Hundreds of Rohingya Muslims from Myanmar fled into Bangladesh this week to escape the violence that has massacred at least 86 people and displaced about 30,000 people.
Rohingyans who managed to enter Bangladesh sought shelter in refugee camps. A refugee boat sank in a river while crossing the river Naaf that seperates Myanmar and Bangladesh. Seven people were missing after the incident, Reuters reported.
There was a group of people from our village who crossed the river by boat to come here, but suddenly the boat sank. Although many of those on board could swim, and were able to reach the river bank, seven people remain missing,” Reuters quoted a Rohingyan as saying.
Rohingya residents and human rights group alleged that the military and border guard forces raped Rohingya women, torched houses and killed civilians during the military operation in Rakhine, Myanmar’s western state.
The 2012 communal violence in Rakhine poses the biggest change yet for the eight-month-old administration of Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi.
The Rohingya area is under military lock down. A humanitarian effort to provide medicine and food to more than 150,000 people has been suspended for more than 40 days.
Bangladesh government on Wednesday summoned Myanmar’s ambassador to express concern at the situation.
Myanmar’s 1.1 million Rohingya people are considered as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh by many people in the Buddhist-majority country.
