Myanmar envoy arrives, talks on Rohingyas likely
Myanmar's special envoy and Minister of State for Foreign Affairs U Kyaw Tin arrived in Dhaka this evening to discuss bilateral issues with special focus on Rohingya crisis.
- Talks with PM, foreign minister tomorrow
- No clear message from Myanmar on visit reason
- Rohingya issue likely to dominate talks
The special envoy, who is leading a two-member diplomatic delegation, will call on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at 6:00pm at her official residence Ganabhaban tomorrow.
The visiting delegation will hold working lunch and official talks with Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali at 1:30pm tomorrow at state guest house Padma.
Foreign Secretary Md Shahidul Haque and other high officials from different ministries will attend it when Bangladesh will reiterate its position and seek a permanent solution to the Rohingya issue.
There is speculation that the Rohingya issue, especially the influx will dominate the talks, but there has not been such clear message from Myanmar on the purpose of the visit.
However, the Presidential spokesman of Myanmar, Zaw Htay, said on Monday that a Myanmar government delegation would visit Bangladesh on January 11-13 to "discuss the situation on the border."
More than 50,000 Muslim Rohingyas have fled northwestern Myanmar for Bangladesh since early October to escape a military counter-insurgency operation.
The international media quoting the UN relief agency on Monday reported that since the latest army crackdown started in October, at least 65,000 Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh from Myanmar, including some 22,000 in just the last one week.
According to an official of the Foreign Ministry here said Bangladesh wants a solution to the Rohingya issue and has already expressed readiness to engage with Myanmar to discuss the process and modalities of repatriation of Myanmar nationals.
Earlier on December 29, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned Myanmar ambassador in Dhaka Myo Myint Than and demanded early repatriation of all Myanmar nationals staying in the country.
The presence of undocumented Myanmar nationals has long been a sticking point between the two countries, with Bangladesh having repeatedly asked for repatriation of around 300,000 to 5000,000 that have been living here illegally, in addition to over 32,000 registered refugees from Myanmar for over two decades.
Amid international outcry, Director General Kyaw Zaya of Myanmar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on December 30, however, told Reuters that they would take back only 2,415 citizens from Bangladesh.
Myanmar authorities have been maintaining this number since 2010 but never started the process to take back those verified even before 2006.
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