NEWS media reported that the Joint Working Group (JWG) failed to fix any date to start repatriation of around 700,000 Rohingyas even three months after Bangladesh handed over a list of 8,032 refugees to Myanmar. The JWG, responsible for overseeing the repatriation, held its second meeting in Dhaka on Thursday after about four months, but it ended without any concrete decision. Both the sides, however, feel that the repatriation should be done quickly but perhaps due to the lack of a harmonious environment, no repatriation occurred. Myanmar should repatriate their nationals soon and give them citizenship and political rights, otherwise state-run atrocities could continue.
Myanmar has so far verified only 1,000 Rohingyas but none of them have been repatriated yet. The verification method is a mockery as the most persecuted people of the world fled their homes that were torched, and it was illogical to expect that they would have documents to prove their residency. Rohingya community leaders said that the verification was meant to complicate the repatriation process. Myanmar officials have alleged that the verification forms sent to Myanmar were not properly filled out by the Rohingyas, however, Bangladesh has refuted the allegation.
Bangladesh has stressed the need for creating an affable environment in Rakhine, which includes safety and security of the returnees, rebuilding villages, access to livelihood and freedom of movement. To build confidence among the Rohingyas to return to Rakhine, the Bangladesh side also emphasized verifiable concrete information from the Myanmar side for sharing it with the refugees.
The Myanmar delegation said they are working to promote inter-faith harmony and taking confidence-building measures and promoting development to promote economic progress in Rakhine, one of Myanmar’s poorest states. UN Security Council members after visiting Rakhine said the conditions were not conducive for the return of the refugees to Rakhine, where they have been denied citizenship, government jobs, higher education, right to free movement and healthcare since 1982.
The Rohingyas want guarantee of citizenship, recognition of Rohingya ethnicity, security under the UN presence in Rakhine and a safe return to their homes, not to the camps that the Myanmar authorities have set up. Bangladesh should gather world leaders on the Rohingya issue to mountain pressure on the Myanmar authority so that they may award citizenship to the persecuted people.
Myanmar has so far verified only 1,000 Rohingyas but none of them have been repatriated yet. The verification method is a mockery as the most persecuted people of the world fled their homes that were torched, and it was illogical to expect that they would have documents to prove their residency. Rohingya community leaders said that the verification was meant to complicate the repatriation process. Myanmar officials have alleged that the verification forms sent to Myanmar were not properly filled out by the Rohingyas, however, Bangladesh has refuted the allegation.
Bangladesh has stressed the need for creating an affable environment in Rakhine, which includes safety and security of the returnees, rebuilding villages, access to livelihood and freedom of movement. To build confidence among the Rohingyas to return to Rakhine, the Bangladesh side also emphasized verifiable concrete information from the Myanmar side for sharing it with the refugees.
The Myanmar delegation said they are working to promote inter-faith harmony and taking confidence-building measures and promoting development to promote economic progress in Rakhine, one of Myanmar’s poorest states. UN Security Council members after visiting Rakhine said the conditions were not conducive for the return of the refugees to Rakhine, where they have been denied citizenship, government jobs, higher education, right to free movement and healthcare since 1982.
The Rohingyas want guarantee of citizenship, recognition of Rohingya ethnicity, security under the UN presence in Rakhine and a safe return to their homes, not to the camps that the Myanmar authorities have set up. Bangladesh should gather world leaders on the Rohingya issue to mountain pressure on the Myanmar authority so that they may award citizenship to the persecuted people.
