KUTUPALONG: Some
200,000 Rohingya rallied in a Bangladesh refugee camp to mark two years since
they fled a violent crackdown by Myanmar forces, just days after a second
failed attempt to repatriate the refugees. Around 740,000 Rohingya from
Myanmar's Rakhine state escaped in August 2017 during the brutal offensive,
joining another 200,000 who fled earlier persecution in vast camps in southeast
Bangladesh.

Children,
hijab-wearing women, and men in long-skirt lungis shouted "God is Great,
Long Live Rohingya" as they marched at the heart of the world's largest
refugee camp to commemorate what they described as "Genocide Day".
Under the scorching sun, thousands joined in a popular song with the lyrics
"the world does not listen to the woes of Rohingya". "I have
come here to seek justice for the murder of my two sons. I will continue to
seek justice till my last breath," 50-year-old Tayaba Khatun said as tears
rolled down her cheeks.

Myanmar had said
they were conducting counter-insurgency operations against Rohingya extremists
after they attacked police posts, but the UN last year called for Myanmar's top
generals to be prosecuted for genocide over the crisis. Rohingya leader Mohib
Ullah said the stateless minority wanted to return home, but only after they
were granted citizenship, their security was ensured and they were allowed to
settle back in their villages. "We have asked the Burmese government for
dialogue. But we haven't got any response from them yet," Ullah told the
rally.

"We were
beaten, killed and raped in Rakhine. But still that is our home. And we want to
go back." Police officer Zakir Hassan told AFP some 200,000 Rohingya took
part in the peaceful gathering. Security has been tight across Kutupalang camp,
the world's largest refugee settlement and home to more than 600,000 Rohingya.
"Hundreds of police, army and border guards have been deployed to prevent
any violence," local police chief Abul Monsur told AFP.

The rally came
three days after the failed attempt to repatriate the refugees, which saw not a
single Rohingya turn up to return across the border. On Saturday, Bangladesh
police said they shot dead two refugees during a gunfight in a camp after the
pair were accused of killing a ruling party official. The Rohingya are not
recognized as an official minority by the Myanmar government, which considers
them Bengali interlopers despite many families having lived in the country for
generations.- AFP