UN tells Bangladesh to take in 500 Rohingyas adrift at sea
The United Nations has asked Bangladesh to take in, on humanitarian grounds, the over 500 Rohingyas who are adrift at sea in two trawlers. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet on Friday made this appeal in a letter to the foreign minister AK Abdul Momen.
The US-based human rights organisation Human Rights Watch (HRW) also, on Saturday, issued a statement calling upon Bangladesh to give shelter to the over 500 Rohingyas afloat at sea.
Foreign minister AK Abdul Momen on Friday told the media that Bangladesh has no obligation to take in those Rohingyas. Other countries can come forward to help them. He said, there are many countries in the region. Why is only Bangladesh requested to take them in?
These Rohingyas, lured by human traffickers, had set sail for Malaysia some time back, but after being turned away by the Malaysian authorities they have been adrift in two trawlers.
On Wednesday the two trawlers tried to enter the Bangladesh’s waters, according to diplomatic sources and local sources in Cox’s Bazar. However, their attempts were thwarted by the law enforcement agencies. Latest reports are that they are now near St Martin’s island but in Myanmar maritime territory.
Foreign minister AK Abdul Momen on Friday told the media that Bangladesh has no obligation to take in those Rohingyas. Other countries can come forward to help them. He said, there are many countries in the region. Why is only Bangladesh requested to take them in? He said, the Rohingyas at sea are not in Bangladesh’s territory. They are in the deep sea.
In mid-April this year Bangladesh took in a batch of 400 such Rohingyas who had failed in their attempts to go to Malaysia. They had arrived in a trawler at Cox’s Bazar after two months afloat in the sea. Over 70 of them had died.
In her letter to the foreign minister, Michelle Bachelet referred to these 400 Rohingyas given shelter at Cox’s Bazar. She said the Rohingyas now at sea require food, medicines and humanitarian assistance. She said Bangladesh has won a place of pride because of the shelter it has given the Rohingyas. She strongly appealed to Bangladesh to rescue and give shelter to these Rohingyas until a sustainable solution was reached.
According to the UN refugee organisation UNHCR, there is no food or water on the two trawlers carrying the Rohingyas.