International community’s effort not enough

A Rohingya organisation based in Cox’s Bazar camps yesterday wrote a letter to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina saying they don’t want to stay in Bangladesh for long and demanded that the international community put pressure on Myanmar to make Rakhine safe for them.

Arakan Rohingya Society for Peace and Human Rights (ARSPH), a group that represents parts of the refugee community, yesterday issued a media statement where it mentioned about the letter.

“The international community has lost focus and is too distracted by humanitarian issues in the refugee camps,” said the statement, adding that they didn’t think that enough pressure is being put on the Myanmar leaders to make the repatriation process possible.

“We keep hearing them say Rohingya refugees will be in Bangladesh [for] a very long time. This is not what we want. Bangladesh is not our home. We don’t want to stay in refugee camps in Bangladesh forever,” the statement added.

The statement also claimed that the reluctance of the Myanmar government to take responsibility for their safe return is barring the Rohingyas from returning their homes in Rakhine.

“We think it is because the international community does not really care about what Rohingya refugees want. They are not really listening to us,” ASPHR said.

They thanked the PM and the people of Bangladesh for sheltering 1.1 million Rohingya, including the 741,000 who fled Rakhine following a military crackdown since August 2017, in crowded refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar.

Two deals -- one between Myanmar and Bangladesh in November, 2017 and the other among Myanmar, UNDP and UNHCR in June last year -- have so far been inked to initiate the repatriation process. However, the process is yet to begin.

“We know this is not an easy situation for Rohingya refugees and host communities [in Cox’s Bazar]. This situation is not sustainable,” the statement said.

ASPHR said they want to work together with the government of Bangladesh for a safe and dignified repatriation.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Golam Moshi yesterday called upon the foreign diplomats in Riyadh to create pressure on Myanmar so that it created necessary conditions for the safe return of Rohingyas.

At a briefing organised by the Bangladesh embassy at a Riyadh hotel, he said it has become a major challenge for Bangladesh to bear the burden of so many refugees for so long.

Some 60 diplomats present there gave assurance to cooperate Bangladesh in this regard.