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BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityAsiaChinaIndiaMyanmar’s army massacred Rohingyas. Now it wants their helpPublished34 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, The Myanmar army killed thousands of Rohingyas and drove hundreds of thousands of them into neighbouring BangladeshBy Jonathan Head & BBC Burmese In BangkokNearly seven years after the Myanmar military killed thousands of Muslim Rohingyas, in what the UN called “textbook ethnic cleansing”, it wants their help.From interviews with Rohingyas living in Rakhine State the BBC has learned of at least 100 of them being conscripted in recent weeks to fight for the embattled junta. All their names have been changed to protect them.”I was frightened, but I had to go,” says Mohammed, a 31-year-old Rohingya man with three young children. He lives near the capital of Rakhine, Sittwe, in the Baw Du Pha camp. At least 150,000 internally displaced Rohingyas have been forced to live in IDP camps for the past decade. In the middle of February the camp leader came to him late at night, Mohammed said, and told him he would have to do military training. “These are army orders,” he remembers him saying. “If you refuse they have threatened to harm your family.”The BBC has spoken to several Rohingyas who have confirmed that army officers have been going around the camps and ordering the younger men to report for military training.The terrible irony for men like Mohammed is that Rohingyas in Myanmar are still denied citizenship, and subjected to a range of discriminatory restrictions – like a ban on travel outside their communities.In 2012 tens of thousands of Rohingyas were driven out of mixed communities in Rakhine State, and forced to live in squalid camps. Five years later, in August 2017, 700,000 fled to neighbouring Bangladesh, after the army launched a brutal clearance operation against them, killing and raping thousands and burning their villages. Some 600,000 of them still remain there. Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Many Rohingyas have been forced to live in camps for the displaced for the last decadeMyanmar is now facing a genocide trial at the International Court of Justice in the Hague over its treatment of the Rohingyas. That the same army is now forcibly recruiting them is a telling sign of its desperation, after losing huge swathes of territory in Rakhine recently to an ethnic insurgent group called the Arakan Army. Dozens of Rohingyas in Rakhine have been killed by military artillery and aerial bombardments.The military has also suffered significant losses to opposition forces in other parts of the country. Large numbers of soldiers have been killed, wounded, surrendered or defected to the opposition, and finding replacements is difficult. Few want to risk their lives propping up an unpopular regime.What you need to know about the Rohingya crisisAnd the Rohingyas fear that is the reason they are being targeted again – to be cannon fodder in a war the junta seems to be losing.Mohammed said he was driven to the base of the 270th Light Infantry Battalion in Sittwe. Rohingyas have been prohibited from living in the town since they were driven out during the 2012 communal violence.”We were taught how to load bullets and shoot,” he said. “They also showed us how to disassemble and reassemble a gun.”In a video seen by the BBC another group of Rohingya conscripts can be seen being taught how to use BA 63 rifles, an older standard weapon used by the Myanmar armed forces.This video can not be playedTo play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.Media caption, Watch: Rohingya conscripts seen at Myanmar military campMohammed was trained for two weeks, then sent home. But after just two days he was called back, and put on a boat with 250 other soldiers and transported five hours up-river to Rathedaung, where a fierce battle with the Arakan Army was under way for control of three hilltop military bases.”I had no idea why I was fighting. When they told me to shoot at a Rakhine village, I would shoot.” He fought there for 11 days. They were desperately short of food, after a shell fell on their supply hut. He saw several Rohingya conscripts killed by artillery and he was injured by shrapnel in both legs, and taken back to Sittwe for treatment.On 20 March the Arakan Army released photos from the battle, after it had taken control of the three bases, showing several corpses, at least three of them identified as Rohingyas.Myanmar’s army is losing – and facing fire from a militant monkA turning point in Myanmar as army suffers big losses”While I was in the middle of the battle I was terrified the whole time. I kept thinking about my family,” Mohammed said. “I never thought I would have to go to war like that. I just wanted to go home. When I got home from the hospital I hugged my mother and cried. It felt like being born again from my mother’s womb.”Another conscript was Hussain, from Ohn Taw Gyi camp, which is also near Sittwe. His brother Mahmoud says he was taken away in February and completed his military training, but he went into hiding before they could send him to the front line.The military denies using Rohingyas to fight its battles with the Arakan Army. General Zaw Min Tun, the junta spokesman, told the BBC that there was no plan to send them to the front line. “We want to ensure their safety, so we have asked them to help with their own defence,” he said.Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, The devastating civil war between the army and ethnic insurgent groups has raged for three yearsBut in interviews with the BBC, seven Rohingyas in five different IDP camps near Sittwe all said the same thing: that they know of at least 100 Rohingyas who have been recruited this year and sent off to fight. They said teams of soldiers and local government officials came to the camps in February to announce that the younger men would be conscripted, at first telling people they would get food, wages and citizenship if they joined up. These were powerful lures. Food in the IDP camps has become scarce and expensive as the escalating conflict with the Arakan Army has cut off the international aid supplies. And the denial of citizenship is at the heart of the Rohingyas’ long struggle for acceptance in Myanmar, and one reason they suffer systematic discrimination, described by human rights groups as similar to apartheid.However, when the soldiers returned to take the conscripted men away, they retracted the offer of citizenship. When asked by the camp residents why they, as non-citizens, should be subjected to conscription, they were told that they had a duty to defend the place where they lived. They would be militiamen, not soldiers, they were told. When they asked about the offer of citizenship, the answer was “you misunderstood”.Now, according to one camp committee member, the army is demanding new lists of potential recruits. After seeing and hearing from the first group to come back from the front line, he said, no-one else was willing to risk being conscripted. This video can not be playedTo play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.Media caption, Rohingya refugees’ perilous journey in search of safetySo the camp leaders are now trying to persuade the poorest men, and those with no jobs, to go, by offering to support their families while they are away, with donations raised from other camp residents.”This conscription campaign is unlawful and more akin to forced labour,” said Matthew Smith, from the human rights group Fortify Rights.”There’s a brutal and perverse utility to what’s happening. The military is conscripting the victims of the Rohingya genocide in an attempt to fend off a nationwide democratic revolution. This regime has no regard for human life. It’s now layering these abuses on top of its long history of atrocities and impunity.” Finding Anwar – born while his mother fled for her lifeBy using Rohingyas in its battles against the advancing Arakan Army, the Myanmar military threatens to reignite communal conflict with the ethnic Rakhine Buddhist population, much of which supports the insurgents. It was friction between the two communities which in 2012 caused the expulsion of tens of thousands of Rohingyas from towns like Sittwe. In 2017, ethnic Rakhine men joined in the army’s attacks on the Rohingyas. Tension between the two communities has eased since then. The Arakan Army is fighting for an autonomous state, part of a wider campaign with other ethnic armies and opposition groups to overthrow the military junta and create a new, federal system in Myanmar. Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Rohingyas in Rakhine State now find themselves caught in the middle – between the junta and the insurgentsNow on the brink of victory in Rakhine State, the Arakan Army has talked about giving citizenship to all who have lived there recently, implying that it might accept the return of the Rohingya population from Bangladesh. The mood has now changed. A spokesman for the Arakan Army, Khaing Thukha, told the BBC that they viewed Rohingyas being conscripted to fight for the junta as “the worst betrayal of those who had recently been victims of genocide, and of those fighting for liberation from dictatorship”. Pro-military media have also been giving publicity to what appear to have been Rohingya protests in Buthidaung against the Arakan Army, although local people told the BBC they suspected these were organised by the army in an attempt to divide the two groups.The Rohingyas are now forced to fight for an army that does not recognise their right to live in Myanmar, thereby alienating the ethnic insurgents who may soon control most of Rakhine. Once targeted by both, they are now caught between the two sides. Mohammed has been given a certificate by the army, stating that he has fought in battle on their side. He has no idea what value it has, nor whether it exempts him from further military service. It could well get him into trouble with the Arakan Army if it continues its advance towards Sittwe and his camp. He is still recovering from his injuries, and says he is unable to sleep at night after his experience.”I’m afraid they will call me again. This time I came back because I was lucky, but next time I am not sure what will happen.”Related TopicsMyanmarAsiaRohingyaTop StoriesIsrael reduces troop numbers in southern GazaPublished5 hours agoJeremy Bowen: Obstacles to peace seem larger than everPublished19 hours agoManhunt after mum pushing baby in pram stabbed to deathPublished9 hours agoFeaturesThe Papers: ‘Kyiv aid block’ warning and ‘run of a kind’Where in the UK can you see Monday’s solar eclipse?Path of darkness – scroll every mile of total eclipseMyanmar’s army massacred Rohingyas. Now it wants their help7 lessons from my first series of University ChallengeThe comics legend lurking in a British basementIndigenous deaths in custody haunt AustraliaSix months on, how close is Israel to eliminating Hamas?West faces ‘authoritarian’ alliance, says Nato headElsewhere on the BBCGet a job, pay the bills. 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[ad_1] The BBC learns of at least 100 Rohingyas conscripted in recent weeks to fight for the embattled junta.
![BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaGaza war: UNRWA says Rafah aid centre hit by Israeli forcesPublished5 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated TopicsIsrael-Gaza warImage source, ReutersImage caption, UNRWA said up to 60 people were believed to have been working at its Rafah distribution centre when it was hitBy David GrittenBBC NewsThe UN agency for Palestinian refugees says a member of staff was killed and 22 others were injured when Israeli forces hit a food distribution centre in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip.UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini said attacks on its facilities had “become commonplace in blatant disregard to international humanitarian law”.The Hamas-run health ministry said an Israeli air strike killed five people.The Israeli military said it killed a Hamas commander in a “precise strike”.It identified him as Mohammed Abu Hasna and alleged that he had been a “combat support operative” in Hamas’s military wing in the Rafah area. A man with that name was on a list of five fatalities given by health officials.Rafah is crammed with an estimated 1.5 million Palestinians who are seeking shelter from Israel’s ground offensive elsewhere in Gaza.The UN’s secretary general has warned that a threatened Israeli assault on the city could “plummet the people of Gaza into an even deeper circle of hell”.The war in Gaza began when Hamas gunmen attacked southern Israel on 7 October, killing about 1,200 people and taking 253 others as hostages. More than 31,200 people have been killed in Gaza in the military campaign that Israel launched in response, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. Gaza medics tell BBC that Israeli troops beat and humiliated themInside the US plan to get food into Gaza by sea’My son Ali has already died’: Father’s plea for Gaza’s starving childrenWednesday’s strike reportedly hit the eastern side of the UNRWA food distribution centre, which is in the eastern part of Rafah. UNRWA spokeswoman Juliette Touma told the BBC that up to 60 people were believed to have been working at the facility, which also served as a warehouse for food and other critical supplies.”We know that it is the Israeli forces who were responsible. Our teams were on site and they reported back the casualties,” she said.Pictures of the aftermath showed a pool of blood in a courtyard outside a blue-and-white painted warehouse, and another pool just inside the doorway of the building, next to boxes of aid.A 15-year-old boy and four men aged between 27 and 50, one of them called Mohamed Abu Hasna, were reported killed.People were also filmed at a local hospital next to the bodies of five people, one of whom was a man wearing a blue UN tabard.”It’s a UNRWA centre, expected to be secure,” UNRWA staff member Sami Abu Salim told the AFP news agency as he surveyed the damage.”Some came to work to distribute aid to the people in need of food during the [Islamic] holy month of Ramadan. Suddenly, they were struck by two missiles.”Image source, ReutersImage caption, An estimated 1.5 million Palestinians are sheltering in Rafah with scarce access to safe drinking water or foodOn Wednesday evening, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) put out a statement saying its aircraft had “precisely targeted and eliminated a terrorist in Hamas’s Operations Unit in the area of Rafah, Mohammed Abu Hasna”, without mentioning the UNRWA facility. “He was also involved in taking control of humanitarian aid and distributing it to Hamas terrorists,” it added.”Furthermore, [Abu] Hasna co-ordinated the activities of various Hamas units, as well as communicated with and activated Hamas field operatives. [Abu] Hasna was also responsible for an intelligence operations room which provides information on IDF positions for use in Hamas attacks.” Mr Lazzarini said: “Today’s attack on one of the very few remaining UNRWA distribution centres in the Gaza Strip comes as food supplies are running out, hunger is widespread and, in some areas, turning into famine.” “Every day, we share the co-ordinates of all our facilities across the Gaza Strip with parties to the conflict. The Israeli army received the co-ordinates including of this facility yesterday.”UNRWA says at least 165 of its 13,000 employees in Gaza have been killed and more than 150 of its facilities have been hit since the start of the war. More than 400 people have also been killed while seeking shelter under the UN flag, according to the agency. Israel has accused UNRWA of supporting Hamas, which is proscribed as a terrorist organisation by Israel, the UK, US and other countries. The agency has denied this, but in January it sacked nine of the 12 employees accused in an Israeli document of playing a part in the 7 October attacks.The UN has yet to publish the results of an internal investigation launched as the US and other donors paused funding in response to the allegations.Related TopicsIsrael & the PalestiniansIsrael-Gaza warIsraelPalestinian territoriesGazaHamasMore on this storyEU says starvation being used as a weapon in GazaPublished13 hours agoGaza medics tell BBC that Israeli troops beat and humiliated themPublished1 day ago‘We don’t feel the joy of Ramadan’Published1 day ago’My son Ali has already died’: Father’s plea for Gaza’s starving childrenPublished7 days agoTop StoriesI won’t return money from donor accused of racism – PMPublished4 hours agoAbbott criticises Speaker for race row debate snubPublished1 hour agoReturn hostages at any cost, says Israeli freed from GazaPublished3 hours agoFeaturesPoliticians flounder as they wrestle with race rowsThe hidden village just metres from North KoreaEgg freezing patients ‘misled’ by clinicsInside the US plan to get food into Gaza by seaOlympics culture row as far right rages at French singerCould the US ban TikTok?What are children learning in sex education?Mel B on moving in with her mum after abusive marriageHaiti violence: ‘We’re living with death on a daily basis’Elsewhere on the BBC’It was a song that broke all the rules’The epic story behind Bohemian Rhapsody, featuring Brian May and Roger TaylorAttributioniPlayerDid one man from Iraq make Norway rich?Meet the man behind Norway’s rise to oil richesAttributionSoundsCritically acclaimed and utterly compelling…Masterful, claustrophobic drama starring Sofie Gråbøl as a troubled prison guardAttributioniPlayerAre you a descendant of royalty?Geneticist Dr. Adam Rutherford sets out to prove that we all are…AttributionSoundsMost Read1Body found weeks ago believed that of missing woman2Actress Olivia Munn shares breast cancer diagnosis3Trailblazer Cavallo gets engaged on Adelaide Utd pitchAttributionSport4British couple die on Caribbean island in Grenada5’I stare at my wife’s ashes wondering if it is her’6Abbott criticises Speaker for race row debate snub7’Man in the iron lung’ Paul Alexander dies at 788Return hostages at any cost, says Israeli freed from Gaza9I won’t return money from donor accused of racism – PM10MP regains Labour whip after using contentious phrase](https://newsinsightplus.com/wp-content/uploads/https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/branded_news/D9DA/production/_132907755_221ef42b4dcad5cc691f55eb5b6d06aa7753c7e2-1.jpg)
![BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaAli Hassan Mwinyi: ‘Mr Permission’ – the man who opened up TanzaniaPublished47 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Ali Hassan Mwinyi died at 98By Basillioh Rukanga & Alfred LasteckBBC News, Nairobi & Dar es SalaamAli Hassan Mwinyi, Tanzania’s second president, was fondly known as Mzee Rukhsa – “Mr Permission”.The former leader, who died on Thursday at the age of 98, had a reputation for allowing a long list of things which had been denied by his predecessor – such as multiparty democracy, independent media, free trade and the private ownership of televisions.In 1985, when he was first sworn in, Tanzania’s economy was struggling, reeling from the ruinous effects of founding President Julius Nyerere’s socialist policy known as ujamaa, as well as the war against neighbouring Uganda that toppled Idi Amin.Ujamaa, Swahili for familyhood, involved collaborative working where everything was communally owned, including land, while people lived in communal settlements.But after more than two decades under Nyerere, the country faced a shortage of essential goods including food and clothing. Foreign exchange was scarce and Tanzania was deep in debt.Mwinyi had been hand-picked by the charismatic Nyerere. Despite the economic crisis, he was still respected in the country as the founding father. Nyerere’s vision had managed to unite the country made up of more than 120 ethnic groups.His successor was seen as a shy, compromise candidate who was unlikely to rock the boat. Some saw him as a puppet of Nyerere, who despite stepping down as president, stayed on as the leader of the ruling party, which still had a tight grip on the affairs of the state. The Economist magazine is quoted as saying at the time that people should not “expect many changes in Tanzania’s lacklustre economy when [he] takes over as president… Mr Mwinyi is Mr Nyerere’s man”.Nyerere himself had introduced Mwinyi as “a righteous man, impartial and respectful, [who] has never sought fame or used his position to advance his ambition”. But he soon dismantled the ujamaa policy and many of the restrictions under his predecessor’s regime.He opened up the economy, allowed other parties to run in elections, enabled independent media to exist and permitted the sale of televisions to individuals, which previously had only been communally owned.He also began talks with the International Monetary Fund about getting financial support.With the economy on the brink of collapse, the reforms were seen as having as saved the economy.Image source, AFPImage caption, Mwinyi (C) took over from Nyerere (L) in 1985Joseph Warioba, who was prime minister during Mwinyi’s presidency, recounts how the president’s “brave” leadership helped resolve the economic crisis, including severe food, fuel and foreign currency shortages.”He appointed ministers and valued our input greatly. He encouraged everyone to contribute ideas to find solutions,” he told the BBC.Prof Ibrahim Lipumba, an opposition politician who worked as Mwinyi’s economic adviser, remembers him as a calm person who respected human rights. But Mwinyi’s