File photo: Rohingya refugeees pray as they take part in a protest at the Kutupalong refugee camp to mark the one year anniversary of their exodus in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh
Turkey on Monday urged the Myanmar government to take steps to end crimes against Rohingya Muslims.
The Foreign Ministry said on its website that the humanitarian crisis started after the Aug. 25, 2017 attacks in the north of Myanmar's Rakhine State against Rohingya Muslims.
On Aug. 25, 2017, Myanmar launched a major military crackdown on the Muslim ethnic minority, killing almost 24,000 civilians and forcing 750,000 others to flee to Bangladesh, according to the Ontario International Development Agency (OIDA).
In the statement, the ministry said the Rohingya faced human rights violations which correspond to heaviest crimes as part of the international law.
The Foreign Ministry called on the Myanmar government to take steps to find a permanent solution to the problem by cooperating with the international community; it also urged Myanmar to ensure the return of the displaced Rohingya in a safe, honorable and permanent way.
Turkey has from the start made great efforts on the Rohingya, prompting the international community to show necessary sensitiveness to the crisis.
The ministry added Turkey will continue to voice the humanitarian crisis affecting the Rohingya and it would also support efforts for a permanent solution with dialogue between Myanmar and Bangladeshi governments.
Earlier on Monday, the UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar, released a report and said human rights violations and abuses committed in Kachin, Rakhine and Shan States need to be probed at the International Criminal Court. It also called for an investigation and prosecution of Myanmar's top military officials for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes against Rohingya Muslims.
"Military necessity would never justify killing indiscriminately, gang raping women, assaulting children, and burning entire villages.The Tatmadaw’s [Myanmar's armed forces] tactics are consistently and grossly disproportionate to actual security threats, especially in Rakhine State, but also in northern Myanmar," the report reads.
The report added that crimes against humanity committed on Rohingya Muslims include murder, rape, sexual slavery and other forms of sexual violence.
"The crimes in Rakhine State, and the manner in which they were perpetrated, are similar in nature, gravity and scope to those that have allowed genocidal intent to be established in other contexts," the report said.
More than 24,000 Rohingya Muslims have been killed by Myanmar’s state forces, according to the Ontario International Development Agency (OIDA).
In its recent report, Forced Migration of Rohingya: The Untold Experience, the OIDA increased the estimated number of murdered Rohingya to 23,962 (±881) from an earlier Doctors Without Borders figure of 9,400.
More than 34,000 Rohingya were also thrown into fires, while over 114,000 others were beaten, the OIDA report said, adding that 17,718 (±780) Rohingya women and girls were raped by the Myanmar army and police. More than 115,000 Rohingya houses were burned and 113,000 others were vandalized, it added.
At least 87 percent of Rohingya refugees residing in makeshift camps in southern Bangladesh are unwilling to be relocated to a remote island on the Bay of Bengal, local media said on Monday citing a police report.The report is based on a survey conducted by Cox’s Bazar district’s special branch of police, according to the New Age, a local daily.Cox's Bazar has been hosting around a million refugees, including more than 750,000 people who came to Bangladesh following violence in the Rakhine state of western Myanmar last year.EU executive to hold meeting this week on UN Myanmar reportEarlier, the Bangladeshi government had announced its plan to relocate the Rohingya refugees to Bhasanchar Island until their repatriation.Citing the report, the daily noted Rohingya mentioned isolation of the location, fear of relief and medication facilities being hampered and isolation from their relatives among 10 causes for their unwillingness to go the island.“The government will take representatives of all concern authorities, including Rohingya representatives, members of local and international NGOs and rights bodies to Bhasanchar Island before relocation to inspect the actual conditions there,” Muhammad Habibul Kabir Chowdhury, head of Refugee Affairs at Disaster Management And Relief Ministry, told Anadolu Agency.Facebook removes top Myanmar military official, others from website“The relocation will not be implemented until the government is confirmed of providing better facilities than Ukhiya and Tekhnaf refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar,” he added referring the current refugee camps in the city. Noting that Bangladesh is facing an environmental crisis, Chowdhury said that hills, forests are chopped down, and local people are facing over-populated problems as a result of the Rohingya influx.Echoing the same views, Commissioner of Bangladesh Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commission (RRRC) Mohammad Abul Kalam said: “The government will implement the relocation process considering all related issues and humanitarian crisis of Rohingya people.”Myanmar generals had 'genocidal intent' against Rohingya, must face justice: UNRehabilitation centerBut both the officials said they were yet to see the police report.In November last year, Bangladesh Navy floated tenders for the construction of a “rehabilitation center” on Bhasanchar Island for Rohingya refugees.In the first phase, 100,000 Rohingya people will be relocated to Bhasanchar and the rest will be relocated later in line with the government plan, Chowdhury said.On Aug. 25, 2017, Myanmar launched a major military crackdown on the Muslim ethnic minority, killing almost 24,000 civilians and forcing 750,000 others to flee to Bangladesh, according to the Ontario International Development Agency (OIDA).In its recent report, Forced Migration of Rohingya: The Untold Experience, the OIDA increased the estimated number of murdered Rohingya to 23,962 (±881) from an earlier Doctors Without Borders figure of 9,400.More than 34,000 Rohingya were also thrown into fires, while over 114,000 others were beaten, the OIDA report said, adding that 17,718 (±780) Rohingya women and girls were raped by the Myanmar army and police. More than 115,000 Rohingya houses were burned and 113,000 others were vandalized, it added.The Rohingya, described by the UN as the world's most persecuted people, have faced heightened fears of attack since dozens were killed in communal violence in 2012.The UN documented mass gang rapes, killings -- including of infants and young children -- brutal beatings, and disappearances committed by Myanmar state forces. In its report, UN investigators said such violations may have constituted crimes against humanity.
