Staff Reporter :
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has asked the Myanmar authorities to create an enabling environment in Rakhine State to ensure safe and dignified return of Rohingya refugees to their homeland.
It also said that returns of refugee must meet international standards.
The UN refugee agency gave the call following the framework deal between Bangladesh and Myanmar on the return of Rohingya refugees to Myanmar. Some 6,22,000 Rohingya have fled Myanmar’s northern Rakhine State since 25 August, triggered by a wave of violence underpinned by denial of citizenship to Rohingya people and decades of deep discrimination and brutal army crackdowns.
“UNHCR takes note of reports that the governments of Bangladesh and Myanmar have reached agreement on the return of Rohingya refugees to Myanmar. It has not yet seen the details of the agreement. Refugees have the right to return. And a framework that enables them to exercise this right in line with international standards, will be welcome.
First and foremost, this means that return must be voluntary, and take place in safe and dignified conditions that pave the way for lasting solutions,” said UNHCR spokesperson Adrian Edwards at a press briefing in Geneva on Friday.
The UN refugee agency said that at present, conditions in Myanmar’s Rakhine State are not in place to enable safe and sustainable returns. Refugees are still fleeing, and many have suffered violence, rape, and deep psychological harm.
Some have witnessed the deaths of family members and friends. Most have little or nothing to go back to, their homes and villages destroyed. Deep divisions between communities remain unaddressed. And humanitarian access in northern Rakhine State remains negligible, according to the UNHCR.
“It is critical that returns do not take place precipitously or prematurely, without the informed consent of refugees or the basic elements of lasting solutions in place. People must have the option of returning home, and not to be confined to specific areas. Progress towards addressing the root causes of flight, including their lack of citizenship, as recommended by the Rakhine Advisory Commission, will also be crucial,” it added. Edwards.
“UNHCR looks forward to seeing details of the agreement between the two countries, and stands ready to help both governments work towards a solution for the Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh that meets international refugee and human rights standards,” said Adrian Edwards.
Earlier, UNHCR’s Assistant High Commissioner for Protection UNHCR’s Volker Türk said, any return of Rohingya refugees must be voluntary, safe and dignified.
“For return to happen, it’s clear there has to be safety and guarantees of protection. There has to be a very serious commitment to immediately implement the recommendations of the Rakhine Advisory Commission report that was launched and validated by the State Counsellor. We really need to see urgent action that will build the confidence of different communities. They will need to find a way to live together again, as they have done in the past, ” he added.
