ROHINGYA MARK 1ST AIDILFITRI SINCE MYANMAR CRACKDOWN
Refugees mark festival with peaceful demonstration to demand justice, dignified repatriation
AS Muslims around the world celebrated Aidilfitri with feasting and gift-giving, Rohingya refugees in squalid Bangladesh camps marked the festival on Saturday with a peaceful demonstration demanding justice and dignified repatriation.
For the hundreds of thousands of the Muslim minority who fled neighbouring Myanmar since an army crackdown last August, this is the first Aidilfitri they have spent in the cramped tent cities.
Rahim Uddin, 35, said the holiday was different this year.
“But praise God, at least we have a peaceful place to stay and celebrate. We can go to mosques without interruption,” he said at the Kutupalong camp here.
The camp’s mosques were full on Saturday morning as refugees prayed for safety from flash floods and sudden landslides that they fear could be triggered by monsoon rains. They then exchanged embraces.
Later, as children roamed in new clothes and enjoyed merrygo-round rides and other entertainment, hundreds of refugees staged an hour-long protest, a common occurrence in the camps.
Holding banners and placards, demonstrators shouted slogans demanding Rohingya citizenship, dignified repatriation to Myanmar and security from the United Nations.
Community leader Mohammad Mohibullah said they want UN to “include a Rohingya representative in the repatriation agreement” procedure.
UN could not be reached for comment immediately.
About 700,000 Rohingya have arrived in Bangladesh since the crackdown that UN and the United States said amounted to “ethnic cleansing”, joining those who had fled earlier violence in mainly Buddhist Myanmar.
“I sold some rations in the local market to buy my children new clothes. They are very happy,” refugee Manu Mia said as many households prepared traditional desserts for the children.
Gul Meher, 80, made vermicelli called semai for her son and four grandchildren.
“I feel very happy, though we managed to cook a little, only for my grandkids.