translated from Spanish: Rohinya Bangladesh officials: “We won’t go” to Myanmar

COX completo BAZAR, Bangladesh (AP) – about 1,000 refugees rohinya marched on Thursday in a camp in Bangladesh against the plans to repatriate them to Myanmar, where tens of thousands have fled the violence led by the army last year. In Unchiprang, one of the settlements of larger refugee, near the town of Cox completo Bazaar, a Bangladeshi official pleaded with the rohinya that they were returned to their country.” You have arranged everything for you, we have six buses here, we have trucks, we have food. We offer them all. If they agree to leave, take them to the border, to the transit camp”, said through a loudspeaker.

″ We won’t go! “, chanted hundreds of voices, including children, in response. Authorities in Bangladesh said that the repatriation of some of the more than 700,000 rohinya currently living in the country would begin Thursday if they were willing to return, despite calls from the United Nations and humanitarian groups to suspend operation . But it was not clear if there were volunteers. The Commissioner for refugees, Abul Kalam, declined to comment what will the Bangladeshi authorities if refugees opposing repatriation. According to the agreement between Bangladesh and Myanmar, sponsored by the UN, the rohinya may not be forced to return to their country.
“If they agree, we will take you to the transit camp and will give them food for three days before turning them over to the authorities in Burma,” said.

Rohinya exodus began in August last year when Myanmar forces launched a brutal campaign of repression after the attacks of an insurgent group. The scale, organization and hardness of the operation provoked accusations of ethnic cleansing and genocide by the international community, including the UN. Most of the population of Myanmar, a majority Buddhist nation, does not accept that the Muslims rohinya are a native ethnic group and regard them as “Bengali” who entered illegally from Bangladesh. The authorities have denied citizenship to almost all since 1982, as well as access to education and health. Despite guarantees by Myanmar, human rights activists said Thursday that even safe conditions for the return are not given. In this note:

Original source in Spanish