leadership was not without criticism – some of his policies, including allowing political leaders to run private businesses, were criticised for opening up the way for high corruption levels during his presidency.Mwinyi also faced accusations that he favoured Muslims in government jobs. He wrote later in his memoirs that these allegations hit him hard.And although he introduced multiparty democracy, allowing opposition parties to contest elections, none of them have managed to dislodge the ruling CCM party from power.He stepped down from the presidency in 1995 at the age of 70, having served two terms at the helm.From then on, Mwinyi kept a low profile but was occasionally present and spoke at public events with some of his presidential successors.In 2021, current President Samia Suluhu Hassan described him as a leader worthy of emulation, saying he was “a reformist [and] a role model to many of us”. She was speaking during the launch of his memoir, aptly called Mzee Rukhsa – the Journey of My Life.Mwinyi was born on 8 May 1925 in Tanganyika, which was then a British colony. In 1964, three years after independence, it united with the islands of Zanzibar to form Tanzania.When Mwinyi was four years old, his family moved to Zanzibar, where his father wanted him to study Islam and become a religious leader. But instead, he took up teaching, before entering politics in the 1960s. He then held a number of government positions including as a minister and as an ambassador before becoming Zanzibar’s president in 1984 and then succeeding Nyerere the following year.He is survived by his two wives and a number of children, including Zanzibar’s current President Hussein Mwinyi.You may also be interested in:Julius Nyerere: Former Tanzanian leader honoured by African Union statueSwahili’s bid to become a language for all of AfricaA quick guide to TanzaniaWhy Tanzania’s Nobel laureate is hardly known back homeRelated TopicsTanzaniaTop StoriesLive. Navalny buried in Moscow as crowd chants anti-Putin slogansLive. 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![BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaDiego Garcia asylum seekers feel unsafe on remote British island territoryPublished16 hours agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, HANDOUTImage caption, An image previously sent to the BBC by a migrant shows the housing tents on the island of Diego GarciaBy Alice CuddyBBC NewsA group of asylum seekers on an isolated British island territory have told UN investigators they feel unsafe and forgotten, as they reported sexual assaults and harassment of children, as well as self-harm and suicide attempts.Inspectors from the UN’s refugee agency visited Diego Garcia, in the Indian Ocean, to check on their welfare.A draft report says that conditions there amounted to arbitrary detention.The Foreign Office said the island was not suitable for migrants to live on.Other than the migrant camp, the island is used as a UK-US military base. Thousands of troops are stationed there, usually on a one-year deployment, along with a smaller number of military contractors. For all allegations of sexual assault and harassment, the alleged perpetrators were other asylum seekers.Civilian visitors are not allowed – and the island has officially had no resident population since the early 1970s when the UK relocated all the people living there so it could develop the base.The 61 people currently in the island camp are mostly Sri Lankan Tamils and the first of them landed on Diego Garcia in October 2021 after their boat ran into trouble while trying to sail to Canada, according to migrants and officials.Their subsequent asylum claims were the first ever to be launched on British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) – an area described as being “constitutionally distinct and separate from the UK”, and where the UK government argues that the refugee convention does not apply.In its response to the UN report on the asylum seekers, a Foreign Office spokeswoman said: “BIOT is not a suitable location for migrants, which is why we have been working tirelessly to process the migrants’ claims for protection and to find a suitable third country for those whose claims are upheld.”At all times, the welfare and safety of migrants on BIOT has been our top priority.”UNHCR – the UN Refugee Agency – says the visit by its inspectors in late November marked the first time an “external party” had gained access to the island to monitor conditions there since the asylum seekers’ arrival. The draft report it produced following its visit was released to the BBC by the supreme court of BIOT.Sexual violence likely ‘under-reported’During its visit, UNHCR representatives heard several allegations of sexual assault and harassment, with alleged victims including young children. In all instances, the alleged perpetrators were other asylum seekers, the report says.It adds that there was likely to be an “under-reporting” of sexual violence because of shame and stigma, and a view among asylum seekers that there would not be an effective response.”It was clear from speaking to asylum seekers, both the general population and those who had made allegations, that they did not see anything to be gained by reporting, both in terms of justice and safety, including due to the fact that alleged perpetrators of sexual assault remain living in the camp alongside alleged victims,” the report says.A decision