My Meena Award Nominated Scholarly Article on The South Asian Times

Stateless Rohingya Children: futures, dreams lost

Part-1

Newborn Jabbar’s gets an unpredictable fate

DEEPAK KUMAR ACHARJEE

25 November 2023

Meet Jabbar. A newborn baby boy in a makeshift house on November 21 this year in Jamtoli Rohingya camp-15 under Thaingkhali of Ukhiya Upazila in Cox`s Bazar, Bangladesh. His father Sabbir Ahmed and mother Jarina Begum with their seven other children sheltered in the camp after being forcibly displaced from the Rakhine state of Myanmar in 2017.
Jabbar does not possess a clear national identity, as he is not recognised as a citizen of Myanmar or Bangladesh, nor is he considered a refugee. Despite being treated as refugees by donor agencies, the Rohingya people, have not received official refugee status from Bangladesh. This leaves his parents unsure about what the future holds for their children and how they will be able to navigate their lives. 

In their struggle to survive, Jabbar`s parents rely on the assistance of donor agencies. These agencies offer vital support by providing necessary provisions such as food and other essentials on a daily basis. Every child, like Jabbar, has the basic right to survive and grow up healthy, and it  is the responsibility of the authorities to make sure they have access to food, shelter, healthcare, and education. The way Jabbar was born shows the complex challenges faced by Rohingya children and their families. The absence of a defined legal status and their dependence on external assistance raise significant concerns about their long-term prospects and overall welfare. 
While this correspondent visited Rohingya camps in Cox`s Bazar, some parents of Rohingya children like Sabbir Ahmed said the Myanmar government, especially the Myanmar military Junta stole the dreams and future of their children by forcibly displacing them from their motherland, Rakhaine state of Myanmar, their home country. 
"Now our children are stateless. They are growing up without any identities neither Myanmar citizens nor refugees. No one can say about the fate of our children`s future even our also," they said.
"We are living here (Camps) with the sympathy of the Hasina government and the UN and donor agencies," they added.
"We don`t want to stay here any longer. We want to go back to our motherland. We can`t bear the sufferings of our children in the camps," they said.
According to a report from the Bangladesh Defence Ministry, about 95 children are born every day in Cox`s Bazar Rohingya camps. These camps are home to approximately one million Rohingya people. The report was submitted to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defense on February 16 this year.
The report states that on average, around 30,000 Rohingya children are born in Bangladesh each year. This continuous increase in the Rohingya population has led to a total of more than 1.3 million Rohingya people by the year 2025. 
To date, a total of 497,817 children are living in the camps in Bangladesh, according to the statistics of the office of the Cox`s Bazar Social Welfare Department. 
Given this situation, Bangladesh has requested the United Nations (UN) to prioritize family planning measures in the Rohingya camps. 
In 1948, just like Jabbar, there were many Rohingyas who were forcibly displaced from Myanmar and ended up being born in Bangladesh. These individuals, now elderly, have lived in Bangladesh for years, carrying with them the traumatic experiences and memories of being Rohingya. Their lives have been marked by a sense of displacement. Approximately, 37,000, staying in two separate camps in Cox`s Bazar as refugees. 
Among the Rohingya community in Cox`s Bazar, the children are particularly vulnerable. They face various health challenges, including malnutrition, cholera, diphtheria, and pneumonia. Furthermore, some of their parents are afflicted with AIDS, hepatitis C, and skin diseases, which further exacerbates the difficult circumstances they face. The report highlights the concerning health conditions that exist within the Rohingya community.
Their past experiences have left deep scars, and they require mental health counseling and support to help them cope with their emotional and psychological wounds. The collective memories shared by the Rohingya community further compound the need for comprehensive mental health services.
Currently, there are many Rohingya babies are born with various physical disabilities. These innocent children enter the world already facing significant challenges.
The concern for the survival of their babies weighs heavily on the minds of parents in the Rohingya camp. 
