30,000 Rohingyas now at no man's land

COX'S BAZAR, Oct 19:   At least 30,000 Rohingyas who fled persecution in Myanmar's Rakhine state have gathered in the no man's land near the Anjumanpara border point of Ukhia upazila to enter Bangladesh, border sources said.

Earlier on Thursday morning and afternoon nearly 15,000 Rohingyas crossed the border into Bangladesh and took shelter in Balukhali, Kutupalong and Thaing Khali refugee camps, sources said.

During a day-long visit to Anjumanpara and Thaing Khali bordering areas of Ukhia upazila on Thursday, it was found that thousands of Rohingya men, women and children were arriving in Bangladesh crossing the Myanmar border. Before entering into refugee camps, BGB, UNHCR and Red Crescent Society members helped them to go to the camps safely.

On-duty Deputy Commanding Officer of BGB 34 battalion Major Ashikur Rahman said that the camp had already been overcrowded. The situation is difficult to control law and order, he further said.

Nurul Amin(35), a newly arrived Rohingya on Thursday morning said that he along with his elderly mother Ameena Khatun (60) with six family members reached Bangladesh border after walking on foot after seven days. He said that Myanmar army has created an artificial food scarcity so that Rohingyas are compelled to leave their country.

Reuter report from Washington adds: more than 40 lawmakers urged the Trump administration on Wednesday to reimpose US travel bans on Myanmar's military leaders and prepare targeted sanctions against those responsible for a crackdown on the country's Rohingya Muslim minority.

In a letter sent to US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, a group of Republican and Democratic members of the House of Representatives called for "meaningful steps" against Myanmar's military and others who have committed human rights abuses in an offensive that has driven more than 500,000 Rohingya Muslims outof the Southeast Asian nation.

"Burma's authorities appear to be in denial of what has happened," stated the letter. "We urge you to do everything possible to ensure protection and security for those trapped inside Burma or willing to return, as well as oppose forcible returns from neighbouring countries."

Another report adds: Myanmar's government has failed to meet its international obligations and protect Rohingya Muslims from the atrocities taking place in Rakhine state, two UN special advisers said Wednesday.

The statement from the UN special adviser on the prevention of genocide, Adama Dieng, and the special adviser on the responsibility to protect, Ivan Simonovic, added the international response to the crisis was a failure.

"Despite warnings issued by us and by many other officials, the government of Myanmar has failed to meet its obligations under international law and primary responsibility to protect the Rohingya population from atrocity crimes," said a joint statement with the term 'atrocity crimes' referring to three crimes under international law: genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.

"The international community has equally failed its responsibilities in this regard," they added.

Since late August more than 500,000 Rohingya have fled an army campaign in Myanmar's Rakhine state that the United Nations has denounced as ethnic cleansing.

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