Rohingya Issue: Fix root cause, ensure their return
The UN has adopted a resolution on the Rohingyas by consensus for the first time, demonstrating its strong solidarity with the victims of human rights violations and resolving to address the root causes and ensure their repatriation to Myanmar.
The member states also commended Bangladesh for its generosity in hosting the Rohingyas, for providing humanitarian assistance and for including them in the national Covid-19 vaccination drive.
The resolution adopted yesterday also recognised the government's investments in building the facilities in Bhasan char for relocation of a portion of the Rohingyas from the congested camps in Cox's Bazar, while welcoming the MoU signed by Bangladesh with UNHCR.
"It is a good news for us because we have been trying for adoption of the UN resolution on Rohingyas by consensus," Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen told reporters after a seminar at the Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies yesterday.
He said Bangladesh abstained from a UN resolution on Myanmar in June this year as it did not include the violation and repatriation of the Rohingyas, but only the restoration of democracy.
"The UN General Assembly resolution has political implications. It creates pressure on Myanmar though it is not mandatory," Momen said.
The member states of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and the European Union tabled the resolution, which was co-sponsored by 107 countries, the highest since 2017. Apart from the EU & OIC members, the resolution received cross-regional support, with co-sponsorship from the US, Canada, Mexico, Argentina, Australia, New Zealand, Switzerland, Japan, and Republic of Korea, among others.
Momen said China and Russia did not object to the resolution, which means they want solution to the crisis.
In a statement, Bangladesh's Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Rabab Fatima, said the resolution called upon Myanmar to address the root causes of the Rohingya crisis, fulfil its obligations under the bilateral agreements with Bangladesh, and cooperate fully with the special envoy of the secretary general on Myanmar and all the human rights mechanisms of the UN.
It maintained a strong focus on the ongoing justice and accountability processes and called for renewal and effective implementation of the MoU between Myanmar and UNHCR and UNDP in an effort to create conducive environment in the Rakhine State of Myanmar.
Some 750,000 Rohingyas fled brutal military crackdown in Myanmar's Rakhine State, and despite deals with Bangladesh, Myanmar failed to create conditions conducive for the voluntary, safe and sustainable return of the Rohingyas.
Rabab Fatima highlighted the growing desperation of the Rohingyas in Bangladesh with no progress in repatriation that led to several security concerns and cause of instability for the entire region.
"This resolution should now serve as an impetus for real actions in achieving a durable solution to the protracted Rohingya crisis through their safe and dignified return to their homeland in Myanmar," she added.
"The adoption of the resolution today [yesterday] with a strong mandate will bring hope to the Rohingyas that they have not been forgotten," said Ambassador Fatima.
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