During the visit to a Rohingya camp in Cox`s Bazars, Karima Begum, a mother of five children, expressed her fears to The South Asian Times, saying, "We are scared because we had to escape from Myanmar to save our lives. "If our children die from getting infected, how will our people survive?"
Karima added, "The camp conditions are unhealthy, and we do not feel safe. Our children are incredibly vulnerable to diseases."
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reports that more than 11% of children in the camps suffer from acute malnutrition, while over 30% experience chronic malnutrition. The Rohingya children, particularly girls, face heightened risks of violence and exploitation, including trafficking for both sexual exploitation and forced labor. Recognizing the urgent need for assistance, UNICEF official Mostafa Mohammad Sazzad Hossain said that they have taken steps to provide antenatal and postnatal care to mothers and their infants. UNICEF`s case management workers regularly visit mothers in their shelters, assessing their situations and providing support. They have established more than 150 parent groups throughout the camps to offer guidance and referral services, he said.
To ensure that an increasing number of women receive essential healthcare services before and after giving birth, UNICEF also mobilized nearly 250 community volunteers, he informed. These dedicated individuals work diligently to encourage women to visit healthcare facilities, promoting the well-being of both mothers and their newborns, he added.
Relief and Repatriation Commissioner (RRRC) of the Office of the Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner Mohammed Mizanur Rahman told The South Asian Times that the Rohingya children are not citizens of any country and also not refugees, they are basically `Stateless children`.
"They are growing up as `Rohingya Children` as we are registering them after birth in the camps," he said. He informed that there are about one million Rohingyas in the Bangladesh camps in Cox`s Bazar. Of them, 52 per cent are children. "As a human being, everyone should have the need a citizen of any country. 
He said that the Rohingya children are suffering from various diseases including malnutrition, trauma, and anxiety. So, many Rohingya children have been involved in `negative activities` like human trafficking, drug carriers, and other criminal activities since their childhood. 
"There are possibilities to motivate them easily into the criminal activities by the vested quarters though the law enforcement and the intelligence agencies are surveillance their activities," he informed.
Assistant Director of the Social Welfare Department in Cox`s Bazar Md Shafi Uddin said, "The Rohingya communities find happiness and fulfillment from having children, but this has led to a rapid and concerning increase in their population. Unfortunately, if this trend continues, it will not only affect the Rohingya communities but also the local population in terms of limited food and resources. To ensure a sustainable future for all, the government is actively taking measures to control the birth rate in order to address these challenges effectively."
"Rohingyas should go back to Myanmar and donor agencies should continue their humanitarian support until this problem is solved," he said.
As the Rohingya people spend more time in Bangladesh, their desperation continues to grow. Many have resorted to using people traffickers in their desperate attempts to embark on dangerous boat journeys to Malaysia and Indonesia. The desperation to find a better life pushes families to consider extreme measures, including child labor and child marriage.
Currently, the Rohingya crisis is a regional and global crisis caused by Myanmar. It is an additional pressure for Bangladesh. Bangladesh is forced to bear the burden of this crisis. Bangladesh government has to spend more than 1 billion dollars every year for Rohingyas. The Government of Bangladesh will continue to provide humanitarian assistance to Rohingyas.

 

Stateless Rohingya children: Desperate for a future, drawn into crimes

Part-2

They face hunger for curtailing food assistance

DEEPAK KUMAR ACHARJEE

 27 November 2023

 

The Rohingya children are currently facing severe risks, including trafficking, child marriage, exploitation, and abuse. Their lack of access to basic human needs, such as education and hope, puts them at a higher risk of engaging in anti-social and criminal behavior, such as arms and drug smuggling.
According to the report of defence ministry, there are currently 11 active armed groups operating in the Rohingya camps in Cox`s Bazar, including the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) and the Rohingya Solidarity Organization.

