Tough times for Burmese refugees
By the BBC's Alastair Lawson in Cox's Bazar
Sunday, 3 March, 2002
It is 10 years ago this month that Muslim refugees from Burma began arriving in their thousands into Bangladesh. The refugees, known as Rohingyas, came from Burma's Arakhan province to escape what they said was persecution inflicted upon them by the military government.
At one point, the number of refugees swelled to over 250,000 but since then, their number has dwindled to around 20,000. The refugees that remain say that they are having to endure harsh conditions in numerous camps.
Persecution
Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh rely on the United Nations and other aid agencies for their daily handouts of rice. The aid agencies say that many of the refugees are malnourished.
The refugees say that although conditions in the camps are harsh, it is better for them to be in Bangladesh rather than Burma.
"We were tortured and oppressed in Burma, and were denied even the right to practice our religion", said a Rohingya man. "I was a farmer there, but every time my rice crop was ready for harvest, it would be taken by the Burmese military. "They told us that as Muslims, we had no rights in Burma", he said.
Strained ties
It is now a decade since the Rohingyas started arriving in large numbers in Bangladesh. At the end of 1992, the Government of Bangladesh began repatriating them. It is estimated that around 230,000 returned to Burma over the last decade. The remaining 20,000 live in camps near the town of Cox's Bazar.
Local journalist Nural Haq Khan says that relations between them and the Bangladeshi community are often strained.
Crime accusations
"The Rohingyas create lots of trouble here," Mr Khan said."They are often involved in crime, and have been accused of carrying out a series of robberies. "They are also believed to steal livestock from local farmers, and have been accused of destroying the jungle so that they can get firewood", he said.
The Bangladeshi Government has denied accusations that some refugees have been forcibly repatriated but it says that it wants all the refugees to return to Burma soon.
Officials say in private that this is not happening at the moment because the Burmese Government has reneged on an agreement to allow the refugees to return home in small groups at a time.