Muslim armed groups extort Muslim IDPs fleeing to Bangladesh

By Admin 20 Nov 2024

DMG Newsroom
20 November 2024, Maungdaw

Muslim armed groups such as the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) and the Rohingya Solidarity Organization (RSO) are said to be extorting Muslims fleeing fighting between Myanmar’s military regime and the Arakkha Army (AA) in Arakan State’s Maungdaw.

Local Muslims have accused ARSA and RSO of cooperating with boatmen near the Naf River to convince Muslim internally displaced people (IDPs) that they would receive support in refugee camps in Bangladesh, and extorting exorbitant amounts of money from them.

“ARSA and RSO smuggle Muslim IDPs to Bangladesh for a fee. ARSA and RSO coordinate with the Border Guard of Bangladesh to smuggle Muslim IDPs to Bangladesh. I heard that each Muslim IDP has to pay K500,000,” said Ko Nulmaihtawwah, a Muslim man from 4th-Mile Ward in Maungdaw.

ARSA and RSO are asking K500,000 to K1 million for each Muslim IDP, and there are many people who have been sent back to Arakan State after being arrested by the Bangladesh border police.

Daw Fatamahuta, a local Muslim woman from Maung Ni Village in Maungdaw Township, was arrested by Bangladeshi border guards while crossing the Naf River to Bangladesh on October 12, and was sent back to Arakan State.

“We are facing livelihood hardships due to ongoing fighting in Maungdaw. Neighbours who have been on the Bangladesh side for a long time told us that the UN gives them food and medicine when they come to Bangladesh. That’s why they went to Bangladesh. The border guards caught us in Bangladesh and sent us back to Arakan State,” she said.

People in poor health often go to Bangladesh for medical treatment, and many are arrested by Bangladeshi border guards and sent back to Arakan State.

“When we went to Bangladesh for treatment of my daughter’s heart disease, the BGB [Border Guard Bangladesh] arrested us and sent us back to Arakan State. There are also people who leave because of health issues, and there are also people who leave because of food [insecurity],” said Mohamed Kalarayza, a Muslim man from Maungdaw’s Ward-5.

Mohamed Kalarayza’s family went to Bangladesh by boat from Mingalgyi Village in Maungdaw Township on October 8. They were detained and interrogated in Bangladesh for two days before being returned to Arakan State on October 10.

DMG learned during a field investigation that most of the boatmen from Mingalgyi Village pay additional fees to the RSO to transport people to Bangladesh, and only transport Muslim IDPs with the permission of the RSO.

Residents say that one reason Muslim IDPs are fleeing with their families to Bangladesh is due to forced recruitment by Muslim militants.

“The Muslim armed forces need manpower, so if a family has five members, a male child is given to them. No parent wants to give their children to an armed group. Some families flee to Bangladesh because it is not good for them to join the armed group. The Muslim armed forces have captured and tortured those who refused to join them,” said Ko Nulmaihtawwah.

Bangladeshi authorities have said that there are more than 30,000 Muslims from Maungdaw who fled to Bangladesh during the battle for control of Maungdaw.