Media: The Independent
Injured Rohingyas share tales of woe
Doctors confirm ruthlessness of Myanmar military
SHAMSUDDIN ILLIUS, Cox’s Bazar
Rohingyas maimed by bullets or physically traumatised have claimed that the Tatmadaw, the armed forces of Myanmar, had shot at their heads, legs and abdomen from point-blank range. At least 300 injured Rohingyas have crossed the border and are undergoing treatment at different government and non-government hospitals in Chittagong and Cox’s Bazar districts, said Rohingya leaders. Since August 25, a total of 50 Rohingyas, including children, have been admitted to the Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH), two of whom have recently died.
This correspondent spoke to at least 30 Rohingyas admitted to the CMCH and the Memorial Christian Hospital (MCH) with critical injuries. They alleged that they were shot at point-blank range.
“On August 26, about 100 military personnel and local residents, armed with weapons, cordoned off our neighbourhood around 9am. They set our houses on fire and looted our belongings. We started fleeing, but the military stopped us. They fired at my right hand. I managed to cross the border after two days and got admitted to a hospital in Ukhiya. I was referred to the CMCH. The doctor amputated my hand as gangrene had set in,” said Shamsul Alam, 25, from Jhimonkhali of Maungdaw, who is undergoing treatment at the CMCH’s Ward No. 26.
Md Jahangir, 22, of Maungdaw, who was undergoing treatment in Ward No. 26, said: “I started fleeing after the military set my house ablaze. But I was caught by them. While interrogating me, they suddenly shot at my right leg. I lost 10 members of my family, including my parents, sisters and brothers. I don’t know what has happened to them. I came here with other injured Rohingyas.”
Doctors said Jahangir’s leg would have to be amputated as gangrene has set in.
Md Toha, 16, of Shabbazar in Maungdaw, said: “The military shot at my throat. They left me on the road. My parents have brought me here.”
“The Myanmar military entered our house and started firing at three of my sons,” said Md Nabir, 60, father of Md Junaid, 16, who was being treated in CMCH’s Ward No.28. “Two of my sons are undergoing treatment at a hospital in Cox’s Bazar,” he added.
When contacted, Dr Md Iqbal Hossain, head of the department of orthopaedics at CMCH, said: “It seems they were shot at point-blank range. Legs of two Rohingyas and the hand of one had to be amputated. Legs of some others have to be amputated due to gangrene.”
On Tuesday, bad odour from the wounds of the injured filled Ward Nos. 26, 25, and 28. People who went to visit the patients covered their nose with handkerchiefs. “I’ve never seen so many bullet-ridden patients at a time during my service at the hospital,” said Dr Iqbal.
Two more bullet-hit patients were admitted to the CMCH yesterday.
About 70 Rohingyas are now undergoing treatment in different private hospitals in Chittagong city, while 120 bullet-ridden Rohingyas are being treated at the MCH in Chokoria, Medicine Sans Frontiers (MSF) in Ukhiya and the UNHCR hospital in Teknaf. The rest are receiving treatment at different private hospitals in Cox’s Bazar district.
After an attack on 30 outposts of the Myanmar Border Guard Police (BGP) at an Army base on August 24, Myanmar security forces began a new operation against “extremist terrorists”. Over 400 people have been feared to have been killed in the operation. As many as 150,000 people have taken shelter in Bangladesh and many more are waiting at the border to enter the country.
