The tens of thousands of members of Myanmar\u2019s Rohingya community who fled inter-communal violence in north of the country and sought refuge in Bangladesh remain highly vulnerable and risk being \u201cre-victimized even in exile\u201d unless urgent action is taken, a senior United Nations refugee protection official has warned.<\/p>\n
According to Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR<\/a>) estimates, as of February, some 74,000 Rohingya members were living in camps and makeshift sites in Bangladesh, many in need of adequate shelter before the rainy season starts.<\/p>\n \u201cWithout proper support, they also face risks such as child labour, gender-based violence and trafficking,\u201d said Shinji Kubo, UNHCR Representative in Bangladesh, in a news release<\/a> issued by the Office.<\/p>\n While Rohingya displacement has persisted for decades, it made headlines last October when attacks on border posts in Myanmar\u2019s northern Rakhine province triggered a security clearance operation that drove an estimated 43,000 civilians into neighbouring Bangladesh by the year\u2019s end.<\/p>\n In a report (issued in February) into the violence<\/a>, the UN human rights wing (OHCHR<\/a>) had documented mass gang-rape, killings, including that of babies and young children, brutal beatings, disappearances and other serious human rights violations by Myanmar\u2019s security forces.<\/p>\n Many witnesses and victims interviewed by OHCHR had also described being taunted while they were being beaten, raped or rounded up, such as being told \u201cyou are Bangladeshis and you should go back\u201d or \u201cWhat can your Allah do for you? See what we can do?\u201d<\/p>\n The latest findings released by UNHCR in its new report on mixed movements in south-east Asia indicate that more than 168,000 Rohingya members could have fled Myanmar in the last five years. The total number of Rohingya refugees in the region and those internally displaced is estimated at 420,000 and 120,000 respectively.<\/p>\n Prior to the recent violence, Malaysia was the preferred destination for many Rohingya.<\/p>\n Between 2012 and 2015, an estimated 112,500 of them risked their lives on smuggler\u2019s boats in the Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea in the hope of reaching Malaysia, with hopes of finding work in the informal sector.<\/p>\n Those who made this difficult sea journey ranged from individuals fleeing the 2012 inter-communal violence in Rakhine to those who grew increasingly desperate amid restrictions back home on their freedom of movement and access to services and livelihoods.<\/p>\n However, after regional Governments increased action against maritime smuggling networks in 2015, the route has been disrupted, with no confirmed boat arrivals in Malaysia last year. Furthermore, among those who tried to reach Malaysia overland in 2016, more than 100 \u2013 about half of them Rohingya \u2013 were reportedly arrested in Myanmar and Thailand.<\/p>\n The UNHCR report also explores other routes taken by the Rohingya, including to India via Bangladesh. It notes a steady but slowing stream of arrivals since 2012 numbering at least 13,000 people.<\/p>\n \u201cLooking at the declining arrival numbers in India, it is safe to assume that this overland route has not replaced the maritime one,\u201d said Keane Shum of UNHCR\u2019s Regional Mixed Movements Monitoring Unit.<\/p>\n \u201cCompared to those who went to Malaysia by sea, the Rohingya in India travelled in larger family units and chose the route as it was cheaper and safer.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.thestateless.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Rohingya-boat-in-Naaf-River.jpg\")
<\/a>Inter-communal violence, economic hardship driving desperation<\/em><\/h5>\n