SINCE August, 439,000 Rohingya seeking refuge from violence in Rakhine state, specifically in Maungdaw township, have crossed into Bangladesh. The Naf river forms a natural border between Bangladesh and Myanmar.

The new wave brings the total undocumented Myanmar nationals up to 607,735 from 164,000 in early August.

The movement of people is fluid across Cox’s Bazar, shifting between Kutupalong, Balukhali, and Teknaf. The Kutupalong refugee camp, home to about 13,900 registered refugees spread over 22ha, was established in 1992.

The area around the camp designated for makeshift settlements has expanded by more than 270ha with an estimated 176,000 new refugees.

Military might

Sitting under a makeshift shelter made of bamboo and plastic sheets, the only protection these refugees have against rains and heat, they share their tales of horrors – of the military indiscriminately killing people and razing entire villages.

“The military would shoot our people. If the person is still alive, a Buddhist monk will come and cut that person. Even children, they would put knives on the ground and then throw the children up in the air, so they fall and get cut,” said Lal Mia, 60, who fled from Maungdaw.

“They come in to the village and burned all the houses. We had to run to save our lives,” he said, retracing his route across the Naf river before settling at Tengkhali camp.

Myanmar’s Nobel laureate and civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi has condemned the violence in Rakhine state, but refuses to single out acts committed by the Myanmar military.

Through a power-sharing structure, the army controls three key ministries – defence, home affairs and border affairs. The most recent wave of violence began with attacks by militant Rohingya groups, which was met with “clearance operations” by security personnel.

The most vulnerable victims of any humanitarian crisis are the children, who make up nearly 29% of the newly arrived.

At Kutupalong camp, a child said: “We play anything. We have nothing to do. This girl here,” one of the older ones pointed to a little girl with short hair in a red dress, “she is still looking for her mother”.

Convert or die

At Shah Porir Dwip, where the Naf river drains out to the Bengal Sea, in complete darkness, Rohingya refugees alight from a wooden boat and make their way to shore.

Once on land, they catch their breath, filling their lungs with Bangladesh air after crossing the imaginary boundary.

The Rohingya are officially stateless. Myanmar refuses to acknowledge them and insists they are immigrant Bengalis.

Bangladesh, on the other hand, has committed to offering safe haven for those fleeing violence but insists the Rohingya belong in Rakhine and must return.

“The violence is getting worse. Those who didn’t want to come before are now planning to come,” said a refugee on a hilltop in Tengkhali camp, looking across the border.

His mobile phone is fitted with a long antenna, allowing him to speak to his sister behind the mountain range in the distance. Others join in the conversation. 


“They discriminate against us because of our religion. Because we are Muslims. If we convert to their religion (Buddhism), then they will accept us. But, how can we? We are Rohingya Muslims,” they said.

Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has repeatedly voiced her government’s commitment towards helping the refugees.

Overseas help

Malaysian organisations are eager to help. While the intention is noble, they must work together with Dhaka and not against them.

Trying to circumvent the system and distribute aid on a tourist visa severely undermines the relationship that relief organisations like Mercy Malaysia and Islamic Relief Malaysia have both forged with Bangladesh for many years.

“A sustained relationship is very important for the stakeholders… the government departments, groups and the beneficiaries themselves.

“The main purpose is we want to help people get out of the crisis and poverty. We are then able to identify their needs and respond to them accordingly,” said Zairulshahfuddin Zainal Abidin, CEO of Islamic Relief Malaysia.

“We have done our assessment. We have been helping on the ground for more than 10 years now, with local Bangladeshi staff. With the current assessment, we will be providing emergency assistance which would consist of water, food, shelter and health.”

In Kutupalong Camp, an MSF (Medicines sans Frontiers) clinic receives more than 1,000 patients every day.

Next to it is Action Against Hunger, providing nutrition kits to lactating mothers, senior citizens and children.

As of September 21, 4.6 million individual food rations have been distributed by partners, reaching more than 359,000 people.

Among the new arrivals, there are nearly 24,000 pregnant and lactating women who require maternal healthcare support.

Morium Begum is one of them. “I had to deliver my child while on the run. Luckily, there was a house in the jungle where a family took care of me. With my newborn, we continued our journey,” said the mother of five who escaped from Sowprang, Buthidaung.

Her child is now safe in their shelter in Tengkhali Camp. Her eldest son Abdullah, 15, had to stop school to help the family.

On September 28, a boat carrying refugees across the Naf river sank, killing at least 15, of whom 10 were children.

The journey across the water separating life and death is a lonely one but when they land on the beach, locals rush to help and guide them to a safe house.

The border guards make their usual rounds, stopping the refugees to check the contents of their sacks for contraband items.

For now, the refugees disappear into the darkness, but tomorrow they will continue their journey to the camps.

The beach is once again empty, save for the faint glow of a mobile phone screen. A man is seated at the edge of the concrete walkway, waiting for the rest of his family to arrive. He has been waiting for three days. – October 5, 2017.

* The photos are here.