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Rohingya refugees living in camps near Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh are said to have been caught in the midst of police “violence” and militant militias.
Bangladeshi security forces launched an offensive following the assassination of Mohibullah, a Rohingya freedom fighter, who was shot dead near terrorists in his office in the Kutupalong refugee camp in late September.
Following the assassination of Mohibullah, Bangladesh Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen vowed to “take strong action” against the insurgents, saying “no one will survive”. More than 170 Rohingya people have been detained so far as part of the crackdown.
Refugees say the killing of Mohibullah has been the result of brutal treatment by the Bangladeshi military, with cases of insults, kidnappings, violence, and even rape.
Al Jazeera spoke to some of the refugees about the cases.
Ahmed * said he saw armed men asking a woman to “remove the niqab (veil)”.
In another case, he reported seeing an upset woman screaming at a certain location.
“When I asked him why, he said the police use self-defense measures to touch his genitals,” he said.
He further added that increased security following the death of Mohibullah had made almost every Rohingya in the camp suspicious.
“Ninety-nine percent of refugees are not bad but treat us as equals.”
Hussein *, another Al Jazeera refugee he spoke to, cited at least eight kidnappings by security forces ranging from 700 Bangladeshi taka ($ 8) to 2,000 taka ($ 23), saying the refugees had donated to return their phones.
He also said that he was also asked about the new phone numbers on his contact list.
“They look at WhatsApp, Facebook, email, messenger. When they find foreign contacts, they accuse us of selling information and working with criminals.
He said that the checkpoints in the camps reminded him that he was in Myanmar under brutal military rule. “The police have no compassion or compassion. When you need help, you need it all. ”
Bangladeshi police chief Naimal Huq has denied the allegations.
“We did not receive much of this information from anyone, the camps are empty. The police are doing all their work and investigating, “he told Al Jazeera.
“There are some illegal activities going on in the camp, such as theft and drugs, so the police just arrest these people.”
Referring to the abuse of Rohingya mothers by the police, she said: “This is a lie. We have no such report in our country.”
Consequences of the assassination of Mohibullah
Mohibullah, 46, was a former science teacher who became the leader of the Arakan Rohingya Society for Peace and Human Rights, an NGO that was responsible for documenting atrocities against Myanmar military forces that forced 750,000 Rohingya to flee to Bangladesh in August 2017.
Locals say his nonviolent attempts to prevent the repatriation of refugees violated a crackdown on weapons carried out by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), the Mohibullah militia accused of killing him.
ARSA, formerly known as Harakatul Yakeen, launched in October 2016. It claims to be fighting for more than a million Rohingya who have been denied fundamental rights, including citizens.
SOAS Global Thought professor Dr Arshin Adib-Moghaddam told Al Jazeera: “Mohibullah was the one who was persecuted for his survival.
An unidentified Rohingya man told Al Jazeera Mohibullah he was “envious” of those who did not help him and killed him “because he refused to join ARSA”.
But he said the loss of Mohibullah has now shattered the freedom hope that people had hoped for since his 2019 meeting with US President Donald Trump. “It is a great tragedy for the whole community. Everyone’s hope was shattered by ARSA terrorists.”
Bangladeshi officials have told Al Jazeera that so far nine people have been arrested in connection with the killings. It was not confirmed if the individuals were members of ARSA.
Human Rights Watch South Asia leader Meenakshi Ganguly agrees that Mohibullah’s death will ruin the Rohingya war.
“The Rohingya group needs the leadership of the people to speak out for their rights. Mohibullah has already spoken at the UN in Geneva and has gone to the US. It is unfortunate that refugees have lost their emotional voices,” he told Al Jazeera.
Between the rock is a difficult place
The assassination of Mohibullah has also created an unsettled and unsafe climate in the camps, resulting in increased security following the killing of seven people at an Islamic seminary a few days after the Rohingya leader was assassinated.
The violence erupted last week when Mohammad Hashim, a police officer suspected of being a member of ARSA, was found dead after being killed by a group of protesters.
Rohingya refugees say they are facing the Mohibullah massacre and investigations into the killing of Bangladeshi officials.
On the other hand, he fears that the incident will serve as a warning to what can happen to those who speak. On the other hand, it is alleged that the shooting provides an opportunity for some in the Bangladeshi military to take up the cause of violence, kidnappings, violence and torture.
Jabir * told Al Jazeera that police accused him of being a “terrorist” and using his cell phone to send information to ARSA because the group’s activities appeared on his Facebook page.
Jabir said he was escorted to a house where he was told to pay or be added to the list of suspected suspects.
“I was terrified. We do not hear what happens to the people who arrest them. But he took a picture of me and told me not to talk to anyone about it, “he told Al Jazeera.
Omran * said he saw security personnel using Bluetooth to send photos of ARSA members on Rohingya phones that were illuminated on social media.
“He wanted to make a false accusation in order to get money. And if I do not donate, I may be suspicious of Mohibullah’s assassination, “he told Al Jazeera.
Rohingya journalist Saiful Arakani told Al Jazeera that “innocent Rohingya intentions lead to accidents” in the camps.
The 25-year-old journalist said he was currently in hiding after talks with his Mohibullah brother sparked deadly threats from ARSA.
“When the Rohingya are threatened with police arrests, they flee into hiding and look for shelter. If they do not find it, they will join ARSA.”
UNHCR spokeswoman Catherine Stubberfield told Al Jazeera that the UN “does not comment on individual cases of privacy and security” but “urges Bangladesh officials to take immediate and effective action to improve security in refugee camps”.
ARSA violence was also reported in a video seen by Al Jazeera, showing a woman claiming her husband had been killed by robbers.
“My daughter and I tried to stop them, but they beat me cruelly and took me away,” she said in the video.
A Rohingya man said that the secrecy of ARSA members made it “extremely difficult” to imagine the size of the group. He also described himself as “very large” and had “financial advisers in Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia and Australia”.
But he said people in the camp are afraid to talk about what happened because “the person you are staying with may be a member of ARSA”.
“We cannot trust everyone; we cannot condemn them because we do not know who they are in the camp. They would come at night with blindfolds and drag us out of the house and kill us. Then we will be silent, “he said.
But he agreed with an Arab journalist that police threatening innocent Rohingya to arrest had contributed to the rise of ARSA camps.
* Some people’s names have been changed to protect their people
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