An Arakanese urban refugee is suffering from injuries and a lack of medical care after he was assaulted by local youths and police last Friday on the beach in Cox's Bazar in southern Bangladesh.

The victim's UNHCR ID has his name listed as Khine Soe, a Burmese urban refugee with ID No. 393-07C00012.

"Some six locals blocked my way and abused me while I was going to look for my children having a picnic on the beach. They started to fight me when I asked them why they were treating me in that manner," said Khine Soe.

He added that he fled the group after receiving a knife wound on his left hand and headed to the UNHCR office near the beach to seek assistance. However, he was arrested by police at the gate of the UNHCR office while he was imploring the office's security guards to let him enter the compound.

He said that he was cuffed tightly with rope and thrown into the police van after police beat and kicked him outside the UNHCR gate, without any first aid for his bleeding wound.

"The policemen beat and kicked me when I asked them why I was arrested. They also tied me with a rope very tightly with my hand bleeding although I requested them not to tie me up because I was in a lot of pain from my injuries," he said, showing the bruises on his wrists from the rope he was tied with, as well as black and blue bruises on his body.

He said that he lost consciousness in the police van due to the bleeding and hard beating by the police. When he came to, he found himself in the hospital. He was then quickly discharged and allowed to go home by the police.

"I still feel a lot of pain on my whole body, especially on my hands and back," he said. "I am now taking medication from a private nurse," adding that the UNHCR was not seriously concerned with his case and was not providing any aid for his medical care or medications.

According to other urban refugees who know the victim, he is a good man who is always helping his fellow refugees and asylum-seekers when they are in trouble.

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