Five killed in Balukhali Rohingya Camp gunfight

Staff Reporter  :
The Rohingya camps, originally established to provide refuge for the forcibly displaced Rohingya population, have become hotspots of terror activities, posing a significant threat to stability in the region.

Incidents of violence, including murders, gun fights, drug trafficking, and rapes, have escalated, amplifying concerns about the deteriorating situation within the camps.

On Friday morning, a gunfight erupted between two armed groups inside a Rohingya camp, resulting in the deaths of five suspected members of the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), a Myanmar-based armed group.

The clash was reported to have occurred between ARSA and another recently reorganised armed group, the Rohingya Solidarity Organisation RSO. These clashes between different groups striving to establish dominance within the camps have become distressingly common, further destabilising an already fragile environment.

The commanding officer of the Armed Police Battalion-8, Amir Zafar, told the media on Friday that a deadly clash broke out between the ARSA and the RSO at approximately 6:15 am in Balukhali Camp-8, resulting in the deaths of five individuals.

Law enforcers stated that the expansive nature of the camps makes it increasingly difficult to maintain a comprehensive security presence, leading to a rise in criminal activities.

The safety of the Rohingya population, as well as the surrounding communities, is at stake as the camp environment becomes increasingly perilous.

The Rohingya exodus, which began on August 25, 2017, is set to complete its cycle of seven years this month. However, despite the passage of time, the Myanmar government has consistently delayed the repatriation process, leaving more than 1.1 million Rohingya refugees stranded in Bangladesh.

There has not been a single repatriation since the exodus began, and the lack of progress has been a source of frustration and disappointment for both the Rohingya population and the host country.

Earlier on Friday, Mohammad Rafiqul Alam, Director General (Additional Charge) of Public Diplomacy Wing told the journalists during the weekly media briefing at the ministry that intensive discussions are underway between China and Myanmar in an attempt to facilitate the voluntary repatriation of forcibly displaced Rohingyas.

He, however, came up with the information that the ministry does not have any information when the repatriation will begin.

“No specific date for the commencement of repatriation has been finalised yet. The arrival of the monsoon season has also contributed to the delay in initiating the repatriation process,” he said.

But the burden imposed by the Rohingya population on Bangladesh continues to grow, with no concrete resolution in sight.

The international community, including countries such as the United States, Canada, and various European nations, has expressed their willingness to help find a solution to the crisis.

However, so far, their promises have been met with lukewarm responses, leaving the Rohingya population in a state of uncertainty and vulnerability.

Recently, a delegation of Rohingya representatives visited Maungdaw, Myanmar, to assess the sites where they would potentially be repatriated once the process begins. But after their visit, they continued demanding their citizenships and lands before returning there.

Meanwhile, Foreign Ministry reported that Eamon Gilmore, the Special Representative of the European Union for Human Rights, will visit Rohingya camps in Cox’s Bazar in the last week of July.

Even the ministry also said that currently, a delegation led by the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court Karim AA Khan has been visiting Rohingya camps in Cox’s Bazar to see the overall situation there.

Apart from this, another delegation led by US Under-Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy and Human Rights Uzra Zeya, is scheduled to visit Rohingya camps during their visit between July11-14.