Rohingyas in the Don Khali char near the maritime boundary have been under a state of imprisonment since Monday morning as BGP forces suddenly surrounded them and fired shots at boats coming to take them away to Bangladesh.
Our correspondent from Teknaf reports that since the early hours of Monday, BGP forces took up aggressive positions surrounding the approximately nine hundred Rohingyas waiting for boats to ferry them to Bangladesh. Many of these stranded Rohingyas have been stuck in the char for weeks, as escaping to Bangladesh becomes more difficult and more expensive due to a lack of boats.
The security forces frequently prey on these stranded Rohingyas, with many cases of rapes and robbery being reported by those who have escaped to Bangladesh. This time however, the BGP detachment is much stronger and they have taken up aggressive positions, denying the Rohingyas food and even fresh water. Sources have said that UNHCR staff were prevented on Monday morning from accessing the Rohingyas. Myanmar often stops Rohingyas from escaping when the government wants to show the international community that the situation in Arakan is stabilising and no new Rohingyas are escaping to Bangladesh.
The Don Khali char area is surrounded by the salty waters of the Bay of Bengal and is not fit for human habitation. Along with Nakkhoindia, Gojjon Dhia, these island chars have been the last stop for hundreds of thousands of Rohingyas escaping from Southern Buthidaung, Rathedaung and some areas of Southern Maungdaw who are not able to access the land border with Bangladesh. Instead they are forced to rely on human traffickers and make a risky journey across the Bay of Bengal. Many had remained stranded for weeks with dozens of children dying from the lack of food and fresh water.
Hundreds have also died in boat accidents prompting the government of Bangladesh to close down the maritime boundary, though the land borders remained open. This has however not deterred the Rohingyas from escaping through the Bay of Bengal but prices and the risk of deaths in the sea has increased, as traffickers shot up boat fares and took roundabout routes with the journeys lasting for hours instead of the usual 45 minutes.
The sharp rise in BGP forces in Don Khali coincide with the increasing military presence in the Taimbru land border where after a two day lull, security forces have started amassing since Monday morning, amid rising tensions with Bangladesh.
The BGP opened fire on two boats coming from the direction of Bangladesh on Monday morning. Even then, around two hundred refugees managed to escape from the area on the same evening and reached the Nayapara area of Teknaf in the early dawn hours.
The recent influx is especially from the Southern Buthidaung area where many of the Rohingyas did not escape in 2017 as military operations were less intense in the area. However, since then, the government cut the Rohingyas from all food sources, forcing the population to flee towards Bangladesh.
Note: The picture is of a child martyred during escaping to Bangladesh in 2016
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