ISI plans to establish Rohingyas in India

By V K Gaur

New Delhi [India], Sep 19 (ANI): In new window Rohingya refugees are contemplating to shift from Bangladesh to India in the near future and a large scale infiltration of Rohingyas is feared, according to intelligence sources. North East India and West Bengal already have large population of foreign settlers who came from across the borders.

Reliable sources claim that radical Islamist groups like Al Qaida, the JuD of Pakistan and several other jihadist groups from Pakistan and Bangladesh have infiltrated into refugee camps as relief workers to draft young Rohingyas for terrorist operations. Needless to say ISI of Pakistan is actively planning to establish Rohingya in India.

They plan to execute "give India thousand cuts to bleed" through terrorist activities. The balance of population in border belts of our eastern and NE states is already tilted against original settlers.

There are nearly half a million Rohingya refugees living in mostly makeshift camps in Bangladesh. The majority remain unregistered. Bangladesh considers most of those who have crossed its borders and are living outside of camps as having "illegally infiltrated" the country. Bangladesh has often tried to prevent Rohingya refugees from crossing its border.

The Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), formerly known as the al-Yaqeen Faith Movement, released a statement under its new name in March 2017, saying it was committed to "defend, salvage and protect [the] Rohingya community".

The group said it would do so "with our best capacities as we have the legitimate right under international law to defend ourselves in line with the principle of self defence".

The group is considered a "terrorist" organisation by the Myanmar government. Incidentally the group has claimed responsibility for an attack on police posts and an army base in Rakhine State, the south western coastal state of Myanmar. According to the government nearly 400 people were killed in bloody clashes.

In its March statement, the ARSA added that it "does not associate with any terrorist group across the world" and "does not commit any form of terrorism against any civilian[s] regardless of their religious and ethnic origin". The statement also said: "We [.] declare loud and clear that our defensive attacks have only been aimed at the oppressive Burmese regime in accordance with international norms and principles until our demands are fulfilled."

On September 9, the group declared a month-long unilateral ceasefire in Rakhine to enable aid groups to address the humanitarian crisis in the area. As result of strong military action by Myanmar Army exodus of women, children and old people from Rohingya settlements began into Cox's Bazar -a sea port town of Bangladesh. It is a popular foreign tourist centre.

According to the International Crisis group, the ARSA has ties to Rohingya living in Saudi Arabia.

As Rohingyas speak Bengali, they headed in large number towards Bangladesh. Many had their ancestral roots in that country. Initially, Bangladesh authorities were lenient but with rising number of emigrants from Myanmar, Dhaka chose, in August 2012 itself, to stop all humanitarian assistance to Rohingya Muslims.

The boat people headed towards Thailand. But, Thailand had kept an eye on the developments of Myanmar and put its navy on guard. Thailand's navy gave the boat people food and medicines but did not allow them land on its territories.

The Rohingyas turned towards Malaysia thinking that a Muslim majority country would give them shelter. But, Malaysia adopted the same policy as Thailand. Malaysian navy spurned all the moves by the boat people to set feet on its land.

Indonesia also did not welcome them.

However, in India many intellectuals and vote bank hungry political parties are openly supporting cause of Rohingyas.

(Writer VK Gaur is IG BSF (Retd) and has worked on the Bangladesh Border in the North East for several years. Views expressed in this article are his personal).(ANI)

This story has not been edited. It has been published as provided by ANI