Bangladesh: 87 pct Rohingya unwilling to go to island
Myanmar's military carried out mass killings and gang rapes of Muslim Rohingya with "genocidal intent" and the commander-in-chief and five generals should be prosecuted for the gravest crimes under international law, U.N. investigators said.In a report, they called for the U.N. Security Council to set up an ad hoc tribunal to try suspects or refer them to the International Criminal Court in the Hague. The Security Council should also impose an arms embargo on Myanmar and targeted sanctions against individuals most responsible for crimes.They blamed the country's de facto civilian leader, Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, for failing to use her "moral authority" to protect civilians. Her government "contributed to the commission of atrocity crimes" by letting hate speech thrive, destroying documents and failing to shield minorities from crimes against humanity and war crimes.Verdict on Myanmar’s Reuters journalists postponedThe report also criticised Facebook for allowing the world's biggest social media network to be used to incite violence and hatred. Facebook responded on Monday by announcing that it was blocking 20 Myanmar officials and organisations found by the U.N. panel to have "committed or enabled serious human rights abuses".Contacted by phone, Myanmar military spokesman Major General Tun Tun Nyi said he could not immediately comment. The Myanmar government was sent an advance copy of the U.N. report in line with standard practice.Zaw Htay, spokesman for Suu Kyi's government, could not immediately be reached for comment. Reuters was also unable to contact the six generals named in the report.A year ago, government troops led a brutal crackdown in Myanmar's Rakhine state in response to attacks by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) on 30 Myanmar police posts and a military base. Some 700,000 Rohingya fled the crackdown and most are now living in refugee camps in neighbouring Bangladesh.Pompeo decries 'abhorrent ethnic cleansing' in Myanmar on anniversaryThe U.N. report said the military action, which included the torching of villages, was "grossly disproportionate to actual security threats"."The crimes in Rakhine State, and the manner in which they were perpetrated, are similar in nature, gravity and scope to those that have allowed genocidal intent to be established in other contexts," said the U.N. panel, known as the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar.Suu Kyi's government has rejected most allegations of atrocities made against the security forces by refugees. It has built transit centres for refugees to return, but U.N. aid agencies say it is not yet safe for them to do so.Solidarity groups mark first year of Rakhine massacreMORAL AUTHORITYSuu Kyi "has not used her de facto position as Head of Government, nor her moral authority, to stem or prevent the unfolding events, or seek alternative avenues to meet a responsibility to protect the civilian population", the report said.The United Nations defines genocide as acts meant to destroy a national, ethnic, racial or religious group in whole or in part. Such a designation is rare, but has been used in countries including Bosnia, Rwanda and Sudan.In the final 20-page report, the panel said: "There is sufficient information to warrant the investigation and prosecution of senior officials in the Tatmadaw (army) chain of command, so that a competent court can determine their liability for genocide in relation to the situation in Rakhine state."Marzuki Darusman, chair of the panel, said commander-in-chief Min Aung Hlaing should step down pending investigation.One year since exodus, Rohingya in Bangladesh on the edge"Accountability can only take place both from the point of view of the international community but also from the people of Myanmar if the single most significant factor is addressed. And that is the role of the commander-in-chief, Min Aung Hlaing."The list of generals also included Brigadier-General Aung Aung, commander of the 33rd Light Infantry Division, which oversaw operations in the coastal village of Inn Din where 10 Rohingya captive boys and men were killed.That massacre was uncovered by two Reuters journalists - Wa Lone, 32, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 28 - who were arrested last December and are being tried on charges of violating Myanmar's Official Secrets Act. The court had been due to deliver a verdict on Monday, but at a brief hearing postponed the hearings until Sept. 3.In April, seven soldiers were sentenced to 10 years in prison for participating in the Inn Din killings.Video: Turkish foundation