17 October 2017, London, UK

The Burma Human Rights Network has observed large scale food shortages throughout Rakhine State caused by restrictions on aid distribution for nearly all NGOs operating in the state besides the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) who is working in coordination with Myanmar’s Relief and Resettlement Department (RRD). As a result several areas, which are dependent on aid, have gone long periods without any arriving. In the north of Rakhine State half the Rohingya population had already fled a military campaign the UN described as, “seeming like a textbook case of ethnic cleansing.” Those remaining in the north continue to flee at an alarming rate, but witness statements indicate they are doing so due to threat of starvation rather than a direct threat from the military. Similarly, food shortages have grown increasingly throughout the Rohingya areas in the rest of the state as new restrictions starting in September were imposed, preventing nearly all NGOs from delivering aid even outside of conflict areas. As a result there is legitimate cause for concern that a new exodus could also emerge from central Rakhine, not unlike the boat exoduses seen in the area in 2014.

In Northern Rakhine Villagers have informed BHRN of large scale fleeing occurring daily. A villager in Thayet Kin Manu, in Buthidaung, stated that of the 165 households in his village, 30 had already fled with another 60 making preparations to do the same in the coming day. The reason, he said was “due to total blockade or restrictions and [because of] starvation people are fleeing continuously.” Another villager also in rural Buthidaung told BHRN, “Lots of people have fled from our village because of starvation and most are daily workers. We are poor because the government confiscated our paddy [field]

land to make an army barracks. Before we received assistance from WFP, but now we receive from no organization.” Villagers from Rathedaung, Maungdaw and Buthidaung all told of mass shortages of food, limited or no aid deliveries, promised aid deliveries never arriving and restrictions on movement preventing villagers from buying or seeking out food. In some cases aid deliveries are so small they are unable to sustain local population for more than a few days. In Gu Ta Pyin village the Government delivered 100 bags of rice to be divided among the entire remaining population, which only lasted them for 2 days. Further endangering these villagers are the limited number of routes which they are able to flee the country, where thousands have periodically found themselves stranded on beaches south of the Naf River in southern Maungdaw, where they are unable to flee and have been completely cut off from food while being exposed to the elements for days.

The table below indicates more specific complaints and figures from these areas:

Meanwhile, in central Rakhine State, arbitrary restrictions have been imposed preventing aid from being delivered, despite these areas being completely uninvolved in the recent conflict. The areas have complained about significant cuts in aid for some time, but the recent restrictions on aid to many areas have compounded their problems significantly. Some areas have had to depend completely on charity from local farmers to survive and others have complained of inflation in the costs of good as a result of shortages. Throughout all of these areas there are severe restrictions on movement for Rohingya, which often makes it impossible for them to find work or seek out food.

The table below details the complaints and figures from these areas:

While there have been some positive steps in distributions by the World Food Program and ICRC the needs of these communities are still being grossly unmet due to restrictions by the Burmese Government and lack of security for aid agencies involved in distributions who have already been threatened and attacked for aiding Muslims. If these trends continue they will certainly result in a vast increase of preventable deaths, spread of disease and are likely to fuel another exodus from the central part of the state. "State Chancellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is asking the international community to support the repatriation of the Rohingya who have fled Burma while she is starving the remaining Rohingya causing them to flee. There is no way to reconcile her requests with the reality of her Government's policies. The Rohingya have been facing various problems since long before the current crisis, which demonstrates the Government was already aware of the deteriorating situation. Despite this they still decided to suspend the operation of aid agencies," Said Executive Director of BHRN, Kyaw Win.

