Rohingya refugees welcome UN team after fleeing from Burma

Thousands of Rohingya Muslims have gathered at a camp in Bangladesh to welcome a UN team that is getting a first-hand look at the plight of refugees who have fled military-led violence in Burma.

The refugees at the Kutupalong camp carried placards, some of which read “We want justice”.

Some 700,000 refugees are seeking UN protection to return home.

The UN team plans to meet some of them, including victims of rape and torture, before continuing to Burma after concluding its three-day.

Representatives from the five permanent Security Council members – China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States – and 10 nonpermanent member states have joined the delegation in the coastal town of Cox’s Bazaar, where the camps are located.

The recent violence in Burma began when Rohingya insurgents staged a series of attacks on August 25 on about 30 security outposts and other targets.

In a subsequent crackdown described by UN and US officials as “ethnic cleansing”, Burma security forces have been accused of rape, killing, torture and the burning of Rohingya homes. Thousands are believed to have been killed.

Rohingya refugees have been rejecting Burma’s proposed ID cards, called the national verification cards, saying they want citizenship.

Burma authorities consider Rohingya to be Bengali immigrants from Bangladesh, and are even refraining from using the word “Rohingya”, even though the refugees said yesterday they belong to Burma where they have been living for centuries.

“We are not Bengali, we are Rohingya. They have killed my family members, they tortured us, they will kill us again,” Mohammed Tayab said, standing in front of a tent where he was expecting to meet the UN team.

Rohingya Muslims as they await the UN team

Wounded refugees walk to the meeting place