No Rohingya turn up for Burma repatriation scheme

COX’S BAZAR, Bangladesh: No Rohingya Muslims have turned up to return to Burma from camps in Bangladesh, officials said.

Abul Kalam, the Bangladesh refugee commissioner, told a news conference that no one from 295 families already interviewed since Tuesday by the Bangladesh government and the UN’s refugee agency agreed to go back.

“Not a single Rohingya wants to go back without their demands being met,” Bangladesh refugee commissioner Abul Kalam told reporters. Rohingya Muslims have long demanded that Burma should give them citizenship, safety and their own land and homes they left behind.Burma had said the repatriation would start from Thursday. The Buddhist-majority country has certified more than 3,000 refugees from at least 1,056 families as eligible for repatriation.

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said her government will not force the refugees to return and the repatriation will only happen if they are willing.Burma’s military began a harsh campaign against Rohingya Muslims in August 2017 in response to an insurgent attack. The campaign has been called ethnic cleansing that has involved mass rapes, killings and the burning of homes. More than 700,000 Rohingya fled across the border to Bangladesh and have refused to return unless their safety is assured.

The UNHCR said in a statement on Thursday that many Rohingya interviewed actually want to go home if the conditions are met. “Many stated that they do hope to go home to Myanmar as soon as conditions allow and that assurances regarding their citizenship status, freedom of movement, and security in Myanmar could be provided,” it said.

It said UN agencies need access to the refugees’ home areas.“Building confidence is essential ... it is essential that UNHCR and UNDP have more predictable and effective access to refugees’ places of origin and potential areas of return in Rakhine state,” it said.

Officials said the situation in the camps was calm on Wednesday and Thursday and no chaos was reported like in November when thousands protested against what they feared might be a forced repatriation.

Nevertheless, one Rohingya, Ramzan Begum, said her mother-in-law fled the camp for an unknown destination on Wednesday night and had not returned by Thursday. “She told us she will not go back and left the home last night,” Begum said.

Many refugees have said they want to go back under direct UN supervision, not under the Burmese government. Burma refused to recognise Rohingya as citizens or even as an ethnic group, rendering them stateless, and they face other forms of state-sanctioned discrimination.

A UN-established investigation last year recommended the prosecution of senior military commanders on charges of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity for the crackdown. Burma dismissed the allegations.