The Burma Human Rights Network believes the current conditions are part of a longstanding policy by the Burmese government to intentionally deny the Rohingya regular access to food, medicine and other aid, which has drastically worsened since August. If left unaddressed it will have disastrous results for the Rohingya population and BHRN calls upon the Government of Myanmar to immediately allow all agencies providing aid to return to all areas of Rakhine State without restrictions. We call on ASEAN nations to use their influence to pressure the Burmese Government to allow unfettered access for aid agencies into all areas of Rakhine State. We call on the international community to approach the current situation of the Rohingya with the highest level of seriousness with an awareness that loss of life and deteriorating quality life are prominent and preventable and to use all leverage they have diplomatically to pressure the Burmese government to immediately allow full access for aid agencies to reach all areas in need throughout Rakhine State without restriction. The international community must also demand that before Rohingya are returned from Bangladesh measures are take to ensure that they can live with fundamental human rights and their safety can be guaranteed. Finally, we call on the international community to insist these measures are taken along with steps to end conflict in Rakhine State, including the recommendations of the Advisory Commission on Rakhine State and access for the UN mandated fact finding mission to areas of conflict and alleged abuses.

Notes for Editors

Background on the current situation:

On August 25th an insurgent group called the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army attacked 30 police posts and killed 12 security officers and one soldier. In response the Burmese Authorities have unleashed a brutal campaign against the civilian population, which has caused half of the Rohingya population in Northern Rakhine State to flee. Security forces have been monitored burning down Rohingya villages systematically and driving the population into neighboring Bangladesh. These actions by the Burmese army have widely been described as ethnic cleansing, with the UN even evoking the term when they said the military’s actions “seemed like a textbook case of ethnic cleansing.” The military operations have caused a humanitarian crisis in neighboring Bangladesh which many nations have stepped up to address. Those remaining inside of Myanmar have not been given the same response as Myanmar has limited how much access NGOs have to the region and currently only the International Committee of the Red Cross has been given limited access in the north of the state.

Background on the Burma Human Rights Network (BHRN)

Burma Human Rights Network (BHRN) works for human rights, minority rights and religious freedom in Burma. BHRN has played a crucial role advocating for human rights and religious freedom with politicians and world leaders.

Media Enquiries

Members of The Burma Human Rights Network (BHRN) are available for comment and interview.

Please contact:

Kyaw Win
Executive Director
Burma Human Rights Network (BHRN)
E:This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
T: +44(0) 740 345 2378

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11 October 2017, London, UK – The Burma Human Rights Network has been closely monitoring food shortages in Northern Rakhine State following a military crackdown that began in the region after militants attacked 30 police posts on August 25th, 2017. The military’s crackdown has been marked with widespread accusations of Crimes Against Humanity resulting in a mass exodus of nearly half of the Northern Rakhine State’s Rohingya population, leading even the UN to say it “seems a textbook case of ethnic cleansing.” Those remaining have faced continued restrictions on movement preventing them from working or gathering food at a time most aid has been blocked from the region and as a result several locations are facing dire food shortages that locals say may be leading to many areas facing threat of starvation. Northern Rakhine State is composed of three townships; Maungdaw, Buthidaung and Rathedaung. Arson attacks were frequent in each township after the attacks on August 25th and continue to occur regularly in Maungdaw. Only five Rohingya villages remain undamaged in Rathedaung. Buthidaung has seen fewer arson attacks in recent weeks but worsening food shortages. As food supplies are dwindling many Rohingya, especially in Buthidaung, are fleeing to Bangladesh, but some have become stranded in the process, unable to cross. Rathedaung has previously seen severe shortages of food that caused a mass exodus where 11,000 Rohingya were stranded which was previously documented by BHRN. At the same time Bangladesh has begun a crackdown on boat operators, claiming that some are working as traffickers, which has prevented rescue of some of those stranded.

In Buthidaung, residents have informed the Burma Human Rights Network that many in the township have not received any aid rations following the violence, and that what deliveries are made are severely limited in the township as the army has blocked most aid from coming into the region. Currently, aside from some small aid deliveries by domestic groups, the International Committee of the Red Cross is the only organization permitted to deliver aid to the region, but according to locals this aid has been very limited, infrequent and, they say, catering more often to Ethnic Rakhine communities. One local resident said, “All the villages [in Buthidaung] besides downtown quarters need food. Here [downtown] we can survive, but in the villages people are poor. Since August 25th no NGO assistance has been allowed.” Notably, aid to Northern Rakhine State has been significantly limited for some time, with aid agencies previously being forced out and limitations being imposed on which areas can receive aid. Further complicating the situation are recent restrictions on aid throughout the whole of Rakhine State, which NGO workers have described as being especially harmful to the Rohingya populations in Sittwe and central Rakhine. The previous shortage on aid has significantly compounded the current crisis.