distributes meat to Rohingya refugees in BangladeshOther generals named in the report included army deputy commander-in-chief Vice Senior-General Soe Win; the commander of the Bureau of Special Operations-3, Lieutenant-General Aung Kyaw Zaw; the commander of Western Regional Military Command, Major-General Maung Maung Soe; and the commander of 99th Light Infantry Division, Brigadier-General Than Oo.Panel member Christopher Sidoti said "the clarity of the chain of command in Myanmar" meant the six generals must be prosecuted, even in the absence of a "smoking gun" piece of evidence to prove who had ordered the crimes."We do not have a copy of a direct order that says 'undertake genocide tomorrow please'. But that is the case almost universally when cases of genocide have gone before the courts," Sidoti said.Darusman said a wider confidential list of suspects included civilians and insurgents as well as members of the military.Video: Rohingya sufferings know no end as flooded camps add to misery"OPPRESSION FROM BIRTH TO DEATH"The U.N. panel, set up last year, interviewed 875 victims and witnesses in Bangladesh and other countries, and analysed documents, videos, photographs and satellite images.Decades of state-sponsored stigmatisation against Rohingya had resulted in "institutionalised oppression from birth to death", the report said.The Rohingya, who regard themselves as native to Rakhine state, are widely considered as interlopers by Myanmar's Buddhist majority and are denied citizenship."The Tatmadaw acts with complete impunity and has never been held accountable. Its standard response is to deny, dismiss and obstruct," the U.N. report said.EU executive to hold meeting this week on UN Myanmar reportMembers of the panel had accused Facebook in March of allowing its platform to be used to incite violence. The report said the social media company should have acted quicker."Although improved in recent months, Facebook's response has been slow and ineffective. The extent to which Facebook posts and messages have led to real-world discrimination and violence must be independently and thoroughly examined," it said.In a statement announcing its action on Monday, Facebook said it was removing 18 Facebook accounts, one Instagram account and 52 Facebook pages."The ethnic violence in Myanmar has been truly horrific. Earlier this month, we shared an update on the steps we’re taking to prevent the spread of hate and misinformation on Facebook. While we were too slow to act, we’re now making progress – with better technology to identify hate speech, improved reporting tools, and more people to review content."Facebook had acknowledged in a statement issued 10 days ago following a Reuters investigative report into its failure to combat hate speech against the Rohingya and other Muslims in Myanmar that it had been "too slow" to address the problem.Facebook removes top Myanmar military official, others from website
Myanmar generals had 'genocidal intent' against Rohingya, must face justice: UN
A group of Rohingya Muslims gathered in front of U.S. Capitol building Saturday to mark the first anniversary of violence against their community by the Myanmar army in Rakhine state and their exodus to Bangladesh.The demonstration was coordinated by multiple Muslim and Rohingya organizations, including the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), Dar Al-Hijrah Islamic Center, the International Campaign for the Rohingya and the Burma Task Force."We want these massacres to be accepted as genocide by the U.S. and international community," Burmese Task Force Director Hena Zuberi told Anadolu Agency.More than 750,000 Rohingyas fled Myanmar last August and crossed into Bangladesh, fleeing violence and massacres initiated by the Myanmar army.Zuberi mentioned the Rohingya community thought that the exodus would be a temporary solution and soon the Rohingya would return to their homes, however, one year later, they remain in refugee camps."We thought it would be a temporary stay. But it has been a year, and nothing has changed. The needle is stuck, and we want this needle to move," Zuberi added."It is a call of the Rohingya people, they have called for this day to be marked all over the world. So we can support them, so we can stand in solidarity with them, so we can educate people about the genocide," Zuberi said, noting that the U.S. administration should take initiative. Persecuted RohingyaSince Aug. 25, 2017, more than 24,000 Rohingya Muslims have been killed by Myanmar’s state forces, according to the Ontario International Development Agency (OIDA).In its recent report, Forced Migration of Rohingya: The Untold Experience, the