Hill Voice, 15 June 2024, Special Correspondent: The Gunfight between Rohingya Solidarity Organization (RSO) and Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) often takes place over establishing supremacy in Rohingya camps. On June 10, 2024, the RSO and the ARSA fought fiercely in Teknaf Rohingya refugee camp killing 3 Rohingya refugees and injuring 10 to 12. They are now under treatment in Cox’s Bazar Hospital.
For insecurity due to frequent gun battles, hundreds of Rohingya refugees have left their camps, and entered Bandarban hill districts and Cox’s Bazar randomly. The local administration has no supervision and monitoring to this regard.
Due to involvement of Rohingya refugees in crimes such as theft, banditry, robbery, drug trade, the anti-social and immoral activities are increasing in Cox’s Bazar and Bandarban hill districts. The RSO, the ARSA, the Rohingya all are involved in yaba, gold and cow smuggling. Local law and order forces as well as administration are indifferent to these criminal activities.
According to local sources, to fight against Arakan Army (AA) in Arakan and carry out violence against Rakhines along with the Myanmar army, hundreds of Rohingyas have crossed into Arakan of Myanmar with the help of the ARSA and the Myanmar army train Rohingyas in Arakan for the same.
The aim of Myanmar’s junta is to mobilize Rohingya refugees and ARSA to fight against the AA and burn out and destroy the Rakhine villages. These Rohingyas are provided red cards who have crossed into Arakan from Cox’s Bazar refugee camps. All kinds of facilities including fooding are free for the Red Card holders there.
Reportedly, APBN, BGB, Army, NSI, DGFI of Cox’s Bazar district of Bangladesh have involved and fuelled the ARSA and Rohingyas crossing into Arakan.
According to Arakan sources, the Myanmar army are in a conspiracy to destroy Rakhine state by the ARSA and the Rohingya refugees.
Notably, in 1991 and 2015, refugee camps for Rohingyas from Arakan in Myanmar were built in Ukhia and Teknaf in Cox’s Bazar district and Naikkongchari upazila of Bandarban district of Bangladesh. Now the Rohingya population is more than 18 lakhs.
The Rohingya refugee camps are under the control of ARSA and den of anti-social, immoral, murder, extortion, kidnapping, drug trade, extortion activities. Due to these crimes, Rohingya refugees have become hostages to Arsa forces, howover, police, BGB and administration is helpless addressing the crime.
Millions of refugees have scattered in various upazilas of Cox’s Bazar district and Bandarban district, and led a floating life engaging in various profession- day laborer, hotel boy, brick kiln worker, rickshaw puller. drivers etc. The Rohingyas are merging with locals having social relations.
In Bandarban, the Rohingyas are being given permanent resident certificates and included in the electoral roll with the help of the administration and some local political leaders. So, Rohingyas have availed various facilities including getting admitted in educational institutions and jobs.
