UNB’ Dhaka :
Head of Delegation of the European Union (EU) to Bangladesh Ambassador Charles Whiteley has said they will continue to be a “steadfast partner” of Bangladesh in meeting the needs of the Rohingya and the host community with continued pressure on Myanmar for their safe return to their place of origin in Rakhine State.
“Clearly, I think, the majority of the Rohingya do want to go back to home,” he told UNB in an interview mentioning that everyone, including the government of Bangladesh, underlined that any return has to be “voluntary and safe” for the refugees.
Responding to a question on the EU’s business link with Myanmar, the EU envoy said they are very careful when it comes to the economy as some people say why the EU does not suspend the Everything But Arms (EBA) scheme.
Myanmar has been a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) since 1995 and, as a least developed country, benefits from the EBA scheme, which grants unilateral duty- and quota-free access for all exports, except arms and ammunition, to the EU.
Ambassador Whiteley said Myanmar military does not have any interest in garment factories in Myanmar and the women and garment workers benefit from the industry a bit like Bangladesh. “So, what we don’t want to do is to impose measures that punish the innocent people of Myanmar who already suffered a great deal as a result of recent events in Myanmar,” he said.
The envoy made it clear that any step to address the economic and financial ties has to take into account the human cost. “I think that’s well-understood in Bangladesh.”
Appreciating Bangladesh’s generosity in hosting over 1.1 million Rohingyas, the Ambassador said the whole world was moved when Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said they are feeding over 160 million people of Bangladesh and they can also feed the Rohingyas. “It’s very moving and humane statement.”
The envoy said they are doing all they can in the EU to put pressure on Myanmar but the situation in Myanmar is very difficult which is evolving all the time as they no longer have a civilian in the government.
He said they have put three rounds of sanctions on Myanmar targeting dozens of individuals and economic entities.
In June, the European Council imposed sanctions on eight individuals, three economic entities and the War Veterans Organisation in relation to the military coup staged in Myanmar on February 1, and the ensuing repression against peaceful demonstrators.