OIDA increased the estimated number of murdered Rohingya to 23,962 (±881) from an earlier Doctors Without Borders figure of 9,400.More than 34,000 Rohingya were also thrown into fires, while over 114,000 others were beaten, the OIDA report said, adding that 17,718 (±780) Rohingya women and girls were raped by the Myanmar army and police. More than 115,000 Rohingya houses were burned and 113,000 others were vandalized, it added.The Rohingya, described by the UN as the world's most persecuted people, have faced heightened fears of attack since dozens were killed in communal violence in 2012.The UN documented mass gang rapes, killings -- including of infants and young children -- brutal beatings, and disappearances committed by Myanmar state forces. In its report, UN investigators said such violations may have constituted crimes against humanity.One year since exodus, Rohingya in Bangladesh on the edgeRohingya languish as repatriation process linger
Rohingya in US mark first year of Rakhine massacre
Almost one million Rohingya people have led their lives on the brink in the Cox’s Bazar refugee camp in Bangladesh since Aug. 25, 2017, when forces in neighboring Myanmar launched a crackdown on the minority Muslim community.Conditions for the Rohingya refugees have worsened dramatically since the early days of the influx one year ago, when thousands of people were crossing the border each day, sleeping exposed under open skies, with many in desperate need of medical help and on the brink of starvation.Hafizur Rahman, 34, has memorized the Quran. He used to teach at a religious school at Mangdu, Myanmar called Tahfizul Quran. Now he is teaching at a religious school in the camp called Furkania. He fled Myanmar persecution and took shelter in Kutupalong Rohingya camp.Video: Will the Rohingyas ever go back home?Rahman told Anadolu Agency that he has three children but right now he is not thinking about their future. He is satisfied with the tiny shelter he was given in Bangladesh, saying that it is better than things in Myanmar. From experience he says he doubts Myanmar will give the Rohingya citizenship status. For the time being he is satisfied with his life at the camp.About the future, he says he prays to Allah and does not want to think about anything further.All refugees at the camp have access to shelter, food, and medical care, including from a Turkish-run clinic. But malnutrition, health problems, and food insecurity are at crisis levels, and overcrowding is a major problem that limits access and mobility, thereby increasing safety risks.Asked about his life at Kutupalong Refugee camp in Bangladesh, Md Anis, a former Bypchan primary school teacher in Myanmar, says they sell some of the supplies given to them by aid groups to fulfill their other needs. He told Anadolu Agency that their main needs are a gas stove and cash.Suu Kyi is most polished mouthpiece of Myanmar militaryRohingya languish as repatriation process lingerAnis, 54, had a job for 10 years before deciding to flee Myanmar last September, after seeing his neighbors being brutally tortured by Myanmar’s army.Like other Rohingya, he warns of dire consequences if their basic rights are not met.“If the world doesn’t see us and our basic rights aren’t met, and doesn’t put pressure [on Myanmar] to take us back, then we shall commit suicide if necessary. We don’t want to be victims of the Myanmar military again.”He says if the world fails to give them back their rights they should be given permission to fight for themselves.According to humanitarian community’s 2018 Joint Response Plan (JRP), an estimated 16 percent of the Rohingya are single mothers. Many lost their husbands to violence in Myanmar or to migration in search of livelihoods for survival. A majority of the population are women and children (52 percent are women and girls; 55 percent are children under 18).Arefa Begum, 45, came from Mongdu, Myanmar. She has 10 children, eight of whom are with her in Bangladesh, with her sons Md Alam (20) and Robi Alam (19) still in Myanmar.On the problems women face in camp, Arefa says they don’t find work to earn money. Their small room has little ventilation and it’s hot all the time. They don’t get enough firewood for cooking. The garbage scattered around their room often makes their children sick.The burden of all these problems make Arefa look like an old woman. She says she has six daughters, all unmarried, the eldest 18. They have neither education nor work, and she doesn’t know how to marry them off. She can hardly think of the type of future awaiting them.