Rohingya Repatriation: Start delay concerns Beijing

Beijing is concerned over the delay in the start of Rohingya repatriation, Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Li Jiming said yesterday during his call on Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen.

Jiming agreed to the minister's observation that repatriation to Myanmar would lead to a sustainable solution to the crisis, not just providing humanitarian assistance to the nearly one million Rohingyas sheltered in Cox's Bazar.

Some 750,000 Rohingyas of Rakhine state fled a military crackdown and joining some 300,000 others who had fled earlier waves of violence since the 1980s.

Despite two attempts, since 2018 after deals signed between Bangladesh and Myanmar, the Rohingyas refused to return to Myanmar saying that they have no guarantee of safety, freedom of movement, and citizenship. China was also actively working during the second attempt of repatriation last year.

Dhaka has been persistently saying that regional powers have major investments in Bangladesh and Myanmar, but those may not yield good returns unless the Rohingya crisis is addressed at the earliest. Active political and other support was essential from regional and global powers.

Conflict between the Myanmar army and insurgent group Arakan Army in Rakhine state has recently escalated. Global attention, meanwhile, shifted because of Covid-19. Against this backdrop, Myanmar has recently mobilised troops in Rakhine state along the bordering areas.

Momen has expressed concerns to the Chinese envoy over the issue.

During the call on, Foreign Minister Momen sought China's active assistance and mentioned that lingering of the repatriation process could create threats for regional security. Some Rohingyas are allegedly getting engaged in drug trafficking.

Recently, some eight Rohingyas were killed and scores were injured in clashes between two groups in Ukhiya camps.

The minister said such crimes were on the rise as there were no fencing around the refugee camps. Besides, locals were also expressing dissatisfaction over their presence.

Momen assured Li Jiming that the criminals who killed a Chinese citizen in Pirojpur last week would be brought to book at the earliest. Two criminals involved in the incident have already been arrested.

Minister Momen requested the Chinese ambassador to renew the visas of students who got stranded in Bangladesh and were failing to travel to China because of the pandemic.

Jiming said China would take a decision at the earliest on the matter. He said China already started issuing visas for the businesspeople and for those seeking to reunite with their families in China.

He informed Momen that the Chinese government would soon publish the book "Amar Dekha Noya Chin" [The New China that I have Seen] written by Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. It is being translated to Chinese.

He thanked President Md Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for wishing China on the occasion of 45th diplomatic relations between Bangladesh and China.

Jiming also handed over a letter of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to Momen. Yi thanked Momen in the letter for mentioning Hong Kong as the internal issue of China. Foreign Minister Momen reassured Jiming of Bangladesh's support to the One China Policy.