- Title: Hundreds of Rohingya arrive from Myanmar to Bangladesh
- Date: 21st November 2016
- Summary: KUTUPALANG CAMP, COX'S BAZAR, BANGLADESH (NOVEMBER 21, 2016) (REUTERS) FOREST NEAR THE KUTUPALONG REFUGEES CAMPS VARIOUS OF NEWLY ARRIVED REFUGEES GATHERED IN WOODLAND (SOUNDBITE) (Bengali) FEMALE REFUGEE, MARIUM KHATOON, SAYING: "Military killed my husband, set fire to our house so as we did not get any help to save us, we fled our land and have come here." VARIOUS REFUGEES GATHERED UNDER TREES CHILDREN EATING BREAD VARIOUS MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN SITTING (SOUNDBITE) (Bengali) MALE REFUGEE, MOHAMMAD HASIM, SAYING: "As we could not tolerate their tortures, we as a group crossed the river by boat at night, four o'clock we enter Bangladesh." REFUGEES WALKING THOUGH TREES NEW REFUGEES ARRIVING, TAKING BELONGINGS FROM A JEEP NEW ARRIVALS WALKING TOWARDS THE KUTUPALONG CAMP VARIOUS POLICE OFFICERS WATCHING REFUGEES NEAR WOODS VARIOUS OF POLICE WALKING THOUGH GROUPS OF REFUGEES REFUGEES SITTING ON THE GROUND OFFICER OF THE INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATION FOR MIGRATION TALKING WITH FEMALE REFUGEE INSIGNIA OF IMO (SOUNDBITE) (English) SAIKAT BISWAS, PROGRAMME OFFICER WITH INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATION FOR MIGRATION, SAYING: "We are observing the situation currently and we are also coordinating with the law enforcing agencies and local administration, and waiting for their direction and decision, just we are observing the situation currently." VARIOUS NEWLY ARRIVED REFUGEES ENTERING THE KUTUPALONG CAMP TEKNAF, COX'S BAZAR, BANGLADESH (NOVEMBER 21, 2016) (REUTERS) WIDE OF THE OFFICE OF THE BORDER GUARD BANGLADESH NATIONAL FLAG FLUTTERING MOHAMMAD ABUZAR AL ZAHID, COMMANDING OFFICER OF BORDER GUARD BANGLADESH WITH REPORTER (SOUNDBITE) (English) MOHAMMAD ABUZAR AL ZAHID, COMMANDING OFFICER OF BORDER GUARD BANGLADESH, SAYING: "Of course the situation is bad, something happened inside Myanmar and people are trying to enter into Bangladesh, since we are very much vigilant in the bordering area, so we always try to foil the attempts of illegal crossing, they try to come, as you know that the Naf river is the boundary in this area, so they try to enter into Bangladesh by using country boats." NATIONAL AND COMMANDER FLAGS ON DESK WIDE OF THE NAF RIVER (BORDER WITH MYANMAR) BOAT IN THE RIVER VARIOUS OF NEW REFUGEES ARRIVED ON MONDAY, BORDER GUARD BANGLADESH GUARDING THEM VARIOUS OF FAMILY OF REFUGEES CRYING VARIOUS SOLDIER STANDING GUARD NEAR THE REFUGEES VARIOUS OF BORDER GUARD DIRECTING REFUGEES TO THE OTHER SIDE OF A ROAD
- Embargoed: 6th December 2016 15:40
- Keywords: Rohingya Muslims Cox's Bazar refugees migrants border Naf river Myanmar
- Location: KUTUPALANG CAMP AND TEKNAF, COX'S BAZAR, BANGLADESH
- City: KUTUPALANG CAMP AND TEKNAF, COX'S BAZAR, BANGLADESH
- Country: Bangladesh
- Topics: Asylum/Immigration/Refugees,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA00159E1X6V
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Hundreds of Rohingya Muslims were directed to the Kutupalang refugee camps in Cox's Bazar on Monday (November 21) after crossing the wide Naf river border to Bangladesh on small boats overnight, Reuters reporters said.
The refugees are seeking shelter from escalating violence in the northwest that has killed at least 86 people and displaced some 30,000.
Sixty-four of those who arrived were held by the Bangladesh border guard (BGB) and returned to Myanmar later in the day.
An official from the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the United Nations' migration agency, who did not want to be identified, said he had witnessed more than 500 people enter its camps in the hills near the border on Monday.
The refugees, an ethnic minority of the Arakan province, said they were fleeing torture and brutality in Myanmar.
"Military killed my husband, set fire to our house so as we did not get any help to save us, we fled our land and have come here," one woman told Reuters.
"As we could not tolerate their tortures, we as a group crossed the river by boat at night, four o'clock we enter Bangladesh," another man said.
Mohammad Abuzar Al Zahid, Commanding Officer of Border Guard Bangladesh, told Reuters Rohingya were continuing to try and enter the country.
"Of course the situation is bad, something happened inside Myanmar and people are trying to enter into Bangladesh, since we are very much vigilant in the bordering area, so we always try to foil the attempts of illegal crossing, they try to come as you know that the Naf river is the boundary in this area, so they try to enter into Bangladesh by using country boats."
Myanmar's state media on Saturday (November 19) denied Bangladesh border guards' accounts of Rohingya Muslims fleeing conflict at home by trying to cross into the northern neighbour.
Soldiers have flooded the north of Rakhine state, along Myanmar's frontier with Bangladesh, responding to attacks by alleged Muslim militants on border posts on Oct. 9.
Sixty-nine suspected insurgents and 17 members of the security forces have been killed since the violence began, according to official reports.
Earlier this month, Myanmar denied accusations by Rohingya that its military had killed people fleeing the conflict which has displaced up to 30,000 people.
Rohingya residents have told Reuters hundreds have tried to flee to Bangladesh after fighting intensified a week ago.
Myanmar's military and the government have rejected allegations by residents and rights groups that soldiers have raped Rohingya women, burnt houses and killed civilians during the military operation in Rakhine.
The U.N. refugee agency has said the border should be kept open for people fleeing violence.
The local officer of the International Organisation for Migration said they were observing the situation. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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