Myanmar pledges to take back Rohingyas

Myanmar has agreed to resume the repatriation of registered Rohingyas from Bangladesh within the next two months.

“They have agreed to start work towards repatriation of verified Myanmar nationals within two months… although the process will start with a small number of 2,415 out of over 32,000 registered Myanmar citizens, we consider it a major breakthrough,” Foreign Secretary Md Shahidul Haque said.

The development came at the 8th round of Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) between Bangladesh and Myanmar at the foreign ministry yesterday morning.

At the meet, the Myanmar side agreed to start working on the formation of a committee within two months for the repatriation of the already verified Myanmar refugees and their offspring, said a foreign ministry release.  

According to official estimates, about 2,50,877 Rohingyas fled to Bangladesh in 1991 following persecution by the military junta.

Of them, 2,36,599 were repatriated through bilateral negotiation between Bangladesh and Myanmar with the UNHCR supervision till 2005. The process halted after a group of 92 Rohingyas was sent back that year.

Now, over 32,000 Rohingyas reside at two camps in Kutupalong in Ukhia and Nayapara under Teknaf in Cox's Bazar district.

Official sources say about 19,841 Rohingyas from 2,976 families were at the refugee camps in 2004. The number kept rise every year due to their high birth rate.

Besides, there are about 3,00,000 to 5,00,000 undocumented Myanmar nationals outside the camps. Dhaka raised the issue in yesterday's meeting but the Myanmar side did not respond, sources say.

Dhaka also informed Myanmar side that the government is going for a detailed survey on unregistered Myanmarese nationals who are living in different parts of Chittagong and Cox's Bazar districts after intruding illegally.

“We've discussed all the issues very frankly. It's clear that Myanmar wants to take the relations with Bangladesh to a newer height,” the foreign secretary said while briefing reporters after the FOC.

Terming the meeting fruitful and frank, he said there has been a “qualitative difference” between the 7th and 8th rounds of FOC. “The Myanmar side has expressed their commitment to start repatriation”.

The foreign secretary said the two countries will soon form a working group which will review the list of 2,415 people as verified in 2005.  Those born later on could be added to the list.

“We'll make preparations within the next two months to look into how quickly the repatriation can be started. We're very happy to see the outcome,” he said.

The two sides had nearly a four-hour meeting from 10:00am. Foreign Secretary Shahidul Haque and Myanmar Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs Thant Kyaw led their respective sides.

REPATRIATION OF CONVICTED PEOPLE

Both Bangladesh and Myanmar sides have agreed to quicken the repatriation of Bangladesh and Myanmar nationals mostly fishermen, who have been convicted of minor crimes and who are now in different jails of the two countries.

According to official estimates, some 200 Bangladeshi nationals are in Myanmar jails while around 110 Myanmar nationals in Bangladesh jails.

“Ambassadors of the two countries have been given the responsibility to devise a system and quicken the repatriation,” said the foreign secretary.

JOINT COMMISSION MEETING

Also at the meet, both the countries agreed to renew for another five years the Agreement on Cultural Cooperation, which has already expired.

It was also decided that the first round of the meeting of Joint Commission at the level of foreign minister will be held in Dhaka early next year.

At the meeting, pending agreement on Promotion and Protection of Reciprocal Investment and ratification of treaty on the demarcation of land boundary to the north of Naaf river are expected to be signed.

BANGLADESH'S PROPOSAL

The Bangladesh side floated the idea of bringing in all the aspects of Bangladesh-Myanmar bilateral relations under an “umbrella agreement” for better understanding and discussion.

The foreign secretary said Bangladesh felt that all the aspects should be brought under an umbrella framework and proposed signing of a “Framework Arrangement on Trust and Cooperation for Development between Bangladesh and Myanmar.”

He said it contains eight components -- strengthening the trust or enhancing the trust, security and cooperation dialogue, trade and connectivity, energy, environment and natural disaster, agricultural and rural development, education, health and culture, sub-regional cooperation and collaboration in the Bay of Bengal.

“We've handed over the draft proposal of the agreement to the Myanmar side to have a broader framework and a common platform as we want to look into all aspects of relationships,” the secretary said adding that it was prepared in the light of Bangladesh's experience with India and the US.

The Myanmar side highly appreciated it and said that it will be reviewed at the Joint Commission meeting next year when the foreign minister of Myanmar will visit Dhaka.

On better border management issue, the foreign secretary said there has been regular contact with the border forces of the two countries and both sides will start discussion to have home secretary-level meeting in addition to FOC.

Both the sides also agreed to strengthen efforts to control drug and human trafficking. The foreign secretary said they discussed issues related to energy cooperation, especially on gas.

On road connectivity, he said the discussion has begun again after 2008 and both the sides are thinking of alternative routes in addition to those already proposed.

Myanmar side said it wants to send two teams to Bangladesh to learn from Bangladesh's success in agriculture and livestock sectors.