Mass Beating By Police In Nayapara Rohingya Refugee Camp in Bangladesh

By Andrew Day

RB News

October 21, 2013

Cox's Bazaar, Bangladesh - According to refugees within Nayapara refugee camp, as many as 15 people were beaten by police on the evening of October 19, 2013. One sub-Inspector and two Police Constables entered the camp responding to reports of a quarrel. 

Local refugees say that the quarrel started when four local Bengali boys entered the camp at about 7:30pm. The group allegedly attempted to take a Rohingya refugee boy, accusing that he owed them money. Although locals said that the accusations were false and that the boys were merely robbers. 

The police entered the camp at about 8:15pm and "became excited." They headed toward the community centre where the altercation was said to have taken place. They beat any refugees that got within the range of their cane sticks. 

By the time the police reached the community centre the youths had already dispersed. The police approached 45 year old Sayed Ahmed from Block D, Shed #718. He attempted to explain that he was on his way to bring his 8 year old daughter a bowl of rice. She is staying at a small IDP hospital within the camp. This hospital is operated by Ministry of Health (MOH) a Bangladesh based organization. According to locals, the hospital does not give proper care and people die there daily. 

Not hearing or caring about what Ahmed had to say, the police began to beat him with their cane sticks. Once down, they kicked him with their boots. Badly injuring his toe and cutting open his knee. They kicked the backside of his body as he laid on the ground. 

Beatings from police is a regular occurrence for Rohingya refugees. Stories like this have been told since the Bangladesh government controlled camps opened in the early 1990's. Nayapara and Kutupalong camps hold over 30000 Rohingya refugees who fled from Myanmar. To many of the inhabitants it is the only home they ever known. They were born there. Many speak Bengali, not Burmese. A generation of people growing up being treated as nothing by the country that they were born in. Accustomed to senseless beatings by police and terrible living conditions just because of their ethnicity and origin. Common too are local Bengalis taking advantage to abuse and exploit Rohingyas. Knowing that laws are not built to protect refugees. There is nowhere for them to turn to when these abuses happen. All avenues including the UNCHR will have ears that fall back to the Bangladesh government who will certainly not take action against their own officials. 

These living conditions are still considerably better than those of the over 200000 unregistered Rohingya refugees living in the woods and makeshift ghettos just outside Kutupalong camp. Absolute squaller, hunger and disease is life for them.