Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh must be given the right to participate in decisions affecting their lives and speak for themselves, Amnesty International said on Monday in a news briefing.
The briefing, “Let us speak for our rights”, outlines how exclusion from decision-making is impacting the rights of Rohingya refugees – from freedom of expression, assembly and movement to access to healthcare and education.
The briefing also calls for a full and thorough investigation into allegations that Rohingya refugees have been subjected to extrajudicial executions.
“For decades, the Rohingya were subjected to persecution and discrimination in Myanmar, with hundreds of thousands forced to flee their homes because of crimes against humanity committed against them,” said David Griffiths, Director of the Office of the Secretary General at Amnesty International.
“While the Bangladeshi authorities have taken many positive steps to support the Rohingya refugees, there is a lack of transparency in decisions, which almost entirely exclude Rohingya involvement. What is needed is a clear policy that is inclusive of Rohingya voices to ensure their human rights are properly protected.”
Amnesty International is also calling on the international community to support and work with the Bangladeshi authorities to develop the policy as part of their international cooperation and assistance to protect the Rohingya refugees.
They are facing lack of education facilities, gender based violence, lack freedom of expression among others.
Freedom of movement and liberty
In May, the Bangladeshi authorities took more than 300 Rohingya refugees to Bhashan Char, a remote island made up entirely of silt, that has yet to be assessed by the UN for its habitability.
Amnesty International spoke to two Rohingya women and one man in Bhashan Char together with another eight family members of 13 Rohingya refugees who are currently on the island.
In two interviews, Rohingya refugees told Amnesty International that they heard accounts of sexual harassment or abuse at the hands of police and navy officials on the island. Amnesty International is calling on the Bangladeshi authorities to conduct a full and thorough investigation into these allegations.
Rohingya refugees said that they share a room with two to five people of roughly 50 square feet, a space just about enough for one person. There are 16 of these rooms in each shed and only two toilets.
All they were provided with on arrival were a piece of clothing, a mosquito net and a plate. Many of them have had their bed sheet stitched into clothing by some Rohingya women with sewing skills.
They said that food is distributed twice a day and they are tired of having the same food since they arrived on the island. The only healthcare facility is a mobile clinic operated by the Navy that opens for four hours a day between 8am and 12pm.
Refugees told Amnesty International that they were often not allowed to leave their sheds.
The prolonged confinement of the Rohingya refugees on the island is a violation of Articles 9 and 12 of Bangladesh’s obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which protects the right of everyone’s liberty and freedom to choose their residence within a territory.