made last July to designate family tents and single male tents was a “positive step” but “unlikely to be sufficient as a prevention mechanism”, it notes, adding that there was “little evidence of other preventive measures”.Full report: Migrants stuck in “hell” on UK military island (June 2023)UK to begin talks over future of Chagos Islands In the UN report, the asylum seekers on the island, which is hundreds of miles away from any other population, describe being bitten by rats in a fenced-off camp and say that they are only permitted to leave it under security escort, even if they just want to walk to the beach.That has led to feelings of despair and incidents of self-harm and suicide attempts, the UN’s draft report – one of the first detailed insights into conditions on the island – says.The group of asylum seekers, which includes 16 children, said they felt bored, depressed, and hopeless. Some said they felt “forgotten”, while one woman said: “Many of us think about ending our lives.” Some of the children told the inspectors they had witnessed violence and self-harm, and made multiple references to suicide during the UN visit, the draft report says.Some of them recalled a time when a security dog came to visit the camp and they watched it through the security fence. “The children said that it made them sad that the dog was able to be outside the fence and they were not,” the report says. Image source, HANDOUTImage caption, A photo, previously provided to the BBC, shows one of the groups of Tamils on their fishing boat, on which they intended to voyage to CanadaThe asylum seekers do not have access to the internet and have never met their lawyers in person. Until now, details of the conditions they are being held in have been scarce – recounted mainly in court hearings in the UK.A process has been established to determine if the group should be sent back to Sri Lanka or to a “safe third country”.The BBC last year established contact with multiple asylum seekers on the island, who described conditions there as hellish. UNHCR says it considers that the 61 Tamils on Diego Garcia are “subject to deprivation of liberty”.”They reside in a closed place with no possibility to leave at will, which amounts to detention under international law,” it explains. In its report, the UN agency says the conditions on the island “fail to provide the necessary standards of privacy, safety and dignity”.The draft report says asylum seekers are held in a fenced area of approximately 100m by 140m, and are barred from leaving unless with a security escort. Most of the children have never left the camp other than infrequent visits to the beach under security escort, the report says.Image caption, The island of Diego Garcia is a British overseas territory situated 6,000 miles from the UKThe children showed UN representatives pictures they had drawn depicting the wired fence surrounding the camp and said their lives generally consisted of eating meals with their families, walking to the education tent for classes and then returning to their own tent.”Living here is like living in hell,” a mother is quoted as saying. “Children go to bed late and in [the] night do not sleep because they do not feel at peace. And that is because the children feel that we as parents are not at peace.”The asylum seekers are given three meals a day, and do not have the option to cook their own food. UNHCR observers found the meals to be varied and nutritional, but asylum seekers complained that the meals were sometimes not culturally appropriate, and that they had no say in what they ate.’We think it may be better to die’The UN report describes a deterioration in mental health in the camp, and observers saw signs of clinical depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.The draft report says that while children in the camp appeared “playful and responsive” there were “worrying signs that living in an enclosed environment, in close proximity to adults who were suffering from poor mental health was having an impact on their emotional health”.”Children have witnessed violence and self-harm. They are aware that many of the adults, including in some cases their own parents, have tried to end their lives.”During the UN’s visit, one teenage girl asked a UNHCR representative: ‘”Do you think that if I kill myself, my brother and parents could go to another country where they would have a better life?”Image source, HANDOUTImage caption, At one point, a group of the migrants were sent to Rwanda for medical treatment – some of them were later returned to Diego GarciaAsylum seekers, including children, told the UN “they often feel their suffering is without end, and frequently consider the idea of purposely inflicting bodily harm or ending their life”.Medical services on the island reported 21 incidents of self-harm between May and October 2023.”I feel I am alive on the outside but dead from inside. My body hurts me, and if the pains will further increase, I may have to hurt myself to end this all,” one man said.Several people have been transferred to Rwanda – a 3,000-mile flight away – for medical care following self-harm and suicide attempts.If you are affected by the mental health issues raised in this story, the BBC Action Line provides support information here. Those who have had their claims for international protection approved are still waiting for a third country – where they can have a new life – to be