Rohingya Crisis - Japan to grab any opportunity to resolve it: envoy

Japanese Ambassador to Bangladesh Naoki Ito has said Japan will seize the opportunity to find a "long-term and lasting solution" to the Rohingya crisis with the Myanmar side, noting that the issue is very relevant to the future stability of the entire region.

"What we can say right now is Japan will seize the opportunity to raise this very, very important issue with the Myanmar side and its military whenever appropriate," he said, adding that his country will do its best to create an enabling environment for the early repatriation of Rohingyas and will continue to raise the issue with the Myanmar side.

He was responding to a question at a virtual dialogue titled "Bangladesh-Japan Relations: Prognosis for the Future" where he delivered the keynote speech.

Cosmos Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the Cosmos Group, hosted the dialogue as a part of its ongoing Ambassador's Lecture Series.

The opening remarks were delivered by the Cosmos Foundation Chairman Enayetullah Khan. The session was chaired by Dr Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury.

Md Abul Kalam Azad, special envoy, Climate Vulnerable Forum; Hayakawa Yuho, chief representative, JICA Bangladesh Office; Dr Salehuddin Ahmed, former governor, Bangladesh Bank; Masaaki Ohashi, professor, University of the Sacred Heart, Tokyo; Manzurul Huq, columnist, writer and academic; Prof Takahara Akio, dean, Graduate School of Public Policy, the University of Tokyo; and Ambassador (retd) Tariq A Karim, honorary advisor emeritus, Cosmos Foundation, comprised the panel of discussants.

Ambassador Ito said humanitarian assistance and humanitarian crises are very much part of their vision when they talk about stability and peace of the region.

He said there is no clear picture in which direction Myanmar is moving right now. "Now nobody can have a really clear-cut prospect for the situation," he said, emphasising the need for having a very "comprehensive and inclusive" platform to deal with the situation.

Tariq Karim said Japan, a candidate for a non-permanent seat on the Security Council at the elections to be held in 2022, will hopefully be playing a very important role within the UN Security Council.

He said Myanmar is on the "point of implosion" and implosion will result in an explosion.

He said Japan should assist Bangladesh to have the necessary stability to allow its dreams to go forward together.

The Japanese ambassador said it is also important to keep the international community engaged both in Cox's Bazar and Bhasan Char relocation plan.

"We should take a comprehensive approach both for Bhasan Char and Cox's Bazar Rohingya camps," said Ambassador Ito. Japan expects the UN's operational engagement on the island soon since that is crucial to move forward, he said.

He said the Bhasan Char project has got to be successful from a long-term viewpoint to find a durable solution. "Otherwise, the whole process may be delayed…"

Bangladesh is hosting over 1.1 million Rohingyas in Cox's Bazar and Bhasan Char.

Japan's Rohingya-related humanitarian assistance in Bangladesh amounts to US$ 159 million which supports the Rohingya people and host communities through international organisations and NGOs.

Japanese Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu and UN Special Envoy on Myanmar Christine Schraner Burgener discussed the situation in Myanmar in May 2021.

Ambassador Ito said finding a lasting solution of the Rohingya crisis is conducive to their "pursuit of a Free and Open Indo-Pacific".

Earlier, Japan, US and Australia missions declared continuing support for host communities and the Rohingya people during a visit to the Rohingya camp in Cox's Bazar in March 2021.