Amnesty International, a global NGO focused on human rights, has called on the Bangladesh government to stop any plans for forced repatriation of the Rohingya to Myanmar, warning that they face real risks of persecution, torture and other serious human rights violations.
The rights body made the appeal in a press release issued last Friday.
It urged Dhaka to allow the Rohingya community to leave the camps for employment, and education opportunities and to remove barriers that prevent access to medical services outside the camps.
The organisation also pressed for accountability against officials accused of harassment or physical threats, including beating Rohingya residents.
The organisation further asked the authorities to ensure that the Camp-in-Charge remains approachable and takes prompt action on security concerns such as kidnappings and recruitment for criminal activities by armed groups inside the camps.
On new arrivals, Amnesty International said Border Guard Bangladesh must be given strict instructions to respect the principle of non-refoulement and refrain from returning Rohingya crossing the border into Myanmar. It said such instructions should be properly enforced.
Amnesty also demanded that healthcare service providers be given immediate access to new arrivals, particularly those with urgent medical needs.
It said the government should guarantee that new entrants have safe passage from Rakhine state into Bangladesh without obstructions and are able to register with the UNHCR.