-Threat of environmental disasterAs of last October, approximately 2,500 acres of forest had been cut for firewood and building shelters. Of this, at least 1,500 acres was cut from social forestry projects, impacting local Bangladeshi communities. The demand for firewood from forests is likely higher than the environment can supply. This could also exacerbate the effects of flooding and cyclones, as low-lying, degraded land will become more exposed.The camps and settlements are also encroaching on Asian elephant territory, which poses a risk to both people (12 Rohingya people have been killed in elephant incursions) and the elephants, whose habitat is being compromised. The endangered Indian elephant, along with deer and two species of Indian civet, is a flagship species in the area that is vulnerable. Out of the total 1,156 wildlife species that inhabit this threatened forest -- including fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals -- 65 are critically endangered, 94 are endangered, and 56 are vulnerable.In the refugee camps and settlements, with weak shelters and little infrastructure in place, the settlements are particularly vulnerable to this environmental impact. So there is an urgent need to upgrade shelters and to pre-position shelter materials and essential household items for emergency response.-Lack of educationThe refugees are not permitted to enroll in formal education facilities and even when allowed informal access to education, they are denied certification.In particular, recently arrived refugees lack access to safe and protective learning facilities in new campsites and makeshift settlement areas. This gap is partly due to limited space in these areas as well as the time needed to set up educational activities. Cox’s Bazar is among the lowest-performing districts in the country in terms of education access, retention and achievement.UNICEF is providing education in learning centers for 92,000 Rohingya children aged 4-14, teaching them basic literacy, numeracy and life-saving messages in English and Burmese. However, over 50 percent of children in the refugee camps are currently out of reach of education services.UNICEF operates 150 Child-Friendly Spaces where children are enabled to heal following their traumatic exodus from Myanmar. Children receive psycho-social support and case management from trained social workers. Children are encouraged to participate in recreational activities such as games, art, music, and drama. They also learn critical life skills to equip them to understand and deal with the real risks they face in their daily lives, including child labor, child marriage, and human trafficking.Absence of ID documents and recognized legal status impedes refugees’ freedom of movement, as well as access to justice, legal opportunities, accredited education, and other public services.Children also face serious risks such as psychosocial distress, neglect, abuse, separation from caregivers, child marriage, child labor, and trafficking.And conditions in the camps are far from ideal. Many refugee families live on the edge of dangerous hills, with little protection from heavy monsoon rains. The upcoming cyclone season could potentially be devastating for the refugee camps.Children living in the refugee camps face increased risk of waterborne diseases such as acute watery diarrhea.One year on from the start of this crisis, the situation of the Rohingya remains extremely perilous.- A persecuted peopleMore than 24,000 Rohingya Muslims have been killed by Myanmar’s state forces, according to the Ontario International Development Agency (OIDA).In its recent report, Forced Migration of Rohingya: The Untold Experience, the OIDA increased the estimated number of murdered Rohingya to 23,962 (±881) from an earlier Doctors Without Borders figure of 9,400.More than 34,000 Rohingya were also thrown into fires, while over 114,000 others were beaten, the OIDA report said, adding that 17,718 (±780) Rohingya women and girls were raped by the Myanmar army and police. More than 115,000 Rohingya houses were burned and 113,000 others were vandalized, it added.According to Amnesty International, more than 750,000 Rohingya refugees, mostly children and women, have fled Myanmar and crossed into Bangladesh after Myanmar forces launched a crackdown on the minority Muslim community.The Rohingya, described by the UN as the world's most persecuted people, have faced heightened fears of attack since dozens were killed in communal violence in 2012.The UN documented mass gang rapes, killings -- including of infants and young children -- brutal beatings, and disappearances committed by Myanmar state forces. In its report, UN investigators said such violations may have constituted crimes against humanity.
