Bangladesh:
Bangladesh naval vessels carried some 1,600 Rohingya refugees towards a remote island in the Bay of Bengal on Friday regardless of complaints by refugees and humanitarian groups that some have been getting coerced.
Bangladesh says it is only moving refugees who are prepared to go to Bhasan Char and it will ease chronic overcrowding in camps that are household to extra than 1 million Rohingya, members of a Muslim minority who have fled neighbouring Myanmar.
But refugees and humanitarian workers say some of the Rohingya had been coerced into going to Bhashan Char a flood-prone island that emerged from the sea 20 years ago.
A naval official mentioned the Rohingya have been aboard seven boats, with two extra carrying supplies, that set out from the southern port of Chittagong.
Refugees have been packed across the decks of the naval vessels on plastic chairs. Some brought umbrellas to shelter from the sun on a journey that requires a number of hours.
“The government is not taking anyone to Bhashan Char forcibly. We maintain this position,” Foreign Minister Abdul Momen told reporters late on Thursday.
But two Rohingya getting relocated told Reuters their names appeared on lists compiled by government-appointed regional leaders devoid of their consent, whilst help workers mentioned officials employed threats and enticements to stress individuals into going.
“They have taken us here forcefully,” a 31-year-old man told Reuters tearfully by telephone as he boarded a bus from the camps close to Cox’s Bazar. “Three days ago, when I heard that my family is on the list, I ran away from the block, but yesterday I was caught and taken here,” he mentioned.
An 18-year-old lady mentioned her husband had place their names on the list pondering it was for meals rations. He fled when they have been told to go to Bhasan Char, she mentioned, adding that she is also hiding in the camp.
They have been amongst extra than 730,000 Rohingya who fled Myanmar in 2017 following a military-led crackdown that the United Nations mentioned was executed with genocidal intent. Myanmar denies genocide and says its forces have been targeting Rohingya militants who attacked police posts.
“Not one refugee should be moved until all human rights and humanitarian concerns have been resolved and genuine informed consent is assured,” mentioned Ismail Wolff, director of the Fortify Rights group.
Human Rights Watch mentioned it had interviewed 12 households whose names have been on the lists, but had not volunteered to go.
Two help workers, who spoke on situation of anonymity, mentioned refugees had come below stress from government officials who employed threats and delivers of money and other enticements to persuade them to go to the island.
The United Nations mentioned in a statement it had been offered “limited information” about the relocations and was not involved in preparations.
Bangladesh has constructed extra than a thousand cinderblock housing units on Bhasan for the Rohingya refugees.
More than 300 refugees have been brought to the island earlier this year right after a number of months at sea in an try to flee Bangladesh. Rights groups say they are getting held against their will and have complained of human rights violations.
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