Myanmar Villagers Flee New Fighting in Rakhine State and Seek Refuge in Bangladesh, Reports Reuters

YANGON/DHAKA (Reuters) – In recent days, numerous ethnic minority villagers have fled from western Myanmar into Bangladesh due to intense fighting between the Myanmar military and ethnic Rakhine rebels, according to reports from Bangladesh border guards and local activists.

Colonel Zahirul Haque Khan, commander of the Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB) in the Bandarban district, indicated that members of 38 families crossed the border, fearing attacks from military helicopters. This group, totaling 136 individuals, is currently residing in makeshift shelters.

Clashes between the Myanmar military and the insurgent Arakan Army, which largely consists of individuals from the Rakhine ethnic group, have displaced over 5,000 people in regions of Rakhine and Chin states since early December. Myanmar’s leadership aims to defeat the rebels advocating for greater autonomy for Rakhine State and has restricted most aid agencies’ access to the affected areas, raising concerns about the welfare of civilians in a region already marked by complex ethnic tensions.

Although Rakhine State has a majority Buddhist population, a military crackdown in 2017 was triggered by attacks on security posts by insurgents from the Muslim Rohingya minority, resulting in the displacement of approximately 730,000 people into camps in Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar district, as reported by U.N. agencies.

Win Thein, a member of the Bangladesh Human Rights Commission, mentioned visiting the refugees from the Khumi, Cho, and Rakhine ethnic groups in their makeshift jungle camp. He noted that these individuals had crossed into Bangladesh on Sunday and Monday, fleeing from two villages in Chin state’s rugged Paletwa township after hearing gunfire and spotting helicopters overhead. Some villagers claimed to have witnessed Myanmar soldiers looting and setting fire to homes.

Officials from the Myanmar military and the government did not respond to requests for comments on the situation.

Win Thein expressed concern for the welfare of refugee children, some of whom are seriously ill and lack access to medical facilities. He highlighted the dire living conditions, stating, “There are no blankets at all, and it is very cold.”

In response to the influx of refugees, Bangladesh summoned Myanmar’s ambassador to express its concerns, as confirmed by a senior official from the Bangladesh foreign ministry. Brigadier General Sazedur Rahman, a regional BGB commander, reported that security measures along the border have been strengthened to deter further refugee crossings.

The United Nations refugee agency in Cox’s Bazar is working to gather additional information regarding the new arrivals and plans to coordinate with the government to provide necessary assistance as soon as possible.