These armed groups specifically target young boys who are under the age of 18.  The leaders of these armed groups employ various tactics to recruit these young boys, sometimes using motivation and manipulation, while other times resorting to force. As a result, many Rohingya children have been torn away from the prospect of a better life, the report said. 
According to the report, once recruited, the Rohingya children receive training of using firearms from these groups. However, after just a few months, they often find themselves involved in criminal activities and eventually become entangled in acts of terrorism. Shockingly, a significant number of Rohingya children are leading sub-groups of the armed groups, including ARSA, within the Rohingya camps in Cox`s Bazar. These young children frequently engage in clashes with one another as they compete for dominance within the camp.
The government of Bangladesh, in collaboration with UN agencies and their partners, is making efforts to protect the Rohingya children from engaging in criminal activities. One of the key approaches being undertaken is the provision of education. To ensure that children receive education aligned with the Myanmar curriculum, organizations are enrolling them through birth registration within six months of their birth. Additionally, UNICEF is actively advocating for proper and legal birth registration processes.
Additional Deputy Inspector General Mohammad Iqbal, commander of 14 Armed Police Battalion (APBn) told The South Asian Times that the incidents of crimes, particularly those related to narcotics and murders, increased over the last few months as a number of Rohingya children are involved in the criminal activities.
"More than 450 members of APBn, RAB, Police, BGB, and Ansar participated in the patrol in different blocks of Rohingya camps," he said.
Since the Rohingya influx began on August 25, 2017, a total of 3,020 criminal cases, including 131 murder cases, were filed against 6,837 Rohingyas till August 21 this year, for 11 types of offences, including drug trade, arms smuggling, rape, and abduction, according to district police data.
At least 33 Rohingya community leaders, locally known as Majhi, have died this year alone at the hands of the two-armed groups, the police data said.
When visiting some Rohingya camps in Cox`s Bazar, some Rohingya leaders told this correspondent on condition of anonymity that the safety and security in the camp have deteriorated significantly in recent months since Myanmar-based armed groups Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (Arsa) and Arakan Solidarity Organisation (RSO) started engaging in violence to establish dominance over the control of narcotics and arms trade inside the camps. Apart from ARSA and RSO, other criminal groups, including the Nobi Hossain Group, Munna Group, Dakat Hakim Group, Dakat Saleh Group, and Islamic Mahas Group, are also reportedly active in the camps, they added.
Some robbery, trafficking, and abduction gangs are also active in Ukhiya and Teknaf camps that have now become crime havens, they claimed.
Talking to The South Asian Times, camp in-charges of some Rohingya camps informed that there remains a significant number of unregistered children in the Rohingya camps. Raising concerns as unregistered children are often excluded from accessing essential services such as education, healthcare, and social security.
 "The absence of official identification documents makes it more challenging to reunite children with their families if they become separated. The lack of birth registration poses obstacles and risks for these vulnerable children, leaving them susceptible to criminal activities," they said.
During a visit to the Rohingya camps, this correspondent had the opportunity to speak with some Rohingya children who aspire and dream for the future. They claimed that some leaders of terror groups were influencing them to commit crimes and they got involved in various criminal activities by which they earned few. 
Among them, this correspondent encountered some children who expressed their desire to become doctors, politicians, teachers, engineers, architects, lawyers, journalists, or writers. Despite their challenging circumstances, these children hold onto their dreams. However, their dreams are often shattered at a young age due to the limitations imposed by their situation.
UNICEF official Mostafa Mohammad Sazzad Hossain said that there are hundreds of unaccompanied children who have either been orphaned or separated from their families. And these children are often involved in various crimes and some are fleeing from the camps and they are struggling to protect the vulnerable children, she said.
The official said that There are hundreds of unaccompanied children who have either been orphaned or separated from their families. These children are often involved in various crimes and some were fleeing from the camps and they are struggling to protect the vulnerable children, she added.
According to a statement released by the UNHCR, they have established and provided technical support to various community-based structures focused on child protection (CP) in 21 camps. These structures include committees dedicated to child protection within the community, clubs for adolescents, and groups for parents and caregivers. 
They aim to ensure the safety of children and provide them with access to specific services, the statement says.
Six years have passed, health and well-being of more than half a million Rohingya children are currently at risk due to recent significant cuts in food assistance. 
The Rohingya residing in the camps in Cox`s Bazar now receive one-third less food than they did five months ago. This reduction in food assistance is alarming, and the child rights organization expresses concern that people will be pushed further into hunger and illness unless additional funding is urgently provided.
The World Food Programme, due to a massive funding shortfall, has been compelled to reduce food assistance to the one million Rohingyas living in the camps by a third. This means that each person now receives only US$8 per month, which amounts to a mere US$0.27 per day. 
In a recent assessment, several Rohingya families revealed that their children are falling ill due to the severe shortage of nutritious and diverse foods such as meat, eggs, and vegetables.
Even before the initial cuts in food rations, malnutrition was widespread in the camps, with 40% of children experiencing stunted growth. 
Children are increasingly becoming victims of physical violence due to the financial struggles and lack of food affecting their families. 
Relief and Repatriation Commissioner (RRRC) of the Office of the Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner Mohammed Mizanur Rahman told The South Asian Times said, "In the current situation, there is an urgent need for a large amount of funding to support the Rohingya people residing in various camps in Bangladesh. Humanitarian agencies have already made an appeal for US$876 million this year to assist approximately 1.47 million individuals, including both Rohingya refugees and local Bangladeshis."
However, as of mid-August 2023, the funds received for the Joint Response Plan only reached a mere 28.9 % of the total appeal, he said. 
This glaring gap in financial support highlights the critical necessity for consistent and predictable backing to avert a wider humanitarian crisis, he added.
The Rohingya children are acutely aware that Bangladesh is not their home country and that the local communities in Cox`s Bazar do not always welcome them with open arms. They face the harsh reality of being displaced and the challenges that come with it. 
But, the Rohingya children maintain hope for a better future. They believe that one day they will be able to return to their villages in Myanmar, reclaiming their rightful place and rebuilding their lives.