One year since exodus, Rohingya in Bangladesh on the edge
While Bangladesh and Myanmar blame each other for a stalled repatriation process, Rohingya Muslim refugees have continued to suffer in tiny makeshift camps in southeastern Bangladesh.It has been one year since the ethnic minority Rohingya faced massacres by the military beginning Aug. 25, 2017, and fled to Bangladesh. But they have been living in poor in refugee camps in Cox's Bazar with little hope returning home.The issue of repatriation has existed in only official statements and official visits between Bangladesh and Myanmar.Video: Will the Rohingyas ever go back home?Dhaka and Yangon inked a deal last year to repatriate hundreds of thousands of Rohingya following the military crackdown in the western Rakhine state of Myanmar.The deal was sharply criticized by the international community, rights groups and Rohingya organizations, but officials from Myanmar and Bangladesh voiced their determination for repatriation.According to the deal signed Nov. 23, 2017, the repatriation would be launched within two months of the agreement.Korean NGOs mark Rohingya Genocide Remembrance DayRohingya mourn first anniversary of Rakhine massacreCanada to host Rohingya genocide remembrance eventsBut there are has been no notable steps from the either side despite a recent visit to Yangon by Bangladeshi Foreign Minister A.H. Mahmood Ali.Dhaka claimed the trip was “fruitful” but experts on the Rohingya issue said Ali returned home empty-handed.Both countries formed a joint working group of 15 officials each to oversee the repatriation process.The first meeting was in Nay Pyi Daw, Myanmar, on Jan. 15-16.Bangladesh authorities repeatedly stressed Rohingya repatriation would be launched in due time. Several meetings were held with not much movement on the fate of what the UN calls the most persecuted people in the world.However, Bangladeshi Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhit openly voiced clear doubt about the repatriation process. On March 6, Muhit told reporters, “I do not believe the Rohingya can be sent back.”His statement was echoed by Rohingya experts and several advocacy groups across the globe. A total of 23 Rohingya organizations released a statement June 10, voicing criticism of the deal and said it did not address the root causes of the Rohingya crisis, particularly Rohingya citizenship and ethnic identity.“Repatriation is a life and death question for the whole Rohingya people," the groups said, adding they could not trust the Myanmar government and military that have killed, raped and starved its people with hundreds of villages razed, seized land and homes bulldozed.- 'Myanmar delayed repatriation process'Mohammed Abul Kalam Azad, commissioner of the Rohingya Relief and Repatriation Commission (RRRC) told Anadolu Agency on Saturday in Cox’s Bazar that the repatriation process was delayed due to Myanmar government’s reluctance on the issue."Myanmar has built some camps in the Rakhine state for the Rohingya who would return, Azad said. “But Rohingya told us that if they had to stay in camps after their return to Myanmar, they would prefer to stay here in Cox’s Bazar.”Moreover, their safety, basic rights, freedom of movement should be ensured, he added. “It is very unfortunate that a leader like [Aung San] Suu Kyi make falsified statements against Bangladesh to cover-up their own failure and shortage,” said Azad. The Myanmar leader on Tuesday blamed Bangladesh for the delay in repatriations process, stating it was up to Bangladesh to decide how quickly Rohingya refugees would return to Myanmar. "The returnees have to be sent back by Bangladesh. We can only welcome them at the border," Suu Kyi said at an event in Singapore.- Rohingya demands safety and identity Azad, however, thinks it is the Myanmar government who must ensure the safety and dignity of the Rohingya for their return."Both countries had agreed that the repatriation would be permanent, in a safe way and voluntarily," Azad said, highlighting that Bangladesh would not send them forcibly.Pointing to a recent tour of Myanmar by a Bangladesh delegation led by Foreign Minister Ali, Azad said Myanmar promised to renovate some villages for Rohingya without giving a time frame. “During the visit, they told us that they had initially selected 42 villages in which they will build houses for Rohingya. That means they will rebuild those villages. They also shared plans for supporting farmers, as well as providing other benefits. But they did not tell anything about when the implementation process will be started.”Rohingya living in poor conditions in camps said they would stay where they are rather that return to Myanmar "if our life safety and identity is not ensured". "If they do not give us basic rights and identity of Rohingya, we would prefer to die here in Bangladesh camps with limited access to livelihood," said Mohammad Yunus, a 50-year-old father of two daughters. - Persecuted RohingyaSince Aug. 25, 2017, more than 24,000 Rohingya Muslims have been killed by Myanmar’s state forces, according to the Ontario International Development Agency (OIDA).In its recent report, Forced Migration of Rohingya: The Untold Experience, the OIDA increased the estimated number of murdered Rohingya to 23,962 (±881) from an earlier Doctors Without Borders figure of 9,400.More than 34,000 Rohingya were also thrown into fires, while over 114,000 others were beaten, the OIDA report said, adding that 17,718 (±780) Rohingya women and girls were raped by the Myanmar army and police. More than 115,000 Rohingya houses were burned and 113,000 others were vandalized, it added.According to Amnesty International, more than 750,000 Rohingya refugees, mostly children and women, have fled Myanmar and crossed into Bangladesh after Myanmar forces launched a crackdown on the minority Muslim community.The Rohingya, described by the UN as the world's most persecuted people, have faced heightened fears of attack since dozens were killed in communal violence in 2012.The UN documented mass gang rapes, killings -- including of infants and young children -- brutal beatings, and disappearances committed by Myanmar state forces. In its report, UN investigators said such violations may have constituted crimes against humanity. * Mutasim Billah from Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh contributed to story.
Rohingya languish as repatriation process linger