Burmese Urban Refugees in Bangladesh Don't Want Return to Burma in Present Conditions

Dhaka: Burmese urban refugees in Bangladesh do not want to return to Burma with the current situation in Burma, despite an agreement between the Burmese and Bangladesh governments to repatriate the refugees, report refugee sources.












The agreement to repatriate Burmese urban refugees was reached at a meeting earlier this month between President Thein Sein and Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in Naypyidaw in Burma, said a report of the AFP, quoting a senior immigration ministry official of Burma.



Ko Ni Min, an urban Burmese refugee living in Cox's Bazar, said, "Most of Burmese refugees do not want to return back to Burma with the current situation because there has been no change in Burma, particularly in politics, social affairs, and business. At the same time, there are no equal rights or human rights in Burma for ethnic people. We can face many problems in Burma if we return because there is no guarantee for us."
The Burmese government will take back some of its refugees from neighboring Bangladesh, but hundreds of thousands of Muslim refugees, the Rohingya, will not be covered by the deal as Burmese officials claim they are not Burmese citizens but Bengalis who migrated around the time of World War II when both countries were under British rule, the report added.
The refugees in Bangladesh who meet four key criteria will be allowed to return to Burma. Burma is expecting around 2,500 refugees will meet the criteria, which includes legal proof of citizenship.
Ko Soe Lin, who is also an urban refugee said, "Even though Bangladesh and Burma reached an agreement to take back none of the Muslim refugees in Bangladesh, we are unable to return back to Burma. We came here to struggle for democracy in Burma, and without democracy in Burma, we can not return back to Burma."
In Bangladesh, there are over 300 Burmese urban refugees recognized by the UNHCR, most of whom are Arakanese and Chin. They came to Bangladesh after the nationwide democracy movement in Burma in 1988.
Ma Soe Mi Mi Than, also an urban refugee in Bangladesh, said, "We want to return back to Burma as Burma is our motherland. But the situation in Burma has not changed as much as people think. We should look at the situation of Burma under the present government closely to see what will happen in the near future."
According to the AFP report, UNHCR has not been officially informed of any repatriation of refugees but it is seeking clarification on any new deals from both governments, UNCHCR external officer in Bangladesh,