In Bangladesh, plans to forcibly repatriate Rohingya refugees back to Burma were suspended after hundreds of refugees protested the plans, voicing fear of further persecution and killings by the Burmese military. This is one of the protesters.
Rahela Begum: “We will not go there until they recognize us as a Rohingya community. They must return our lands and houses. We will not stay in camps. The military kicked me, killed my child, which I was carrying, and shot and killed my son. We will not receive any NVC [Myanmar’s national verification card]. They must recognize us as Rohingya. If you force us to go, I will die along with my children under the wheels of a vehicle or will take poison to die.”
Earlier this week, the U.N. called on Bangladesh to delay the planned repatriation. Over 10,000 Rohingya were killed, while more than 700,000 fled Burma from August 2017 to August 2018, according to U.N. numbers.