Keep helping Dhaka over Rohingya crisis

The head of UN refugee agency yesterday urged the international community to continue its support to Bangladesh over the Rohingya refugee issues through resource mobilisation, saying the solution to the problem lies with Myanmar.

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi also called upon the Bangladesh and Myanmar leaderships to secure the future of younger generation of the Myanmarese refugees living in this country.

Grandi, who was addressing a press conference in Dhaka yesterday evening on conclusion of his three-day visit, said the solution to the Rohingya crisis is granting them Myanmar citizenship.

He put emphasis on implementation of the citizenship verification process “efficiently and rapidly” which will help unblock all the remaining barriers to the solution.

The UNHCR chief said his agency has the technical expertise in verifying citizenship and it will further discuss with Myanmar government how it can support the process.

He said the Muslim minorities in Rakhine state cannot move freely without authorisation and cannot access basic services like healthcare, education and their livelihoods easily.

“These people deserve a better future than the present conditions of extreme poverty, deprivation and isolation. We need to move from survival to real life with opportunities,” said the UN high commissioner.

“A crucial first step is to pursue freedom of movement and access to services and livelihoods for all. Accelerated pathways to citizenship are also part of the solution as are efforts to tackle exclusion and poverty,” he added.

Earlier in the day, the UN refugee chief visited the registered Rohingya refugee camp at Kutupalong in Cox's Bazaar and talked to them, especially with young men and women.

“I spoke to people, especially young people in Kutupalong camp. They didn't tell me I want more food, more blankets and more medicines. They told me -- give us a future. That's the message to both leaders [Sheikh Hasina and Aung San Suu Kyi],” Grandi told the press.

Speaking about his meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday, he said he thanked the government and the people of Bangladesh for hosting the refugees for more than three decades and for providing humanitarian assistances to them.

Replying to a question on the plan to relocate them to an island, the UNHCR chief said this is just a plan and the focus needs to be given on voluntary relocation instead of imposing force.

On the repatriation process, he laid stress on creating a conducive and peaceful environment in Rakhine State of Myanmar to make their return sustainable.

He said the process will not be sustainable if the refugees do not feel like going back home.

Grandi also met the home minister and foreign minister and discussed the refugee situation.

In Myanmar, he travelled to Yangon and Naypyitaw as well as Sittwe and Maungdaw in Rakhine State. He met Myanmar State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, Minister of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement Min Myat Aye, Minister of Labour, Immigration and Population U Thein Swe and Minister of Border Affairs Lt Gen Ye Aung.

He said he is very “impressed” for being able to meet both Hasina and Suu Kyi, and described them “strong and clear minded visionary women”.

Recalling that both of their fathers were killed, the UNCHR chief said the two leaders are very committed to a very good future of their respective countries.

He said recent political change in Myanmar and efforts being made so far “should make us little bit of hopeful that we have not been in the past”.

About the Myanmar government-formed commission led by former UN secretary general Kofi Annan, the UNHCR boss said the commission has already given its preliminary report and is expected to release the final report next month.

The preliminary report talked about the necessity to implement the citizenship project. It recommended relaxing some of the crucial constraints such as freedom of movement.

Oh his meeting with Suu Kyi, he said that he had a “very constructive and useful” meeting with the Myanmar state counsellor.

“Suu Kyi told me that she also agrees and she will do whatever possible to implement those,” he said and added that Myanmar government wants “verification” to give the Rohingyas citizenship.

Referring to his visit to Myanmar, he said he had seen the living conditions of those stateless people.

The human rights situation of the Muslim minorities there is “very dire”. They do not have citizenship, freedom of movement, association and congregation. This in turn generates poverty, he added.