identified.’Not a safe place’ UNHCR frequently heard concerns that asylum seekers felt they had been “forgotten” on the island and had “no way to speak up about their current conditions or perceived injustices”. The UN report acknowledges that the sudden arrival of asylum seekers on Diego Garcia presented “enormous challenges” and says “important efforts were pursued to ensure that those who wished to make international protection claims were able to do so” and that services such as medical care were made available. But, it says, the “existing situation is not tenable”.Its draft report calls for the asylum seekers to be “urgently relocated”, for final decisions on international protection to be expedited, and solutions secured for those whose claims are approved.It also calls for the UK government to conduct “contingency planning” for possible future arrivals on the island, and for an independent mechanism to be established to monitor the treatment of asylum seekers.One of the group’s lawyers, Tessa Gregory, from London firm Leigh Day, said she was “extremely concerned” about their wellbeing, describing conditions on the island as “appalling”.Lawyers had been denied access to visit their clients on the island, she added.The UK took control of the Chagos Islands, of which Diego Garcia is part, from its then colony, Mauritius, in 1965 and went on to evict its population of more than 1,000 people to make way for the base.Mauritius, which won independence from the UK in 1968, maintains the islands are its own and the UN’s’ highest court has ruled that the UK’s administration of the territory is “unlawful” and must end. UNHCR says its visit to the island does not constitute recognition of BIOT.Related TopicsChagos IslandsRefugees and asylum seekersSri LankaMore on this storyMigrants stuck in ‘hell’ on a remote UK military basePublished11 June 2023UK to begin talks over future of Chagos IslandsPublished3 November 2022Top StoriesLive. 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![BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaPalestinians sheltering in Rafah fear impending Israeli ground offensivePublished15 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Dr Ahmed AbuibaidBy Adam Durbin & Alys DaviesBBC NewsA Palestinian doctor in Rafah has said people are terrified about the prospect of an Israeli ground offensive in Gaza’s southern-most city, after a night of some of the worst air strikes he has experienced since arriving there.In a series of messages sent to the BBC by phone overnight, Dr Ahmed Abuibaid described the air strikes as incessant and everywhere.”[The] most popular question on people’s minds is, where can we go?” he said.Last week, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that he had ordered troops to prepare to expand its ground operation into Rafah.More than half of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million is now crammed into the city on the border with Egypt, which was home to only 250,000 people before the war between Israel and Hamas. Many of the displaced people are living in makeshift shelters or tents in squalid conditions, with scarce access to safe drinking water or food.On Monday, UN human rights chief Volker Türk warned that an assault on Rafah would be “terrifying, given the prospect that an extremely high number of civilians, again mostly children and women, will likely be killed and injured”.He also said it could mean that the “meagre” humanitarian aid getting into Gaza might stop, with most deliveries currently going through the Egyptian-controlled Rafah border crossing. His warning follows an unusually sharp criticism from the US last week, with President Joe Biden calling Israel’s retaliatory campaign in Gaza “over the top” and the White House stating that Israel should not mount an operation in Rafah without proper planning to ensure civilians were not harmed..flourish-container{position:relative;color:#404040;font-family:’Helmet’, ‘Freesans’, ‘Helvetica’, ‘Arial’, sans-serif;font-weight:400;line-height:1.4}.flourish-embed{position:relative}
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Those comments were echoed by the EU’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, who urged allies of Israel on Monday to stop sending weapons as “too many people” are being killed in Gaza.The UK Foreign Secretary, Lord Cameron, also said Israel should “stop and think seriously” before taking further action in Rafah.In an interview with ABC News on Sunday, Mr Netanyahu said Israel was “working out a detailed plan” to move civilians to areas north of the city.”Victory is within reach,” he said. “Those who say that under no circumstances should we enter Rafah are basically saying, ‘lose the war, keep Hamas there.'”The Israeli military launched a large-scale air and ground campaign in Gaza after Hamas gunmen killed more than 1,200 people in southern Israel on 7 October and took 253 other people hostage.The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza says more than 28,100 Palestinians have been killed in the fighting since then.Image source, Dr Ahmed AbuibaidImage caption, Dr Abuibaid took this picture of a crater in Rafah caused by what he said was an Israeli air strikeOne of the displaced people in Rafah is Dr Abuibaid, who was forced to abandon his job at Nasser Hospital in the nearby city of Khan Younis after his home was destroyed in an Israeli air strike and his father suffered