THE initiative to repatriate Rohingya refugees has been stalled until 2019. The repatriation and relocation programmes are revised due to general elections by the year ending. The repatriation of the first batch of 2,200 refugees was supposed to begin on November 15 but it was stalled amid protests from the refugees. None of those, as per news media, on the list, agreed to return until their demands for justice, citizenship and the ability to go back to their original villages are not fulfilled. The persecuted Rohingya refugees do not feel secure in Rakhine State in return. They said life in the prison-like camp there without social and political rights would not meet the minimum requirement for living.
In late October, Bangladesh and Myanmar agreed to begin repatriation of Rohingyas who fled in hundreds of thousands from Myanmar being driven out by its military. But the plan was opposed by the Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, the UNHCR and aid groups, who feared for the safety of Rohingya returnees in Myanmar. The government of Naypyidaw does not consider the Rohingyas a native ethnic group and calls them “Bengalis”, suggesting they belong to Bangladesh. To avert global pressure, economic sanctions, and criticism, the Myanmar government follows a tricky way of National Verification Card, which labeled the Rohingyas as foreigners.
Myanmar needs to propose a “clearer path” to give citizenship for the Rohingya returnees. Following the attitudes of Myanmar, and ensuring better arrangements by the aid agencies; it seems that the refugees are not interested to return to their homeland. If so, Bangladesh will get a permanent refugee group for an indefinite period which has already become an unbearable burden for Bangladesh.
We think, the best solution of the crisis is to restoring political rights of Rohingyas on their ancestral lands with extended constitutional rights, equal status, freedom of speech and economic opportunity. The global leaders should create pressure on Myanmar in this regard.
