Government authorities are soon to take action against a Myanmar-based non-governmental organisation (NGO), Centre for Social Integrity (CSI), active illegally in Cox’s Bazar Rohingya camps. Privileged by the Myanmar military intelligence, the CSI, working at Rohingya camps without having registration from the NGO Affairs Bureau, and work permission in Bangladesh, is allegedly carrying out anti-repatriation acts through discouraging Rohingya people to return to Rakhine in Myanmar. The NGO is also passing information to Myanmar authorities from Bangladesh.
Mohammad Kamal Hossain, Deputy Commissioner of Cox’s Bazar District, on Thursday said, “Measures against the CSI will be taken soon, and as part of the measures, investigation into the activities by the Myanmar NGO is on.” “There are many instances of punitive measures against several NGOs for their illegal and illicit activities,” said the DC and continued saying, “Not only the CSI, punitive measures will be taken against whoever will be found guilty.”
The Cox’s Bazar DC also admitted that the CSI does not have registration from the NGO Affairs Bureau, and work permission in Bangladesh. “There is no scope of working here without registration of recognition,” the DC said. Meanwhile, local people of Cox’s Bazar on Thursday staged a human chain in the refugee camp area demanding shutdown of all the activities by the CSI.
According to the website (https://www.centerforsocialintegrity.org/) of the CSI, it was founded in 2016 and its headquarters is located at Moe Ma Kha Street of Bahan Township in Yangon of Myanmar. The Executive Director of the CSI, Aung Kyaw Moe is a citizen of Myanmar. Apart from Rohingya refugee camps at Cox’s Bazar of Bangladesh, the CSI is also running its activities in North Rakhine State of Myanmar, and different other states of Myanmar.
The CSI works in Myanmar as a supplier of food and various goods to the government, the website of the CSI reads. It should be mentioned that the CSI is the only NGO that has access in the Rakhine state where no other international organisation is allowed by the Myanmar authorities.
On condition of anonymity, several officials of the government working in Rohingya camps said, the CSI is mainly working for the implementation and execution of the agendas of the Myanmar government on the Rohingya issue. The officials said, the NGO had been working at Rohingya camps in Cox’s Bazar of Bangladesh for two years by hiding its identity. Apart from aid from different western countries, the NGO allegedly gets financial support from the Myanmar military. Not only that, the CSI is still appointing activists without work permission.
According to information, activities of another Myanmar NGO named CPI had been shut earlier on the same allegations. Not only that, so far at least 43 NGOs at home and abroad have been black listed and bans have been imposed on them for their activities against the Rohingya repatriation process.
Around 11,00,000 Rohingya people, who were forcibly displaced from the Rakhine State in Myanmar, are now sheltered in 11 refugee camps for years. Despite the agreement between countries for Rohingya repatriation, Rohingya people could not be sent to their homeland due to unwillingness of the Myanmar government.
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