 

Stateless Rohingya children: Myanmar curriculum inspire returning to home

Last Part

Rohingya repatriation around national polls, diplomats hope

DEEPAK KUMAR ACHARJEE

 

28 November 2023

The Myanmar Curriculum Pilot, launched by UNICEF and partners in November 2021, is a significant step towards ensuring the fundamental right to education for Rohingya refugee children in Bangladesh`s Cox`s Bazar refugee camps. The pilot aims to provide formal and standardized education to Rohingya children, preparing them for their return to Myanmar. In the first quarter of this year, awareness-raising sessions and community outreach volunteers, working through partners and community-based structures, reached 10,585 children and adults from the Rohingyas. UNHCR currently reaches 15.3% of the school-age Rohingya population.  Within March 2023, 70,207 Rohingyas between 3-24 years of age were enrolled in UNHCR-supported education programs in early childhood development (ECD), pre-primary, primary, secondary, youth, and adolescent education programs through 1,752 learning facilities including 1,235 community-based learning facilities.  In January 2020, the Government of Bangladesh approved the introduction of the Myanmar Curriculum. By 31 March 2023, over 38,000 children (including more than 18,400 girls) had transitioned from the Learning Competency Framework and Approach (LCFA) to the Myanmar Curriculum (MC), reaching grades KG-2, and 6-9. In January 2019, UNICEF led the development of a newly structured learning program known as the Learning Competency Framework and Approach.

The Education Sector in Cox’s Bazar has provided informal education opportunities to 324,000 Rohingya children aged 4 to 14 years based on the LCFA. In addition, over 10,000 Rohingyas aged 15 to 18 years have received literacy, numeracy, life skills, and vocational skills training. The children of the UNICEF-supported learning centers are now enrolled based on their competency level, whereas previously they were placed in temporary learning centers according to their age.

Recently, the government has allowed the Rohingya children access to formal education under UNICEF leadership to ensure access to learning for the Rohingya children and adolescents and equip them with the right skills and capacities for their future and their return to Myanmar.

