Worldwide of Rohingya

A group of Rohingya migrants who say they were beaten and burned by Myanmar soldiers as they tried to flee on a boat to Thailand are facing likely deportation back to Myanmar after a Thai court convicted them of illegally entering the country.

The group of 78 men was intercepted earlier this week by Thai authorities, who have themselves faced accusations of abusing Rohingya boat people in recent days.

A Thai court on Wednesday convicted 66 Rohingya men of illegally entering the country, raising the prospect they could be deported.

A provincial court judge in the southern Thai town of Ranong fined each defendant 1,000 baht ($30). When none of the men were able to pay the fine, the judge sentenced them each to five days in prison. (more…)

Japan’s new administration should protect Burmese Rohingya asylum seekers in Japan and press Burma to end abuses against the minority group, eight Japanese and international organizations said today. The groups sent a joint letter to the newly inaugurated justice minister, Keiko Chiba, and foreign minister, Katsuya Okada.

“Tokyo’s silence sends a message to Burma’s generals that their horrendous persecution of the Rohingya can continue,” said Kanae Doi, Tokyo director at Human Rights Watch. “Japan’s new government should urgently review its policies to protect the Rohingya both in Japan and in Burma.”

The organizations urged Chiba to rescind deportation orders that would return asylum seekers to Burma and to grant Special Residential Permits to Rohingya in Japan. Over the past decade, more than 110 Rohingya have made their way to Japan, mainly by air, and petitioned the Japanese government for asylum. While there have been no reports of forcible repatriation of Rohingya asylum seekers to Burma, many Rohingya in Japan have been denied refugee status, detained, and issued deportation orders. (more…)

Bangladesh, Minggu (11/10) mengatakan pihaknya mengirim pasukan tambahan ke perbatasan dengan Myanmar karena Yangon meningkatkan kekuatan militer di sepanjang perbatasan 320km, sebagian dekat Sungai Naf.

Para pejabat senior militer mengatakan Bangladesh mengirim tiga brigade angkatan darat ke perbatasan tenggaranya setelah Myanmar menggelar kontingen-kontingen angkatan darat reguler baru bersama dengan pasukan perbatasan Nasaka, dan menambah arileri.

“Mereka tampaknya terus meningkatkan pasukan,” kata Letkol Azam dari Tentara Nasional Bangladesh (penjaga perbatasan) di Naikhyangchhari, kamp perbatasan paramiliter.

“Tetapi kami mengharapkan penambahan pasukan itu tidak akan meningkat dalam baku tembak,” katanya kepada Reuters di distrik perbatasan Cox’Bazar. (more…)

Pemerintah daerah Aceh Timur meminta agar pemerintah pusat membantu penanganan pengungsi Rohingya yang masih berada di kawasan itu.

Wakil Bupati Aceh Timur Nasrudin Abubakar mengatakan di kawasan Idi Rayeuk saat ini hanya tinggal 14 orang pengungsi dari sekitar 198 yang datang pada bulan Januari dan Februari lalu.

“Mereka lari dalam sembilan gelombang, biasanya pagi hari sekitar pukul 3 sampai 5 pagi,” kata Nasrudin.

Mereka yang lari ini pergi ke Malaysia, melalui Medan, dan memberitahu kepada teman-teman lain yang masih ada di Idi Rayeuk bahwa mereka telah tiba di negara itu. (more…)