Thousands of stateless Muslims have fled ‘genocide’, telling refugee camp workers their people are being hacked to death.
The UN estimates almost 50,000 Rohingya have fled Myanmar for Kutupalong Refugee Camp in Bangladesh, claiming they were forced out by a genocidal army.
About 20,000 remain stuck in no-man’s land between Bangladesh and Myanmar, whose government has denied attacking the minority and instead blamed ‘terrorists’ for initiating violence.
Almost 400 Rohingya are estimated to have been killed, as thousands flee ‘genocide’
But Hamida Begum from the Rohingya community told CNN how her people are suffering as she sought refuge in Bangladesh.
‘They are beating us, shooting at us and hacking our people to death,’ she said.
‘Many people were killed. Many women were raped and killed. We are very poor.’
She military ‘clearance operations’ against her community had intensified since Rohingya militants killed 12 security officers in border post attacks on Friday.
‘My husband is a day laborer – we used to have two square meals a day,’ she said.
‘But we lost everything after the war started.’
The minority Muslim group are barred from citizenship in Myanmar despite them living there for generations
Myanmar’s military says almost 400 Rohingya have died since then in a Facebook post by the country’s top commander.
Muhammad Harun said government hatred forced him to flee.
‘Only the Rohingya are hated by the government,’ he said.
Nobin Suna told said the military order the community to stay in their homes.
‘If we stay inside then they set our houses on fire, shooting at us or slaughtering us.
‘Muslims have no rights.’
The minority Muslim group are denied citizenship despite having lived in Myanmar for generations.
The military’s statement said all bu 29 of the 399 killed were ‘insurgents’ and reported 90 armed clashes.
Rohingya are fleeing the overwhelmingly Buddhist country of Myanmar, where attacks against the government have led to reports of genocide
The army launched clearance operations after 30 attacks by insurgents on Friday, with Advocates for Rohingya reporting security forces and vigilantes burned villages and shot civilians, killing hundreds.
They have posted photos, videos and details on social media that they say serve as evidence.
The government in the overwhelmingly Buddhist country say it is the insurgents who are burning homes and killing members of the Buddhist ethnic Rakhine community.
Longstanding tension between the two communities erupted in bloody rioting in 2012, forcing more than 100,000 Rohingya into displacement camps where many still live.
The insurgent group that claimed responsibility for last week’s attacks, the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), said it acted to protect Rohingya communities.
It is nearly impossible to verify information on both sides because the government has barred most journalists.