Rohingyas

In the Burmese province of Arakan, the strip of coastline west of the Ayeyarwaddy delta bordering in the Northwest on Bangladesh, about 20 % of the population are Muslim Bengalese called Rohingyas. By interpretation of Burmese governments throughout the last 200 years including the present government the Rohingyas are not legitimate Burmese citizens, but illegal immigrants, even though the Rohingyas have been living in Arakan province for several generations already.

After transgressions of Burmese army units in 1991 and 1992 about 260,000 Rohingyas fled to Bangladesh, where they were put into refugee camps close to the town of Cox's Bazaar. As the Burmese Bengalese are not welcome in Bengalese Bangladesh the Rohingyas find themselves in a difficult situation. After negotiations through diplomatic channels a large number of the refugees were enabled to return to Myanmar.