livelihood programmes in the camps, leaving them totally dependent on aid. They are not allowed to build safe homes with water, sanitation or power, children are not allowed full access to education, and aid agencies face severe limitations on what they can do, due to both government restrictions and lack of funding.
Now savage cuts in rations to just $6 a month per refugee, equivalent to 15p a day, will make survival in the camps practically impossible. Malnutrition will increase, disease and death will increase. More than half the refugees are children.
The UN Secretary General must use his visit to the refugee camps to highlight the crisis in the camps and to mobilise donors to increase support. If the cuts in rations are, as suspected, largely due to cuts in US aid, then he must publicly call them out on this.
The government of Bangladesh must lift restrictions on aid in the camps, allow people to work, and children to access full education. Action must be taken against criminal gangs terrorising people in the camps.
“This visit by Antonio Guterres is a moment of hope for Rohingya,” said Tun Khin. “We must see breakthrough on aid to Rakhine State, aid to refugees in Bangladesh and action to end ongoing genocide of Rohingya in Burma.”
For media inquiries, please contact: Tun Khin, President of BROUK at +44 788 871 4866