After Muslims, Hindus flee persecution in Myanmar

More than 500 Hindus from Myanmar's Rakhine state have crossed over to Bangladesh over the last couple of days. They have taken shelter at a poultry farm near Kutupalong High School near the border in Ukhiya upazila, Cox's Bazar. Babul Sharma, president of Jubo League Kutupalong unit, told the Dhaka Tribune that 165 Hindu families had arrived at Kutupalong by Thursday and more families were expected to cross over the border soon. The Hindu refugees said they had fled their home to escape the persecution being carried out by groups of masked gunmen in Maungdaw amid the escalation of tension in Rakhine. Modhu Ban Shill, 70, along with eight others of his family fled Riazuddin Para area in Maungdow after such an attack. “Some gunmen wearing burqa launched an attack and looted our houses. They beat us up. We could not identify who they were,” he said. Kalu, 80, refugee from Chionchhari area in Maungdaw, said his family could not move out of their house in fear for days before finally deciding to flee to Bangladesh. A series of coordinated attacks by Rohingya insurgents on security forces in the north of Rakhine state and ensuing clashes have triggered the latest Rohingya exodus. The Myanmar authority has also evacuated thousands of Buddhists from the trouble-torn region. Since the attacks, about 18,445 Rohingyas – mostly women and children – have fled to Bangladesh, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) stated on Wednesday. However, according to local sources, the number of the newly arrived Rohingyas in Kutupalong and Balukhali have already crossed 30,000.