Rohingya Man s Myanmar Escape Highlights Relief And Regrets
TEKNAF, Bangladesh (AP) - Nur Karim's quest for safety took him on a five-day trek through Myanmar's forests before he reached the dangerous, rain-swollen waters of the Naf River and boarded a boat to Bangladesh.
But the Rohingya Muslim man's relief at escaping the latest violence in his homeland was tinged by a deep pain. In the chaos of an exit punctuated by the crack of Myanmar soldiers' bullets, Karim lost track of his family.
"In the night the Burma army started firing," Karim said Friday as he entered Bangladesh, exhausted and with sweat dripping from every pore of his wiry body. "My wife and child got separated. I don't know where they are."
A Rohingya Muslim Nur Karim carries his belongings past rice fields after crossing over from Myanmar into Bangladesh, at Teknaf, Bangladesh, Friday, Sept. 22, 2017. Karim walked through forests for five days before a boat helped him cross the ngâm nghệ với mật ong dangerous waters of the rain-flooded Naf river to Bangladesh to be reunited with his mother, who had crossed over two weeks ago with his sister's family. But his relief was tinged by a deep pain. In the chaos of their escape, as Myanmar soldiers fired at them, he got separated from his wife and child. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin)
Karim is one of nearly 430,000 Rohingya to cross into Bangladesh in the past month as the persecuted minority group flees attacks by security forces and civilian mobs in Myanmar, also known as Burma. The latest violence began when a Rohingya insurgent group launched deadly attacks on security posts, prompting Myanmar's military to launch "clearance operations" to root out the rebels. It's a campaign the U.N. has described as ethnic cleansing.
Karim left fear behind in Myanmar, but the memories of his last days in his village in Maungdaw remain painful.
"The authorities told us 'You people don't run away. We won't do anything to you people. You people stay,'" he said.
That was a week ago and it was raining heavily. As the rain stopped, the soldiers returned and starting setting houses on fire.
"They started turning everything to ash so everyone started running away," Karim said. "We ran to save our lives."
Reaching Bangladesh's shores, however, was simply the first step in another difficult journey.
The hungry and bone-tired man hadn't eaten for a day when he arrived. Weariness and sadness seemed to envelope him. And still he cách làm nghệ mật ong needed to find the money to pay for his trip to one of the newly set up camps for the masses who have escaped over the last month.
The boat ride had cost him the last of his money, despite the fact that a kindly boatman charged him far less than the going rate and even gave him a life jacket when he learnt that Karim couldn't swim.
Finally a stranger offered to pay his fare for the ride to the Balukhali camp, more than an hour's drive away.
At the camp Karim smiled for the first time in days as he hugged his mother and sister, who had made the dangerous journey a few weeks before him. He hugged his little niece.
A plate of rice and chicken filled his hungry belly. Then he sprawled on the floor exhausted.
The tropical sun beat down on his plastic-covered tent, thickening the nghe voi mat ong air with an oppressive heat. But he was safe.
Now he dreams of another act of grace that will unite him with his wife and daughter.
A Rohingya Muslim Nur Karim, left, and his cousin Khair Mohammad drink water from a channel of the Naf river after crossing over from Myanmar into Bangladesh, at Teknaf, Bangladesh, Friday, Sept. 22, 2017. Karim walked through forests for five days before a boat helped him cross the dangerous waters of the rain-flooded Naf river to Bangladesh to be reunited with his mother, who had crossed over two weeks ago with his sister's family. But his relief was tinged by a deep pain. In the chaos of their escape, as Myanmar soldiers fired at them, he got separated from his wife and child. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin)
A Rohingya Muslim man Nur Karim, left, and his cousin Khair Mohammad carry their belongings while walking past a channel of the Naf River after crossing over from Myanmar into Bangladesh, at Teknaf, Bangladesh, Friday, Sept. 22, 2017. Karim walked through forests for five days before a boat helped him cross the dangerous waters of the rain-flooded river to be reunited with his mother, who had crossed over two weeks ago with his sister's family. But his relief was tinged by a deep pain. In the chaos of their escape, as Myanmar soldiers fired at them, he got separated from his wife and child. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin)
A Rohingya Muslim Nur Karim carrying his belongings walks towards the refugee camp after crossing over from Myanmar into Bangladesh, at Balukhali, Bangladesh, Friday, Sept. 22, 2017. Karim walked through forests for five days before a boat helped him cross the dangerous waters of the rain-flooded Naf river to be reunited with his mother, who had crossed over two weeks ago with his sister's family. At the camp Karim smiled for the first time in days as he hugged his mother, sister and his little niece. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin)
A Rohingya Muslim Nur Karim rubs his eyes as he travels in a taxi towards Balukhali after crossing over from Myanmar into Bangladesh, at Teknaf, Bangladesh, Friday, Sept. 22, 2017. Karim walked through forests for five days before a boat helped him cross the dangerous waters of the rain-flooded Naf river to Bangladesh. Penniless and exhausted, a stranger's act of kindness paid his fare to a camp where he was reunited with his mother, sister and niece who had crossed over cách làm nghệ ngâm mật ong two weeks ago. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin)
Nunhar Begum, a Rohingya Muslim woman who crossed over two weeks ago from Myanmar into Bangladesh, kisses her son Nur Karim upon his arrival at her shelter at Balukhali refugee camp, Bangladesh, Friday, Sept. 22, 2017. Karim walked through forests for five days before a boat helped him cross the dangerous waters of the rain-flooded Naf river to be reunited with his mother, sister and his little niece. But his relief was tinged by a deep pain. In the chaos of their escape, as Myanmar soldiers fired at them, he lost track of his wide and child. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin)
Nunhar Begum, a Rohingya Muslim woman who crossed over two weeks ago from Myanmar into Bangladesh, stands by her son Nur Karim as he eats a meal upon arrival at a shelter at Balukhali refugee camp, Bangladesh, Friday, Sept. 22, 2017. Karim walked through forests for five days before a boat helped him cross the dangerous waters of the rain-flooded Naf river to be reunited with his mother, sister and his little niece. But his relief was tinged by a deep pain. In the chaos of their escape, as Myanmar soldiers fired at them, he lost track of his wide and child. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin)
A life jacket, a mobile phone, a lighter and a torch, items that helped Rohingya Muslim man Nur Karim to cross over from Myanmar into Bangladesh, lie on the floor at a shelter in Balukhali refugee camp, Bangladesh, Friday, Sept. 22, 2017. Karim walked through forests for five days before a boat helped him cross the dangerous waters of the rain-flooded Naf river to be reunited with his mother, sister and his little niece. But his relief was tinged by a deep pain. In the chaos of their escape, as Myanmar soldiers fired at them, he lost track of his wide and child. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin)
A Rohingya Muslim man Nur Karim, who arrived in Bangladesh from Myanmar in the morning, rests after being reunited with his mother, sister and little niece after two weeks, at Balukhali, Bangladesh, Friday, Sept. 22, 2017. "The authorities told us you people don't run away. We won't do anything to you people. You people stay," he said. That was a week ago and it was raining heavily. And yet as soon as the rain stopped the soldiers returned and starting setting houses on fire. "They started turning everything to ash so everyone started running away." But his relief in reaching Bangladesh was tinged by a deep pain. In the chaos of their escape, as Myanmar soldiers fired at them, he lost track of his family. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin)