UNSC meets today to discuss Myanmar

The UN Security Council has convened a closed-door meeting tonight to discuss Myanmar issue where the Rohingya crisis would come up prominently.

The UNSC meeting is taking place since its last meeting held in February and subsequent visit by the full UNSC, joint visit by the UN Secretary General and the World Bank President and a host of other heads of UN bodies in recent months.

Diplomatic sources in Dhaka and New York yesterday told The Daily Star that Sweden, the current chair of UNSC, has called for the meeting to discuss the latest situation in Rakhine, progress made since the UNSC delegation's visit to Bangladesh and Myanmar in end of April, and preparations for beginning repatriation and rehabilitation of the Rohingya refugees.

The UNSC Ambassadors during their visit to Myanmar on May 1 asked the Myanmar authorities to investigate the crimes including mass killings, gang-rapes, torture, burning villages, violation of human rights, and repression of women and children. They also asked the authorities to create conducive conditions, take steps for reconciliation, and abolish hate speech, discrimination and the accusations against the Rohingyas without any basis.

The UN also asked Myanmar to ensure that the Rohingyas, upon return from Bangladesh, can enjoy all the rights typical for the citizens of any country in the world.

According to the UNSC programme schedule, the council will meet at 3:00pm (New York Time) today for consultation on the Myanmar issue. United Nations Special Envoy of the Secretary-General on Myanmar Christine Schraner Burgener would brief the meet on her visit to Myanmar in June and Bangladesh on July 14-16.

Following the joint visit of the Secretary-General and the President of the World Bank to Bangladesh earlier this month, the Special Envoy visited the sprawling refugee camps and heard from the refugees accounts of unimaginable atrocities committed in Rakhine.

Foreign ministry officials said Dhaka wants the UNSC to take “strong stance and swift action” to mount pressure on Myanmar to make them understand what they should do on the Rohingya issue. Dhaka also seeks supports from the UN and the international community for early repatriation of the Rohingyas.

Meantime, Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali is scheduled to leave for Myanmar on August 8 on a four-day visit to Rakhine to see repatriation progress as well as the conditions created for voluntary return of the Rohingyas.

This will be the first visit by a Bangladesh minister since the crisis began on August 25, 2017 that forced over 700,000 Rohingyas to flee Myanmar amid brutal military crackdown.

Sources at the foreign ministry and Myanmar Embassy in Dhaka said Foreign Minister Ali would see in person Myanmar's readiness to start repatriation process that includes housing facilities, movement as well as livelihood.

The ministry sources said Myanmar has agreed to welcome the minister, whose visit is a part of multi-approach initiatives to resolve the Rohingya crisis.

Asked about Ali's visit, Myanmar Ambassador in Dhaka Lwin Oo told The Daily Star that the Bangladesh minister intends to visit the villages around Maungdaw Township of Rakhine and see the progress of repatriation process.

He added, “Myanmar has made every effort to prepare the conducive environment for the return of the displaced people.”

He further said Bangladesh and Myanmar are working to solve the Rohingya issue with a sustainable solution, long-term peace and development of Rakhine state and hoped that the visit of the Bangladesh minister will give an impetus to the bilateral efforts for the implementation of the repatriation process.

Red Cross President Peter Maurer, who has recently visited Myanmar, told a press conference in Dhaka on July 3 that there are serious doubts about the conducive conditions in Rakhine for safe, voluntary and sustainable repatriation of the Rohingyas.

Diplomatic sources said the forthcoming visit of the Bangladesh foreign minister is apparently taking place following a tripartite meeting between China, Bangladesh and Myanmar held on June 29 when the Chinese side pressed for starting the repatriation immediately.

Bangladesh handed over a list of 1,673 Rohingya families (8,032 individuals) to Myanmar to start the first phase of repatriation of the displaced people. But, Myanmar has so far cleared verification of over 2,000 Rohingyas in last five months.

Asked about Myanmar's plan after return of the refugees, the Myanmar ambassador said the government would issue National Verification Card (NVC) to the Rohingyas, who would be allowed to enjoy the rights of freedom of movement in Rakhine and access to services.

He said the displaced people would enjoy one of the three types of citizenship in accordance with the existing 1982 Act.

The Myanmar nationality law created by the military dictatorship in 1982 recognises three categories of citizens -- Full Citizen, Associate Citizen and Naturalised Citizen. The law excluded others from full citizenship, but allows them to apply for two lower tiers with fewer rights.

The Rohingyas fell outside the list of national ethnicities in 1982. Their ability to move around for employment or other reasons was restricted and their access to healthcare and education was severely limited.