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AMNESTY INTL'S SEPT-1997 REPORT ON



/* Posted 20 Sep 6:00am 1997 by drunoo@xxxxxxxxxxxx in igc:reg.burma */
/* ---------------" AI: Rohingyas - Search for safety "---------------- */

Following is the summary of September-1997 report by Amnesty International
on the situation of Rohingyas. This report may be available at your city's
Amnesty International offices in Australia. -- Regards, U Ne Oo.
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AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
MYANMAR/BANGLADESH: ROHINGYAS - THE SEARCH FOR SAFETY

SEPTEMBER 1997, SUMMARY OF REPORT
AI INDEX: ASA 13/07/97

Thousands of Burmese Muslims from the Rakhine (Arakan) State in Myanmar,
known as Rohingyas, have fled into southeastern Bangladesh during the first
half of 1997. Unlike more than 250,000 Rohingya refugees who came to
Bangladesh in 1991 and 1992, these new arrivals are largely living in local
villages rather than in designated refugee camps. The Government of
Bangladesh has not permitted the United Nations High Commissioner for
Refugees (UNHCR) to interview these people, asserting that they are all
economic migrants. Amnesty International is aware of reports that some of
the new arrivals have stated that they have left Myanmar solely because of
economic hardship. However, it is concerned that others are in fact people
fleeing serious human rights violations in Myanmar, and therefore would be
in need of protection. Indeed, it should be noted that the distinction
between economic hardship and violations of civil and political rights is
not necessarily a clear one; for example, many of the Rohingyas have been
unable to make a living due to continuing unpaid forced labour in Rakhine
state. Given the grave human rights situation in Myanmar, it is impossible
to state in a blanket fashion that Rohingyas are only fleeing economic
hardship and therefore are not worthy of protection.

Rohingya refugees who arrived in Bangladesh in 1991 and 1992 fled massive
human rights violations in the Rakhine State, including extrajudicial
executions, torture, forced labour and portering. The range and extent of
these abuses constituted widespread repression of the Rohingyas by the
Burmese security forces, resulting in unprecedented numbers of refugees
fleeing the country. Although the human rights situation in the Rakhine
State has marginally improved, forced labour, portering andforcible
relocations under harsh conditions continue to be reported. Such practices
are common throughout Myanmar, but members of ethnic minorities such as the
Rohingyas are particularly vulnerable. Amnesty International has received
reliable reports from eye-witnesses who have recently observed forced
labour of civilians in the Rakhine State. According to witnesses Rohingyas
and other ethnic minorities including the Arakanese and Mro, were forced to
work on roads and bridges by the Burmese security forces in December 1996
and during the first half of 1997. The border patrol police in Myanmar,
known as Na Sa Ka, were reportedly one of the security forces responsible
for seizing them as labourers.

The long-term human rights crisis in Myanmar has meant that tens of
thousands of refugees from various ethnic minorities have fled to
neighbouring countries, primarily Bangladesh and Thailand. Such massive
outflows have created an enormous burden for these tow countries, who are
under pressure to provide safe havens for these people with very limited
resources themselves. Bangladesh needs international support to ensure that
refugees are given protection and an appropriate level of treatment. Mass
flights of refugees are an international responsibility; countries that
happen to be the nearest point of safety should not be left alone to bear
that responsibility. The refugee burdens Bangladesh and Thailand face make
it even more imperative for the international community, including both
governments and intergovernmental organizations such as the EU, to increase
pressure on the SLORC to clean up its human rights record.

The new arrivals joined some 21,800 Rohingyas living in camps in
Bangladesh, the remainder of over 250,000 refugees who had fled in the
early 1990s. Since then tens of thousands of Rohingyas have been
repatriated, although various non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have
expressed concern that the repatriation operation has gone forward without
a fundamental improvement in the human rights situation in Myanmar, and
have questioned whether the repatriation of many of these refugees was
truly voluntary.

The SLORC has reportedly agreed to accept only 7,500 of the remaining
21,800 Rohingyas. UNHCR has requested the Bangladeshi authorities to allow
the remaining 14,000 Rohingyas to settle in Bangladesh. The repatriation
process stopped in April 1997, but on 20 and 22 July 1997 the Bangladeshi
security forces forcibly returned 399 Rohingyas from Kutapalong and
Nayapara camps. After protests from UNHCR, who had been denied access to
the refugees, the Government of Bangladesh agreed not to return any
Rohingyas against their will. However the government stated at the same
time that none of the Rohingya refugees would be allowed to remain in
Bangladesh permanently.\\\

This report summarizes a 7-page document (2,913 words), MYANMAR/BANGLADESH
ROHINGYAS - THE SEARCH FOR SAFETY (AI Index: ASA 13/07/97) issued by
Amnesty International in SEPTEMBER 1997. Anyone wishing further details of
to take action on this issue should consult the full document.

(AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL SECRETARIAT,
1 EASTON STREET, LONDON WC1X 8DJ, UNITED KINGDOM)
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