Human Rights Watch has said victims of different crimes in Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh have reported facing layers of barriers to police, legal and medical assistance, with some claiming they could not get the required approval from the camp-in-charge (CiC), a Bangladesh official, to file a report with the police.
In a statement on Thursday, the New York City-based rights group accused authorities in Bangladesh of taking inadequate measures to protect Rohingya refugees in the camps from surging violence by armed groups and criminal gangs.
HRW said it had documented 26 cases of violence against Rohingyas, including murder, kidnapping, torture, rape and sexual assault, and forced marriage, drawing on interviews with 45 Rohingya refugees between January and April 2023 and supporting evidence including police and medical reports.
It recommended the authorities assist refugees by establishing accessible systems to report crimes and promptly investigate complaints.
“Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's past pledges to protect Rohingya refugees are now threatened by violent groups and an indifferent justice system,” said Meenakshi Ganguly, deputy Asia director at HRW. “The Bangladesh authorities' increasingly evident intention to repatriate the Rohingya does not absolve the government of its responsibility to ensure their protection.”
HRW said: “Bangladesh authorities have reported that armed groups killed over 40 Rohingya refugees in the camps in 2022, while at least 48 refugees were killed in the first half of 2023.”
According to HRW, victims of attacks named members of various groups as being responsible, including the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (Arsa), the Rohingya Solidarity Organization (RSO), Munna gang, Islami Mahaz and several others. The Ministry of Defence reported that at least 11 armed groups were operating in the camps.
“No criminal justice system is available to the refugees–they cannot go to the police to file a complaint. Instead, they must approach Bangladesh administrative authorities or security forces in the camps. Several families said they could not get the required approval from the camp-in-charge to file a police report.
“Others said they obtained permission to bring a complaint to the Armed Police Battalion (APBn) but could go no further, as the force has no civilian investigative function. Refugees who did manage to register their case at a local police station said there was no follow-up, often because they could not cover the bribes and legal fees demanded.”
Of the 26 cases HRW documented, only three led to arrests. Most victims interviewed said gangs or armed groups threatened and harassed them after the initial assault, intimidating them into staying silent.
HRW said many victims had also alleged collusion between security force officers and criminals. “The APBn, which has overseen security in the camps since July 2020, is itself responsible for widespread abuses against refugees, including extortion, arbitrary arrests and harassment.”
“The police response to the growing violence has been marked by abuse, with indiscriminate raids and violent crackdowns. Refugees allege that APBn corruption has allowed criminal activity to proliferate, while Rohingya not responsible for crimes have ended up under arrest,” it added.
“Rohingya who sought protection were told to move to other shelters or camps, without any support. Some parents said they sent their children to Malaysia, risking dangerous boat journeys, to protect them from attack. Victims and their family members described ongoing fear and injuries following the attacks, without access to adequate physical and mental healthcare.”
HRW's recommendations
HRW demanded the Bangladesh government develop and carry out a rights-respecting security policy to protect the camp population, in consultation with the refugees and United Nations agencies, including the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), the International Organization for Migration, the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), UN Women and the UN Population Fund.
It also called on donor governments and UN agencies to press Bangladesh to lift the bureaucratic barriers to accessing local police and courts, as well as all restrictions on access to education and livelihoods to reduce illegal and dangerous economic activity in the camps. “The authorities should also end APBn's use of refugees for compulsory night patrols.”
Approximately one million Rohingya refugees are residing in Bangladesh, either on the remote island of Bhashan Char or in the enormous, congested camps in Cox's Bazar. Most of them fled Myanmar military atrocities in 2017.
Due to their unrecognized legal status, Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh are on shaky legal ground and are more susceptible to human rights abuses.
