Dhaka exploring all avenues for Rohingya repatriation
Bangladesh yesterday said it is exploring all available avenues through bilateral and international mechanisms to send back Rohingyas safely to their place of origin in Rakhine state. An active trilateral effort with China and Myanmar is in place.
“We want to work in all areas with the same pace,” secretary (Asia and Pacific) at Ministry of Foreign Affairs Masud Bin Momen told reporters at state guesthouse Meghna after the second Foreign Office Consultation (FOC) with the Philippines.
Secretary Momen said Bangladesh, China and Myanmar are moving ahead trilaterally as China is working as a sort of guarantor to send back Rohingyas through bilateral mechanisms.
Responding to a question, he said the issue of “accountability and justice” is a matter of high moral ground as genocidal acts took place; and the international community has responsibility to address the issue.
On November 14, pre-trial Chamber III of the International Criminal Court authorised the prosecutor to proceed with an investigation for the alleged crimes committed against Rohingyas in Myanmar.
ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda said her investigation will seek to uncover the truth. “My office will now focus on ensuring the success of its independent and impartial investigation.”
Meanwhile, Suu Kyi is among several top Myanmar officials named in a case filed in Argentina for crimes against Rohingya Muslims.
On November 11, Gambia filed a case at the United Nations’ highest court, accusing Myanmar of “genocide” in its campaign against its Rohingya Muslim minority.
Gambia, which filed the case on behalf of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), asked the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to urgently order measures “to stop Myanmar’s genocidal conduct immediately.”
Secretary Momen said they see this development as a “confidence building measure” for Rohingyas.
“If some sort of justice is not ensured, these traumatised people will not get back the confidence and courage to go back [to their place of origin in Rakhine],” he said.
Secretary Momen said so far they are not seeing any visible results on what Myanmar claimed to be doing.
Earlier at the FOC, Bangladesh side sought the Philippines’ support on the Rohingya repatriation issue.
The Bangladesh side stressed that both the Philippines and Myanmar are Asean members whose core objective is to attain regional security and stability.
The Filipino side was appreciative of Bangladesh’s gesture to the displaced people, and assured Bangladesh of conveying its concerns to their capital and the Asean process.
Bangladesh is hosting over 1.1 million Rohingyas, most of whom arrived in the country since August 25, 2017 amid a military crackdown.
Not a single Rohingya was repatriated over the last two years due to Myanmar’s “failure” to build confidence among Rohingyas and lack of conducive environment in Rakhine state, officials here said.
Bangladesh has so far handed over names of more than one lakh Rohingyas to Myanmar authorities for verification and subsequently expediting their repatriation efforts, but Myanmar is yet to take back its nationals from Bangladesh, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs here.
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