Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali briefing foreign diplomats on January 21 at State Guest House Padma on the Rohingya repatriation issue (PID)
We should not be surprised that the repatriation of Rohingyas is unlikely to begin this month. In fact, Bangladesh did never say that it would start in January. Rather it was Myanmar and Myanmar media outlets which kept telling that the return of Rohingyas to their homeland in Myanmar would begin on January 23.
The number of Rohingya arrivals from Myanmar to Bangladesh since August 25 last year now stands at 688,000 indicating that Rohingyas are still coming despite a repatriation plan is in progress between the two countries. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) quoting its ‘Needs and Population Monitoring (NPM) Baseline survey’ came up with the figure. The UN migration agency, however, said the increase in the number is not as a result of a significant influx, but due to strengthened assessments.
We understand that repatriation is a complex issue. It is not such a task that can start immediately. Even Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali, when approached, said he will not tell any date but the repatriation process has already started with the signing of physical arrangement. On January 16, Bangladesh and Myanmar signed a document on ‘Physical Arrangement’ which will facilitate return of Rohingyas to their homeland from Bangladesh.
We know Bangladesh has been trying its level best to fulfil all the conditions required to start the repatriation on the ground. The government has already brought over a million Rohingyas under biometric registration. However, it is not yet clear whether the Myanmar government would use the list to repatriate the Rohingyas as the agreed verification form suggests counting a family as a unit.
Meanwhile, there should be sustainable development in the Rakhine State in order to create an environment so that Rohingyas feel to go back their home. There are no indications that Myanmar authorities plan to dismantle existing internment camps, lift restrictions on movement and aid, or provide much-needed protection.
In Myanmar, the Government, according to Fortify Rights, continues to confine more than 120,000 internally displaced Rohingya to more than 35 internment camps in eight townships of Rakhine State, depriving many of adequate humanitarian aid and lifesaving assistance.
Matthew Smith, Chief Executive Officer at Fortify Rights, a human rights body, said any repatriation now would be premature and dangerous. “The very idea of repatriation now is a farce. There must be genuine changes for Rohingya in Myanmar before there can be any serious discussions of repatriation,” Smith said.
MoU with UNHCR
Bangladesh says it will sign a document with the UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, to carry forward the repatriation process as the international community reiterated its call for ‘safe, voluntary and dignified’ return of Rohingyas from Bangladesh to Myanmar to make their return sustainable. The UNHCR has already given a draft memorandum of understanding (MoU) to the government and the foreign ministry here is working on it and both sides will sign it once finalized.
Myanmar, however, does not want UNHCR’s involvement right now but want the involvement of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). Myanmar agreed to involve the UNHCR when necessary but not now.
In order to ensure that the return is voluntary, Bangladesh has incorporated provisions for involvement of UNHCR and other relevant international organizations in the entire return process, he added.
Voluntary Return
When his attention was drawn over diplomats’ call for voluntary repatriation, Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali said Bangladesh also favours “voluntary” return and this was mentioned in the three documents so far signed with Myanmar over Rohingya repatriation. It is true that we cannot send them forcibly.
Myanmar involved China, Japan and India for the development of Rakhine State and he is likely to visit Rakhine State to see the progress and Bangladesh tried to create space for international actors in every phase of the return, resettlement and reintegration.
In this regard Bangladesh referred to the initiatives of India, China and Japan in developing resettlement facilities in the Rakhine State and encouraged the international community to offer similar helps to Myanmar.
Neighbours should see progress in Rakhine
Five of Myanmar’s neighbors including Bangladesh should be given a chance to see the progress made so far on the ground in the Rakhine State as Myanmar and Bangladesh are now at final stage of starting Rohingya repatriation.
Bangladesh Ambassador to Yangon, along with envoys of four countries bordering Myanmar – China, India, Thailand and Laos, visited northern Rakhine couple of months ago from where thousands of Rohingya Muslims fled and took shelter in Cox’s Bazar district due to the atrocities orchestrated by security forces. “Bangladesh wants to see that Myanmar invites them again to see the progress,” an official told Dhaka Courier. Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali is also likely to visit the place after envoys of the five countries.
Minister Ali briefed the diplomatic corps on Sunday on the recent developments on the issue of return of displaced Rohingyas to their homeland in Myanmar through bilateral arrangement of return signed between the two countries on November 23 and the subsequent agreements towards the implementation of the arrangement.
After the briefing, the Foreign Minister told reporters that he suggested involving the European Union so that Ambassadors of the EU countries in Myanmar can see the progress in the Rakhine State.
