UK to continue pressure on Myanmar

Visiting UK Secretary for International Development Penny Mordaunt yesterday said the United Kingdom alongside other countries will continue their pressure on Myanmar to create grounds for the early repatriation of Rohingyas from Bangladesh.

She made the remarks during a meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at her official residence Ganobhaban.

PM's Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim briefed reporters after the meeting.

He said the issue of rehabilitation and repatriation of Myanmar's forcibly displaced people came up for discussion at the meeting.

Penny Mordaunt said the UK fully endorses the five-point proposal placed by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the last UN General Assembly for resolving the Rohingya crisis.

She also highly appreciated Bangladesh's humanitarian gesture to shelter tens of thousands of Rohingyas.

The prime minister said Bangladesh has given shelter to Myanmar's forcibly displaced nationals on humanitarian grounds. "It won't be possible for Bangladesh to keep them for long."

She, however, expressed her satisfaction that the Myanmar authorities have finally agreed to take back their nationals.

Pointing to the memorandum of understanding signed between Bangladesh and Myanmar, the Prime Minister said a joint working group will be formed soon to deal with the issue.

Referring to the CHT Peace Accord, Sheikh Hasina said such a problem in Bangladesh's Chittagong Hill Tracts region was resolved peacefully through the treaty. "The problem was resolved without the involvement of third party and our government rehabilitated the Bangladeshi nationals bringing them back," she said.

The prime minister said the government is issuing identity cards to the Rohingyas who fled to Bangladesh since August 25 last.

Penny Mordaunt lauded the initiative describing it as a very good task.