Chittagong, Bangladesh: Burmese President U Thein Sein gave the assurance to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina during official talks at the President's Office in Nay Pyi Taw on December 6 to take back Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh after verification by Burmese authorities, according to Government official.
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Burma President U Thein Sein in Nay Pyi Taw
The Burmese president assured the Bangladesh premier, Burmese’s readiness for an early resumption of the repatriation process of the already cleared list of refugees under the aegis of the UNHCR.
“Burma government will take back the Rohingya refugees numbering about 28,000, who have been living in two official refugee camps - Nayapara and Kutupalong – since long period of time.”
“We would take back all Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh after verifying them and as per agreed criterion between the two countries,” he said.
A similar call was also made by Bangladesh Foreign Minister in Bali in September 2009, after the Awami League led alliance government assumed the power. But, Burma delayed to process the repatriation where the repatriation program was disappeared. Whenever Bangladesh and Burma met, the Rohingya repatriation issue was raised but no success and this time, Burma will take back the Rohingyas after verification, particularly for the reason that Burma has shifted its earlier position that Rohingyas were not an ethnic entity of that country, said some of the politicians of Bangladesh.
“Bangladesh has had to tolerate great pressure for almost two decades of a very large number of Rohingyas, who were illegally evicted from their homes despite the fact that they were living in that region of Burma for centuries.”
This is a long outstanding issue and it has been dragging on over the last twenty years, out of 250,000, 225,000 were repatriated long time ago and the remaining has been lying despite several times commitments made by the Burma, it has been tantalizing, verification is needed but the process should not be to create impediment and we have been observing last many years . The Rohingya refugees are not only the registered but also there have been several hundreds of thousands unregistered refugees in Teknaf that also to be considered. What we need a good intention and acceptable solution and easy process to mobilize, otherwise nothing would happen, according to Nasarullah, a Bangladeshi who comment in the daily star website, a leading Bangldesh Newspaper.
One of the bilateral issues that often cause a misunderstanding is the issue of Rohingya refugees. It first cropped up in 1978. Within a year, it was resolved amicably with Myanmar. Another flow of refugees came to Bangladesh in 1991 and in 1997. About 38,720 refugees reportedly remained in Bangladesh and negotiation on the issue continues still, according to Barrister Harun Ur Rashid.
Besides, many of these refugees had also managed to merge with the local population and finally get Bangladeshi passports to travel abroad as Bangladeshi workers, said local politician s and elders.
“In spite of its limitations, not only had the Bangladesh government handled the refugee issue with the most humanitarian approach it had also extended all kinds of assistance to its eastern neighbor for the repatriation of the Rohingyas.”
Bangladesh people would like to highlight on quick repatriation, and since there is already a list cleared by the UNHCR, they feel that the process can begin immediately and support PM's suggestion to establish a working group for a permanent resolution of the problem,said a local trader from Teknaf.
Though the regular assistance of the donor agencies and other international organizations, the refugees were creating poor law and order situation in the camps. They also made social and environmental problems for Bangladesh and had destroyed resource of forest, said the local villagers nearby refugee camps.
“Burma government will take back the Rohingya refugees numbering about 28,000, who have been living in two official refugee camps - Nayapara and Kutupalong – since long period of time.”
“We would take back all Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh after verifying them and as per agreed criterion between the two countries,” he said.
A similar call was also made by Bangladesh Foreign Minister in Bali in September 2009, after the Awami League led alliance government assumed the power. But, Burma delayed to process the repatriation where the repatriation program was disappeared. Whenever Bangladesh and Burma met, the Rohingya repatriation issue was raised but no success and this time, Burma will take back the Rohingyas after verification, particularly for the reason that Burma has shifted its earlier position that Rohingyas were not an ethnic entity of that country, said some of the politicians of Bangladesh.
“Bangladesh has had to tolerate great pressure for almost two decades of a very large number of Rohingyas, who were illegally evicted from their homes despite the fact that they were living in that region of Burma for centuries.”
This is a long outstanding issue and it has been dragging on over the last twenty years, out of 250,000, 225,000 were repatriated long time ago and the remaining has been lying despite several times commitments made by the Burma, it has been tantalizing, verification is needed but the process should not be to create impediment and we have been observing last many years . The Rohingya refugees are not only the registered but also there have been several hundreds of thousands unregistered refugees in Teknaf that also to be considered. What we need a good intention and acceptable solution and easy process to mobilize, otherwise nothing would happen, according to Nasarullah, a Bangladeshi who comment in the daily star website, a leading Bangldesh Newspaper.
One of the bilateral issues that often cause a misunderstanding is the issue of Rohingya refugees. It first cropped up in 1978. Within a year, it was resolved amicably with Myanmar. Another flow of refugees came to Bangladesh in 1991 and in 1997. About 38,720 refugees reportedly remained in Bangladesh and negotiation on the issue continues still, according to Barrister Harun Ur Rashid.
Besides, many of these refugees had also managed to merge with the local population and finally get Bangladeshi passports to travel abroad as Bangladeshi workers, said local politician s and elders.
“In spite of its limitations, not only had the Bangladesh government handled the refugee issue with the most humanitarian approach it had also extended all kinds of assistance to its eastern neighbor for the repatriation of the Rohingyas.”
Bangladesh people would like to highlight on quick repatriation, and since there is already a list cleared by the UNHCR, they feel that the process can begin immediately and support PM's suggestion to establish a working group for a permanent resolution of the problem,said a local trader from Teknaf.
Though the regular assistance of the donor agencies and other international organizations, the refugees were creating poor law and order situation in the camps. They also made social and environmental problems for Bangladesh and had destroyed resource of forest, said the local villagers nearby refugee camps.
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