a traumatic spinal injury.He is now facing the possibility of having to move out of Rafah – but it is unclear where would be safe for him to go.”People are very scared about a possible military ground operation soon in the city,” he said.Overnight Israeli strikes from Sunday into Monday, carried out during a operation to rescue two Israeli hostages, frightened many others who have sought refuge in the city.Abo Mohamed Attya said he was sleeping in a tent with his family when he woke up to the sound of the bombardment.”Suddenly… missiles are being hit everywhere and firing as well and airplanes everywhere, all of this is on the tents and the people in the streets,” he told the BBC.Mr Attya, who previously fled Nuseirat refugee camp in the middle of the Gaza Strip after receiving Israeli evacuation orders, complained that there had been no warning from the Israeli military that they were going to target Rafah overnight.”We hoped there was a warning to evacuate like they did in Nuseirat and we went to Rafah. We would have went out of Rafah to anywhere they told us. We have no problem, we would evacuate for our children,” he explained.This video can not be playedTo play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.Media caption, The BBC’s Jeremy Bowen on why Rafah is Israel’s next military focus, and what it could meanThe Hamas-run Palestinian health ministry said at least 67 people were killed in the Israeli strikes and hostage rescue raid in Rafah overnight.”There is no safe place anymore; nowhere is safe, even the hospitals are unsafe. One hopes to die instead,” Mr Attya said.Aside from the continuing threat of Israeli air strikes and an impending ground operation, the situation for people in Rafah is made more difficult by the dire living conditions, with little access to water, food and sanitation, and rapidly dwindling medical supplies.Dr Abuibaid said he had observed many diseases among the people in Rafah and that they had been exacerbated by the “severe decrease in the availability of drugs and treatment”.Another medic in Rafah, who did not want to be named, told the BBC that many people were living in cramped and unsanitary conditions.”I live here with 20 people in two rooms… and I know people that are 100 people in three rooms.””We don’t have water to wash, we don’t have clothes, we don’t have the option to do hygiene stuff,” he said.Image source, EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock”My friends, all of the people I meet… all of them are having at least flu, cholera, diarrhoea, scabies, hepatitis A – which is a newcomer for us – and it’s getting worse and worse.””And the aid is less as the siege is increasing, the war is increasing, [Israeli soldiers] are getting closer to Rafah, and it feels very scary right now”, he said.Despite being located next to the only crossing point for goods and people between Gaza and Egypt, Rafah has not received nearly enough aid to satisfy the needs of the people there.One man in the city told the BBC that currently people were waiting days for aid deliveries, and that when they did arrive, supplies of water were insufficient.”We can’t find water nor do we get enough of it, our throats are dry from the shortage of water,” another woman in Rafah said.The head of the UN’s agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), which is the largest humanitarian organization in Gaza, said on Monday that civil order was breaking down, with members of the local Hamas-run police force being killed or reluctant to protect aid lorries because of fears for their own safety.”Yesterday, for the first time, the UN could not operate with a minimum of protection, which was local police. And because we had no local police, our trucks, our convoys at the border have been looted, and trucks have been vandalised by hundreds of young people.” ‘No idea’ where to goFor some of the displaced, however, fears of what could come next are even overriding their daily anxieties of finding drinkable water and food.”Before we were thinking about starvation for the food, for the shortage of water and electricity. But now we are traumatised about what’s the next step, where we should go. This is our daily life right now,” Ibrahim Isbaita told the BBC.Asked where he and his family are considering going if they had to leave Rafah, Mr Isbaita said: “I have actually no idea.”He said his mother needed dialysis treatment, which she is currently able to receive in Rafah when electricity supplies allow – though the treatment is less frequent than is needed. The fear is that if they move, she will not be able to find any treatment in the next place.”I live besides the hospital because of my mother and we are trying our best to find a solution,” Mr Isbaita added.More on this storyIsrael rescues two hostages in Rafah amid deadly strikesPublished7 hours agoTop StoriesPalestinians sheltering in Rafah fear Israeli offensivePublished15 minutes agoLabour defends standing by candidate despite Israel remarksPublished3 hours agoWomen say police failed to look into officer abusePublished2 hours agoFeaturesWhat we know about Israel’s Rafah hostage rescue raidInside Ukraine’s struggle to find new men to fightHow Vogue kept its cover shoot of 40 famous stars secretUsher shines at Super Bowl half-time showDeadpool and Wicked trailers air in Super Bowl adsWatch: Kelce and Swift celebrate at Super Bowl. 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