Zero-point: Around
7000 Rohingya taking temporary refuge at the zero point area of no man land
have been forced to be repatriated without restoring any of their rights to the
newly internally displaced peoples’ camp (IDPs) constructed recently in Maungdaw,
Arakan (Rakhine) State.
Yesterday (20th Feb)
at around 1:40 PM a team of Bangladeshi Police and Burmese mixed forces arrived
at the zero point area and started to force Rohingya to return back amid
ongoing fire in their own villages.
Moreover, they set
conditions like; they cannot go back to their own original places and have to
accept the illegal National Verification Cards (NVC).
In response to such
threats and illegal demands, Rohingyas have rejected to return as they already
faced severe intolerable persecution, which forced them to take journey towards
the zero-point.
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| Bangladesh & Myanmar delegation visits ZERO point Rohingya refugees on 20 Feb 2018 |
“We do not want to
go if our rights including the citizenship right are not restored. We know if
we go without the citizenship in those IDPs, we have to suffer like the
Rohingya in Akyab (Sittwe), whom are still lingering since 2012” explains a
youth from the area.
This dramatic
“Repatriation Process” has trapped the lingering Rohingya in do or dies
condition, where from one hand they are forced back to Burma in the ongoing
brutal operation. Moreover, on the other hand there are Rohingya stuck at the
zero point area and remaining Rohingyas in Arakan (Rakhine) are still seen to
be travelling towards Bangladesh for the intolerable military persecution.
Don't miss to listen Mr.Dil Mohammed, a Rohingya activist in ZERO point, interviewed by "AT" on 20-02-2018