BURMA NEWS INTERNATIONAL

 

19 November 2004

 

 

Five killed, Over 100 Wounded, Over 100 Arrested in Police-Refugee

Camp Melee

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Kaladan Press Network

 

Cox’s Bazar, November 19: At least five refugees were killed, over 100

wounded and more than 100 arrested Nov. 18 in a violent clash between

refugees and police at Kutupalong refugee camp at Ukhiya Upazila in

Cox’s Bazar district, said a refugee leader who prefered not to

mention his name.

 

The trouble erupted at about 9.30 a.m. when about 100 refugees were

holding a meeting against their forced repatriation to Burma in the

Kutupalong Refugee Camp, the refugee leader said.

 

On hearing the meeting was being held, Camp-in-charge Mohammad Nurul

Alam Chowdhury and police officer Mohammad Wahid, with cooperation of

police and ansars (village security), went to the meeting place and

ordered the refugees not to hold such meetings in the camp, and

arrested refugee leader Mohammad Issique, a schoolteacher. Afterwards,

a clash started between police and refugees as refugees tried to

rescue  Mohammad Issique, a majee (barracks leader) in the camp said.

 

During the clash, a stone hit the police officer's head and the camp

in-charge escaped unhurt. At this stage, police and ansars opened fire

on refugees by police order. Three refugees were killed and more than

100 wounded by police. Police and ansars fired around 200 rounds of

gunfire in the clash, but refugees resisted by throwing stones, sticks

and hoes in self-defence, the barracks leader said. 

 

Over 100 refugees were arrested by police and ansars within two days.

Of these, Mohamed Sultan 60, Abul Basher 60, Haron Rashid 45, Saleh

Ahmed 40, Abdul Amin 24, Kamal Uddin 25, Shabbir Ahmed 45, Noor Ahmed

50, Kashem Ali 48 and refugee leader Mohamed Issique 40 said another

refugee leader was out of the camp for his own security.

 

At least 90 refugees and 10 police including ansars were injured in

the clash that continued for half an hour. Police officer Wahid was

admitted to Cox’s Bazar Sadar Hospital. The other injured police and

ansars were treated at the Health Center of Concern Bangladesh, an NGO

inside the refugee camp, he said.

 

After the clash ended, the refugees fled into the deep forests in

nearby hills. Today there are no male refugees in the camp, only

females, to avoid arrest by police and ansars. Taking advantage of the

male refugee's absence, local people nearby entered the refugee camp

early this morning and robbed the refugees of their belongings,

according to a refugee who escaped from the camp.

 

The refugees who died on the spot were Saleh Ahamed 55, Mohamed Sadek

21, son of Molvi Hasson, and Eshan Ullah 10, son of Kabir. Two other

refugees died at Cox’s Bazar Sadar Hospital while getting medical

treatment but their names were unavailable as authorities controlled

information, said another refugee who escaped from Kutupalong to Cox’s

Bazar and stayed near the hospital.

 

The injured police and ansars are police officer Mohammad Wahid 45 of

Ukhiya police station; constables Babala Bishas, Salim, Razu and

Mostafa; and ansars Mobin, Sona Ullah and Shapan, said a police

officer from Ukhiya.

 

Of the over 100 refugees wounded, Kalu Afzal, Zahaid, Alam, Aman

Ullah, Rashida Begum the mother of two children, and Asia Khatoon 27,

wife of Hussain and mother of five are in critical condition at Cox’s

Bazar Sadar Hospital. Some wounded refugees were admitted at Ukhiya

and Rabeta Hospitals and some at Concern Bangladesh Health Center in

Kutupalong Refugee Camp, said a local shopkeeper near the refugee

camp.

 

When asked, someone at the UNHCR at Cox’s Bazar said, “Today is a

holiday, there is no staff in our office so we are unable to give you

any information about the Kutupalong refugee camp.”

 

Boonshan Sangfai, in charge of Cox’s Bazar UNHCR office, accompanied

by another UNHCR officer from Dhaka, visited Kutupalong refugee camp

to observe the situation of the camp, but no details are known by

anyone, a female refugee said.

 

At present, the situation in the camp is under control, according to

Cox’s Bazar Deputy Commissioner M. Habibur Rahaman. There are over

8,000 refugees in Kutupalong and 12,000 in the Nayapara camps.

 

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Burma News International is a network of nine exiled media groups

such as Mizzima News, Shan Herald Agency for News, Kao Wao News Group,

Khonumthung News Group, Narinjara News, Kaladan Press Network,