Please Unite Us with Our Families: Mohd Muslim

THE LIGHT OF ANDAMANS | ISSUE 27 | 17 FEB 2012

Please Unite Us with Our Families: Mohd Muslim

Mohammed Muslim (47) is one of the most vocal among the detainees at the Distress Camp. He does not like to be addressed as Rohingya or Arakani. He says that he is from Teknaf, a sub-district of Cox Bazar, a division of Chittagong in Bangladesh.

"The officials from Bangladesh High Commission comes here every 5-6 months. They take all our addresses and details. But, nothing is happening in our case," he said.

'We are 265 persons and detained in this camp for last three years. Only 11 persons from our group have left. Out of 265, more than 100 persons will never get to go back as Bangladeshi official suspects us to be Arakanese," he worriedly said.

"About 40 persons in our group have their own residence in Bangladesh, but the land is not in their name. The local police officials in our village demand huge amount of bribe in Bangladesh to respond to the identification letters."

"Some of us even have Identity Cards, but our papers are not processed,"

"We are away from our families and they are in deep trouble as the earning members of the families are held up here. We speak to our family members over phone from here, but the authorities seem to be unaware of their whereabouts," Mohd told LOA. "Even UN is not taking up our issue with Indian Government. Give us the freedom every human being aspires for,” he pleads.