Rohingya refugees, who fled Myanmar for the second time last month, was forced to fight alongside the military responsible for driving his family out years earlier. Syed, whose name has been changed for his protection, is one of thousands of young Rohingya men conscripted by Myanmar’s military. This forced recruitment has led to revenge attacks on civilians and pushed thousands more Rohingya into Bangladesh, where nearly a million refugees are already sheltering.
“The suffering there is immense. I saw it with my own eyes,” Syed, now back in the overcrowded Bangladeshi refugee camp he has lived in for seven years, told AFP. He described people starving and struggling to survive.
Syed explained that he was conscripted by a Rohingya armed group in June and forced to fight against the Arakan Army, a rebel faction battling Myanmar’s junta for autonomy. Along with other recruits, Syed was tasked with menial labor for Myanmar troops. During a patrol, he managed to escape and return to Bangladesh.
In recent months, approximately 14,000 Rohingya have crossed into Bangladesh due to escalating violence near the border, according to the UN refugee agency. Reports suggest at least 2,000 Rohingya have been forcibly recruited from refugee camps in Bangladesh this year, with many more conscripted within Myanmar. Armed groups in the camps, such as the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army and the Rohingya Solidarity Organisation, deny forcing refugees into military service.
The UN and human rights groups have documented abuses committed by both Myanmar’s military and the Arakan Army against the Rohingya. Retaliatory attacks by the Arakan Army have reportedly resulted in significant Rohingya casualties. In the worst case, watchdog Fortify Rights reported over 100 Rohingya deaths in a drone and mortar attack by the rebel group, though the Arakan Army denies responsibility.
Many of the refugees fleeing into Bangladesh accuse the Arakan Army of carrying out killings. Mohammad Johar, 22, recounted how his brother-in-law was killed in a drone attack, leaving bodies strewn across the riverbanks as they tried to escape.
Bangladesh, already hosting a massive refugee population after the 2017 military crackdown in Myanmar, has stated it cannot take in more refugees. Interim foreign minister Touhid Hossain expressed that the country is overwhelmed by the crisis. However, the new refugees, fearing further violence, felt they had no choice but to cross the border. “After seeing dead bodies, we were terrified,” said Bibi Faiza, 20, who fled with her young daughter. “Here, at least, there’s peace.”
