Tens of thousands of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh protested on Thursday, demanding to be repatriated to Myanmar, so they can leave behind the camps that they have lived in since fleeing a brutal military crackdown in their homeland in 2017. They chanted slogan “Let’s go home,” during the demonstration at Ukhiya and Teknaf in Cox’s Bazar.
Tripartite efforts initiated by China, Bangladesh and Myanmar are going on in full swing. But it is disconcerting to note that UN special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar Tom Andrews is trying to oppose and delay the process. He has commented that this process should stop immediately.
Over the last five years, displaced Rohingyas have appeared as a serious burden on the economy and environment of Bangladesh. Bangladesh has been hosting over 1.2 million forcefully displaced Rohingyas in Cox's Bazar district since August 25 in 2017, and most of them arrived there after a military crackdown by Myanmar, which the UN called a "textbook example of ethnic cleansing". Both countries signed a repatriation agreement on November 23, 2017,. But five years on, even a single Rohingya have not returned to their motherland in fear of being persecuted upon their return. It needs no emphasising that voluntary repatriation of the Rohingyas is the most viable and durable solution to the crisis. However, it is worth mentioning that repatriation attempt failed twice in November 2018 and August 2019 amid Rohingyas' lack of trust in the Myanmar government.
Bangladesh wants to resolve the Rohingya
crisis through peaceful negotiation and the
country expects similar reciprocity from
Myanmar and international community
It is alleged that Rohingya camps in Cox’s Bazar have turned into hotbeds of crime. According to media reports, criminal gangs, active in the camps, often lock into bloody confrontations over control of markets, Yaba smuggling, and human trafficking. Also, Rohingyas have been engaged in serious confrontations with locals over supremacy of drug smuggling. The authorities concerned should take necessary measures to beef up security as much as possible and catch the perpetrators especially the gangs that are carrying out criminal activities.
Bangladesh wants to resolve the Rohingya crisis through peaceful negotiation and the country expects similar reciprocity from Myanmar and international community. We have done the best we can to ensure Rohingya repatriation through peaceful negotiation. In order to make voluntary repatriations happen, Myanmar has to ensure that Rohingya refugees will not be persecuted upon their return. To this end, the international community and UN should exert their influence on Myanmar to create a conducive environment so that the Rohingya refugees can return to their homeland with safety, security and dignity. We expect a more vigorous role of the international community on the diplomatic front to compel Myanmar to take back forcibly displaced Rohingyas.