“We express our deep gratitude to the members of the diplomatic community for their unremitting support in handling the Rohingya influx. We want to see that they remain engaged to make the repatriation sustainable,” another official told Dhaka Courier.
Bangladesh urged the diplomats to continue their engagement with Myanmar for effective implementation of the return arrangements and continue exerting pressure on Myanmar until the repatriation is finished.
The Myanmar Ministry of Health and Sports said they will provide healthcare services at camps that will start scrutinising and accepting displaced persons, under an agreement between Myanmar and Bangladesh,
Quoting Director General of Myanmar Public Health Department Dr Tha Tun Kyaw, Myanmar Information Ministry said the ministry had already finalised its healthcare programme that will be provided at the repatriation camps.
Currently, there are two repatriation camps – Taungpyoletwe camp and Ngakhuya camp. The immigration department is currently adopting repatriation procedures, while the health sector has already formed 11-member teams led by a doctor.
The Hla Poe Khuang camp, which will accept returnees transferred from the two repatriation camps, already has 12-member health teams led by a doctor.
Verification Forms
On January 16, Bangladesh and Myanmar signed a document on ‘Physical Arrangement’ which will facilitate return of Rohingyas to their homeland from Bangladesh. The ‘Physical Arrangement’ stipulates that the repatriation would be completed preferably within two years from the commencement of repatriation.
Foreign Ministry officials in Dhaka said verification and return of Rohingyas will be based on considering the family as a unit and Bangladesh and Myanmar also finalised the ‘form’ for verification.
The modalities for the repatriation of orphans and children born out of unwarranted incidence have been incorporated in the said arrangement.
“The verification form will be distributed among all Rohingya families. The forms will be then handed over to Myanmar authority for scrutiny. Myanmar will send back the forms to Bangladesh after scrutiny,” an official told UNB indicating that the full-scale repatriation might take some time.
Each Rohingya family members will have to provide a number of information including names, gender, birthplace, name of mother and father, date of birth, address in Myanmar, profession, signs, number of family members and a group family photo.
Under the ‘Physical Arrangement’ Bangladesh will establish five transit camps from which returnees would be received initially in two reception centers on Myanmar side.
Myanmar will shelter the returnees in a temporary accommodation at the Hla Pho Khung and expeditiously rebuild the houses for the returnees to move in there.
Diplomats want safe return
Diplomats stationed in Dhaka have laid emphasis on ‘safe, voluntary and dignified’ return of Rohingyas from Bangladesh to Myanmar to make their return sustainable. They also laid emphasis on creating environment with necessary development in Rakhine State so that Rohingyas feel safe and confident to return to Myanmar. The diplomats also assured of continuing support to Bangladesh to facilitate the repatriation process.
Ambassadors, High Commissioners and representatives of 52 missions including USA, UK, KSA, India, China, Japan, Qatar and the European Union engaged into interactive discussions with the Foreign Minister during the briefing session on the practical questions related to sustainable return.
Indian High Commissioner in Dhaka Harsh Vardhan Shringla said it is necessary to have sustainable development in Rakhine State in order to create an environment for safe and sustainable of return of Rohingyas.
“We always believe there should be sustainable development in the Rakhine State in order to create an environment so that they feel to go back their home,” Shringla said emphasizing on social and economic development there with better livelihood for Rohingyas.
He said India is facilitating the repatriation process as they want to see restoration of normalcy in the Rakhine State. “In fact our effort is to help by doing something on the ground.”
The High Commissioner said all parties will have to work to create the condition that is necessary.
British High Commissioner Alison Blake said the return should be “safe, voluntary and dignified” so that it becomes sustainable.
“We are with your government,” US Ambassador in Dhaka Marcia Bernicat also laid emphasis on safe return of Rohingyas.
Sharing her experience, she said Rohingyas are not willing to go back to their homes and that is the key challenge and emphasized on development in the Rakhine State so that Rohingyas feel safe to return. She assured of US support to Bangladesh to complete the process.
The diplomats commended the people and government of Bangladesh, particularly Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, for taking the courageous decision and sheltering the persecuted Rohingyas and also for managing a humanitarian situation of such magnitude so efficiently. They committed to continue their support towards achieving sustainable solution to the Rohingya crisis.
We hope the international community will continue to keep exerting pressure on Myanmar to create an environment that will boost Rohingyas’ confidence. There should be genuine efforts from Myanmar side so that Rohingyas feel that they can return to their homeland without fear with all basic rights as a citizen of Myanmar.