Illegal Bengali migrants probed

Illegal Bengali migrants probed

Published on Thursday, 22 November 2012 22:11

The government is investigating Bengalis living in Rakhine State to differentiate illegal immigrants from early settlers, a Myanmar official told a press conference yesterday.

Lt Gen Thein Htay, the border affairs minister, said once the investigation is completed, the government will take action against illegal immigrants in accordance with the 1982 Citizenship Law.

He said only the third generation of the immigrants will be allowed citizenship in accordance with the law. The minister declined to provide more details, saying the investigation has yet to be completed.

He said the government found evidence that illegal Bengali migrants have managed to obtain citizenship and national identity cards, and sneaked into central Myanmar.

The situation, he added, is further complicated with the fact that ethnic Rakhine people are worried about losing their traditions and customs, while early Bengali settlers are wary of Rakhines accusing them of being illegals.

"When (we) were trying to do the population census in Rakhine, only a few hundreds out of thousands of Bengalis have said that they are Rohingyas and declined to call themselves Bengalis. There are also cases where the parents said they are Bengalis while their children said they are Rohingyas," said the minister.

The investigation team comprises officials from the Ministry of Immigration and Population, administrative organisations, local elders, and highly respected persons from both sides to ensure fairness and dispel doubts, according to the minister.

Myanmar needs funds for provide humanitarian relief to more than 75,000 internally displaced people following the violence in the Rakhine State, including 36,000 people who were displaced after a second wave of violence hit the state last month.

The government has estimated that the cost for these refugees will amount to US$66.5 million from July 2012 to June 2013.

Source: http://www.news.myanmaronlinecentre.com/2012/11/23/illegal-bengali-migrants-probed/