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The curious case of Rohingya refugees

Ziauddin Choudhury
TYPICALLY we in Bangladesh are used to seeing our people migrate to other countries in search of work, a better living, or simply to escape harsh economic conditions. We are used to emigration from our country, and not immigration. That perception was changed abruptly when we faced a large-scale influx of people in our eastern border, from the state of Arakan — a large swath of land in Burma, now Myanmar, in April 1978.
I had joined Chittagong (greater Chittagong that included Cox's Bazar) as Deputy Commissioner toward the end of March 1978. As I was getting to know my new district I was suddenly sucked into this maelstrom in the south eastern corner. From the middle of April a seemingly unending flow of people started to cross into that region through Ukhiya-Teknaf border with Burma. In no time the influx that started with a few hundred swelled into several thousand. The fleeing families complained of evictions
from their homes in the Arakan by the military, loot, rape and murder. Our border guards could not turn families with women and small children away. So the tide began with thousands spilling into the country with their belongings — clothes, utensils and domestic animals.
We neither had the means nor the logistics to handle such a massive flow of people from across the border. What we did however was to stop the human traffic going deeper into the district. The police and the border guards restricted their movement further into the district, but we had to make some impromptu shelters with materials that were locally available — largely tarpaulins. This was augmented with some relief materials available in the district warehouses. However, soon it became apparent to us that with the never-ending tide of human crossings our local efforts would be mere drops of water in a sea. The central authorities were notified, and in a matter of weeks, the whole incident became a scene of human misery on a grand scale
that would need international support.
We would end up finally with over 200,000 of the refugees in that influx who we were able to contain in 13 camps — spread along much of the 117 mile long land border with Burma (Myanmar). Relief came from international organisations as well as foreign NGOs. The government amassed an army of civil servants and law-enforcing agents to administer relief and security of the refugees. Along with that the government also mounted parallel efforts to repatriate the refugees back to their homes in the Arakan. This involved opening dialogue with the Burmese authorities and engaging with them patiently for a solution of the problems.
The root of the problem in repatriation of the refugees was their identity. Who were the Rohingyas?
For the full version of this article please read this month’s Forum, available free with The Dally Star on August 1.
Zlauddin Choudhury Is a former civil servant In Bangladesh, who now works for an International organisation In USA.