NO EASY WAY OUT: THE QUANDARY OF THE UNREGISTERED

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 DHAKA 000637 SIPDIS PRM FOR HOA TRAN AND MARGARET BURKHARDT E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/24/2019 TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREF PREL BG BM SUBJECT: NO EASY WAY OUT: THE QUANDARY OF THE UNREGISTERED ROHINGYA IN BANGLADESH REF: A. 08 DHAKA 1151 ¶B. DHAKA 479 Classified By: Ambassador James F. Moriarty. Reasons 1.4(b) and (d). Summary -------------- ¶1. (C) As more unregistered Rohingya originally from Burma continue to settle outside one of the two official refugee camps in southeast Bangladesh, their situation becomes increasingly tenuous. Malnutrition rates among this population of 15,000 to 25,000 unregistered refugees remain high, as does the potential for an outbreak of cholera during the monsoon season given the unsanitary living conditions. On June 20, World Refugee Day, Medecins sans Frontieres (MSF) issued a statement highlighting the condition of this population. At the monthly meeting for Chiefs of Mission cooperating on the refugee issue, known as the Dhaka Steering Group (DSG),the Ambassador and others agreed that solving the problem would require a public awareness campaign, humanitarian assistance, development targeted towards the local villages and eventual relocation. A deepening crisis -------------- ¶2. (C) According to MSF there are now 25,000 unregistered refugees residing outside the Kutupalong refugee camp in southeastern Bangladesh. In May, the organization estimated there were 19,000. The Government of Bangladesh (GOB) estimated that 10,000 to 15,000 were living outside the camps in May, as did the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). The GOB and UNHCR have acknowledged that the latest estimates from MSF may be correct. Though there are disagreements about the extent of the problem, all parties agree the refugees face dire circumstances. Most live in makeshift shelters with little protection from the elements, in danger of being washed away during the rainy season. Malnutrition rates continue to remain high, as does the threat of cholera, according to the UNHCR Country Representative. The European Commission Aid Agency (ECHO) is providing emergency humanitarian assistance through MSF and Action Contre la Faim (ACF). ¶3. (C) The UNHCR and MSF also expressed concern that the Bangladesh Forestry Department and several villagers used force to evict a number of settlers and demolish several makeshift homes on June 15. These homes were located on land owned by the Forestry Department. Upon hearing of the incident, UNHCR contacted the Refugee, Relief and Repatriation Commissioner (RRRC),the local representative for the Bangladesh Ministry of Food and Disaster Management (MFDM),and the demolitions were halted. Where do they come from? -------------- ¶4. (C) The origins of the Rohingya living outside Kutupalong camp and the reasons for their continued presence are unclear. The GOB has not yet conducted any surveys among the population and has largely remained disengaged on this issue. UNHCR refutes suggestions, from MSF and certain segments of the GOB, that recent arrivals from Burma make up the bulk of this population. According to UNHCR, the number of refugees coming from Burma over the past few months was significantly lower than the same period last year. UNHCR, whose mandate only covers registered refugees, contends that most of the unregistered Rohingya moved from local villages where they resided. According to UNHCR, village leaders forced some of these Rohingya out during national voter registration drives in early 2008 and threatened to inform local authorities about their presence. ¶5. (C) UNHCR agreed, however, that over the past year the numbers of unregistered settlers outside Kutupalong had rapidly increased. UNHCR suggested these individuals were lured by family ties to Rohingya living inside the camp, the false promise of being registered and receiving services, and the prospect DHAKA 00000637 002 OF 002 of third country resettlement. All of these "pull factors" turned what was once a small, manageable issue, into a much more serious problem. The EC Ambassador alleged that local criminals were extorting money from unregistered refugees, promising to register them if they paid a fee and moved outside the Kutupalong camp. These individuals reportedly were also charging the Rohingya rent for occupying the land outside Kutupalong, belonging to the Bangladesh Forestry Department. Finding an acceptable solution -------------- ¶6. (C) At the meeting of the Dhaka Steering Group (DSG) June on 23, the members agreed that more humanitarian assistance was needed in the short term. The UNHCR Country Representative urged that assistance be minimal so as not to encourage further movement to the area, which would exacerbate the problem. The Ambassador noted the importance of a public information campaign to inform unregistered refugees still in the villages that they would not benefit from moving near Kutupalong, in the long run. The group agreed that return of the individuals and development targeted at villages of the origin represented the optimal solution. However, until more was known about the origins of this population and the reasons for their movement to Kutupalong, these tasks would be very difficult. Development as the way forward -------------- ¶7. (C) All DSG members concurred that if disparities between the services provided refugees and Bangladeshi nationals were left unchecked, tensions would grow. In accordance with this philosophy, a significant portion of the monthly meeting focused on various development initiatives taking place in the region to find potential areas of cooperation, in line with the strategy to "open up" the camps. The United Nations Children,s Fund (UNICEF) Representative presented an overview of the UN Joint Programme - an interagency UN effort program providing assistance to refugees and locals. UNICEF also discussed its plans to conduct a mapping exercise of the region - to be finished by August 2009. This exercise would map out a variety of health, education and other community resources available in the region and provide a fuller picture of the demographics of the population. USAID is conducting projects in the areas of health, energy, natural resource conservation, and democracy and governance. The Department of Defense is in the planning phase of building schools, cyclone shelters and bridges near the camps. DOD also is planning to conduct anti-violence programs and community building initiatives, the purpose of which is to deter extremism. USG efforts in these areas, while not specifically targeting refugees, would, as a result of their proximity to the refugee population, likely include some of the registered and unregistered refugees. (Note: In the Cox,s Bazar district, the number of Rohingya is estimated to be anywhere from 100,000 to 500,000 in a total population of 1.7 million. End note.) Comment -------------- ¶8. (C) Post will continue to work with UNHCR and other members of the DSG to implement development programs in the region as a whole. We will continue to coordinate between different donor partners so programs are not duplicated. Action request: Reftel A laid out a comprehensive interagency strategy for tackling this problem and a call to allocate further resources in these areas. We look forward to hearing a response to our request. MORIARTY