The food shortages are most evident by the recent waves of Rohingya fleeing into neighboring Bangladesh. Among those fleeing is a sense that they have been intentionally forced out, though without the kind of apparent bloodshed that has been seen in the news. As aid is prevented from entering the region, its residents find themselves forced into what appears to be a less overt but equally effective campaign to cleanse the township of its Rohingya population.

The UN agency, Organization for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has stated that despite their efforts to assist throughout affected areas, the Burmese Government has refused to allow them access. They said, “Despite strong advocacy by the UN for humanitarian access for its own staff and for other humanitarian organizations, the Government has said that staff from the UN and international non-government organizations (INGOs) will not be granted access in these areas for the time being.” OCHA also included data from Burma’s Relief and Resettlement Department stating that the Red Cross Movement had reached 19,000 people from August 26th to September 15th. The aid was distributed across 10 different townships, meaning hundreds of thousands remained in need.

Of those fleeing, some have found themselves stranded by the mouth of the Naf River and the beaches to its south. These areas are especially difficult to cross as the width of the river is far too wide. Previously, fishermen or other boat owners have been utilized to help those stranded to cross the river, but this has become more difficult as Bangladesh has begun cracking down on them as alleged traffickers. On October 4th it was reported that the Bangladeshi authorities had destroyed 20 boats used to bring refugees into Bangladesh on accusations they were used to smuggle amphetamines into the country. Over the next few days locals reported at least six fishermen and other boat owners had been detained by authorities in connection to their assistance bringing refugees into Bangladesh. As a result those stranded on the Burma side of the border have severely limited options to cross into Bangladesh to find safety and aid and are at extreme risk of starvation and disease while being vulnerable to the elements.

The Burma Human Rights Network believes without drastic changes these events will lead to mass human suffering and death and calls upon the Government of Myanmar to immediately allow all aid and agencies providing aid to return to all areas of Rakhine State without restrictions. We call on Bangladesh to permit aid and rescue boats to those in need. We call on ASEAN nations to use their influence to pressure the Burmese Government to allow unfettered access for NGOs and aid agencies into all areas of Rakhine State to address the dire needs of Rohingya remaining there. And finally we call on the international community to ensure these measures are taken along with steps to end conflict in Rakhine State including the recommendations of the Advisory Commission on Rakhine State and access for the UN mandated fact finding mission to areas of conflict and alleged abuses.

Notes for Editors

Background on the current situation:

On August 25th an insurgent group called the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army attacked 30 police posts and killed 12 security officers and one soldier. In response the Burmese Authorities have unleashed a brutal campaign against the civilian population, which has caused half of the Rohingya population in Northern Rakhine State to flee. Security forces have been monitored burning down Rohingya villages systematically and driving the population into neighboring Bangladesh. These actions by the Burmese army have widely been described as ethnic cleansing, with the UN even evoking the term when they said the military’s actions “seemed like a textbook case of ethnic cleansing.” The military operations have caused a humanitarian crisis in neighboring Bangladesh which many nations have stepped up to address. Those remaining inside of Myanmar have not been given the same response as Myanmar has limited how much access NGOs have to the region and currently only the International Committee of the Red Cross has been given limited access.

Background on the Burma Human Rights Network (BHRN)

Burma Human Rights Network (BHRN) works for human rights, minority rights and religious freedom in Burma. BHRN has played a crucial role advocating for human rights and religious freedom with politicians and world leaders.

Media Enquiries

Members of The Burma Human Rights Network (BHRN) are available for comment and interview.

