Citizens for Justice and Peace
UN refugees chief addresses Security Council on Rohingya crisis
14-Feb-2018
Filippo Grand, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, addressed the Security Council on February 13, 2018 regarding the Rohingya crisis. He said that although the numbers are significantly reduced, Rohingya continue to flee Myanmar for Bangladesh; around 1,500 have already reached in Bangladesh this month. He said that despite a large-scale humanitarian response, conditions in…
Reuters publishes investigation that resulted in reporters’ arrest in Myanmar
13-Feb-2018
The New York Times reported that Reuters has published a 4,500-word investigation into the killing of ten Rohingya men by soldiers and villagers in Myanmar; the dead were buried in one grave. Reuters said that while reporting on the issue, two of its reporters were arrested by Myanmar police. The report, based on eyewitness accounts and numerous…
Amnesty alleges “ongoing crimes against humanity” by Myanmar forces
13-Feb-2018
Amnesty International has reported that Myanmar’s security forces continue to crack down on Rohingya living in the country’s Rakhine State. Amnesty said that in late January 2018, it interviewed 19 Rohingya men and women who had just reached Bangladesh, and who detailed how they were compelled to escape because of “forced starvation, abductions and looting of property”.…
American diplomat resigns from Rohingya panel, criticises Aung San Suu Kyi
27-Jan-2018
Longtime US diplomat Bill Richardson, who was previously the governor of New Mexico, has resigned from an international advisory panel on the ongoing Rohingya crisis. Richardson told Reuters that his “main reason” for resigning was that “…this advisory board is a whitewash,” saying that he did not want to be on “a cheerleading squad for the government”.…
Rohingya repatriation to Myanmar is delayed
24-Jan-2018
Abul Kalam, Bangladesh’s refugee relief and rehabilitation commissioner told Reuters that the repatriation of Rohingya refugees, currently in camps in Bangladesh, would have to be delayed, since there are tasks yet to be completed, including compiling and verifying the list of those to be sent back, and establishing transit camps. The repatriation was scheduled to begin on…
Bangladesh agrees to complete Rohingya repatriation in two years
19-Jan-2018
Reuters reported that after meeting with Myanmar, Bangladesh said that it would complete the repatriation of Rohingya refugees in two years. Bangladesh’s foreign ministry released a statement indicating that Myanmar would house those returning in temporary shelters before constructing homes for them. “Myanmar has reiterated its commitment to stop (the) outflow of Myanmar residents to Bangladesh,” it said,…
UNICEF: Cyclone, monsoon threaten half a million Rohingya refugee children in Bangladesh
16-Jan-2018
A UNICEF press release said the agency has cautioned that more than 520,000 Rohingya refugee children housed in “overcrowded camps” in Bangladesh are at risk as the cyclone and monsoon seasons approach. Hundreds of thousands of children are already living in horrific conditions, and they will face an even greater risk of disease, flooding, landslides and further…
Myanmar army admits killing of Rohingya for the first time
12-Jan-2018
The BBC reported that Myanmar’s army has for the first time acknowledged that its personnel “were involved in the killing of Rohingya Muslims” in its Rakhine state. Myanmar’s army said that an enquiry had revealed that four members of Myanmar’s security forces “were involved in the killing of 10 people in Inn Din village near Maungdaw,” the…
No option but to fight following attack on Myanmar army: Rohingya Rebels
09-Jan-2018
Reuters and Agence France-Presse, in a report published in the Guardian, said that the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (Arsa) claimed responsibility in a Twitter post for an attack on a Myanmar army vehicle that took place in Rakhine sate on Friday, January 5, 2018, and left three wounded. According to the report the group said in a…
Rohingya newborns vulnerable to disease in refugee camps
06-Jan-2018
The Guardian reported that more than 48,000 children will be born this year in the crowded refugee camps that are home to those of the Rohingya minority who have fled Myanmar. According to Save the Children, around 130 live births are expected daily in these camps in 2018, and newborns are at the risk of being malnourished,…