Currently, one-third of the 416,000 school-age Rohingya children (3–18 years old) are still not accessing basic education. UNICEF official Mostafa Mohammad Sazzad Hossain said that they have some initiatives by lessons in the Myanmar curriculum to the Rohingya children as they forget the memories of violence, committed by the Myanmar military. “We are trying to make them forget the past so that they are not traumatized,” he said

Mizanur Rahma Relief and Repatriation Commissioner (RRRC) of the Office of the Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner Mohammed Mizanur Rahman told The South Asian Times that they are trying to tell them that they have a country and they should go there by learning the ‘Myanmar curriculum’ by setting up some schools in the camps. “It is difficult to say when we will be able to repatriate the Rohingya children with their guardians to their home country due to the Myanmar authorities are yet to inform us about the starting of reparation,” he added.

“During the Myanmar delegation visit to Bangladesh, the Myanmar delegation asked the Rohingya leaders that they want to back Rohingyas to the ‘Model Villages’ instead of their ancient lands, but, the Rohingya leaders disagreed,” he further added. “In this context, no one can say about the fate of the Rohingya children.  “The Rohingyas living in Bangladeshi camps for more than six years are growing impatient and frustrated since there hasn’t been a favorable environment for their repatriation to Myanmar,” he said.

“The Rohingyas should be sent back to their home country as soon as possible for the shake of their young population,” he added. The official said that the Bangladesh government is trying to send back the Rohingyas to their home country. Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen told The South Asian Times that Myanmar is willing to take the Rohingyas but some foreign governments and international organizations do not support their repatriation at this moment. "They (the international community) think it will not be wise to send back the Rohingyas to Myanmar until democracy is restored there," he said. "Our priority is that they (Rohingyas) will return to their homeland. Myanmar is also willing to take them back," he said and added that Myanmar needs to ensure the safety and security of the Rohingyas after their return to their place of origin. “Myanmar "should keep their promise" for the repatriation of the Rohingyas to their place of origin in Rakhine State. Despite assurance from the Myanmar side, not a single person was taken back over the past years,” he said. While talking to the reporters after visiting Cox`s Bazar General Hospital on November 10, Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen said that China is actively working on the Rohingya repatriation issue with Bangladesh and Myanmar.

"We hope to initiate the repatriation by sending some of them to Myanmar through a pilot project before or after the national elections in Bangladesh,” he said. "They can return whenever the situation is right. It can be before or after the elections. Even though we are very close to the repatriation, some efforts are still needed. We are working towards it," he added. "China considers Bangladesh and Myanmar as good friends, and they trust us. China is working as a mediator on their request. We have brought them together to find a solution so that the Rohingya community can return to their homeland," he claimed.

At the initiative of China, Myanmar government has undertaken a pilot project to build 15 new villages on 750 plots to house Rohingyas. A delegation of 27 members, including 20 Rohingyas, was taken there on May 5 at the initiative of Myanmar to boost the confidence of the Rohingyas and see if the environment in Rakhine State is suitable for repatriation. But, the Rohingya delegation members expressed that they do not want to go back to the model villages and camps. they want to return to their villages at the Rakhine state of Myanmar. On 25 August 2017, a massive influx of Rohingya people occurred, with nearly 655,000 individuals, including over 360,000 children, seeking refuge in Bangladesh. Thousands of people, including women and children, lost their lives in acts of violence. Many endured physical beatings and torture, while girls and women suffered from sexual violence and rape. Moreover, numerous houses and other properties were intentionally burned, compounding the loss and devastation experienced by the Rohingya community.


 The website links
Part 1-https://www.thesouthasiantimesbd.com/bangladesh/news/21087
 
Part 2- https://www.thesouthasiantimesbd.com/bangladesh/news/21094
 
Part 3- https://www.thesouthasiantimesbd.com/bangladesh/news/21108
 
 
 

 

 

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