Please contact:

Kyaw Win
Executive Director
Burma Human Rights Network (BHRN)
E:This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
T: +44(0) 740 345 2378

Download (172.53 KB)

London, UK 25 September 2017 – The Burma Human Rights Network has been informed of dire need for aid in five Rohingya villages in Rathedaung Township where 11,000 people are currently living. Before the recent violence and military campaign there were 23 Muslim villages, but only five remain as the rest were reportedly burnt down and destroyed. At the same time the remaining residents of these villages have stated they are under threat from mobs in neighboring Rakhine villages that are not allowing them to flee or seek food and safety. As the situation is worsening we call on the Burmese Government to immediately allow aid to flow into these villages and that the villagers be protected from any hostile actors.

The villages in need are Nyaung Bin Gyi, Ah Naut Pyin, Sin Khon Taing, Arkar Taung and Kan Seik villages. Nyaung Bin Gyi and Ah Naut Pyin villages are composed of people displaced in the anti- Muslim riots of 2012. Residents in Nyaung Bin Gyi complained that food rations had been cut in June of last year and only a 1,391 villagers of the total 1,781 received their rations after they were restarted three months later. The remaining 400 have had to share among the total population, depleting the available food for the village.

Similarly, in Ah Naut Pyin villagers say 400 people remain without food rations and locals have said that neighboring Rakhine from Shwe Lin Tin prevent them from leaving their village to seek food or assistance. The locals have said that when they pass Rakhine villages they are threatened and hear gunshots in the distance. When these locals reported the gun shots to police they said authorities claimed the noises were only fireworks. As these villagers supplies are running out they say they’ve requested to be moved but have had their request unanswered. Currently these villagers say they only have enough food for two more weeks before they run out of food completely.

The villages of Sin Khon Tain, Arkar Taung and Kan Seik are all isolated and without roads connecting them to Rathedaung. These villages’ only route of transportation is by boat and they have complained that shortages of rations are threatening the local populations with starvation. A local resident from Sin Khon Taing said, “Poor people are starving. Anyone who can report please do so. We cannot go anywhere. When we contact the government we have not gotten any response.”

These villages combined have a total population of 11,000 including many children and elderly who are more vulnerable to malnutrition and disease. While they were facing shortages prior to the outbreak of violence in Rakhine State on August 25th the military operations have seemed to significantly compound their difficulty to access food and aid.

As tensions remain high and military activity continues in Northern Rakhine State the ability to get aid to those most in need remains unmet in many locations. Those who have not fled Rakhine over the past month have often found themselves more isolated and destitute than they were previously. With this in mind we call on the Burmese Government to immediately allow access to these villages for food distribution and to ensure the safety of all residents living within them. We call on the international community to pressure the Burmese to allow this access and to ensure that Rohingya who have remained in Myanmar are also remembered and their needs immediately be addressed.

Notes for Editors
Background on the current situation:

On August 25th an insurgent group called the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army attacked 30 police posts and killed 12 security officers and one soldier. In response the Burmese Authorities have unleashed a brutal campaign against the civilian population, which has caused half of the Rohingya population in Northern Rakhine State to flee. Security forces have been monitored burning down Rohingya villages systematically and driving the population into neighboring Bangladesh. These actions by the Burmese army have widely been described as ethnic cleansing, with the UN even evoking the term when they said the military’s actions “seemed like a textbook case of ethnic cleansing.” The military operations have caused a humanitarian crisis in neighboring Bangladesh which many nations have stepped up to address. Those remaining inside of Myanmar have not been given the same response as Myanmar has limited how much access NGOs have to the region and currently only the International Committee of the Red Cross has been given limited access.

Background on the Burma Human Rights Network (BHRN)

Burma Human Rights Network (BHRN) works for human rights, minority rights and religious freedom in Burma. BHRN has played a crucial role advocating for human rights and religious freedom with politicians and world leaders.

Media Enquiries
Members of The Burma Human Rights Network (BHRN) are available for comment and interview.
Please contact:

Kyaw Win
Executive Director
Burma Human Rights Network (BHRN)
E:This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
T: +44(0) 740 345 2378

Download (156.72 KB)