Cooperation needed to ensure successful repatriation: minister

https://www.mmtimes.com/news/cooperation-needed-ensure-successful-repatriation-minister.html             NYAN LYNN AUNG 04 OCT 2018                                 

Bangladesh and Myanmar need to fully cooperate to ensure the successful repatriation of over 700,000 refugees from northern Rakhine State now living in cramped camps in Bangladesh, a senior government minister has said. U Win Myat Aye, minister of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement , said the repatriation must follow the guidelines of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between the two countries in November last year. It stipulates that only refugees verified by the Myanmar government will be allowed to return to northern Rakhine.

“We have verified as residents some of the refugees on the list given to us by Bangladesh and are ready to guarantee their safe return. We attach great importance of peace, stability and development to the repatriation process,” he said. 

In May, Myanmar urged Bangladesh to quickly repatriate those who have been verified by the government, but the Bangladesh government delayed the repatriation because of security concerns. 

According to the Union Enterprise for Humanitarian Assistance, Resettlement and Development in Rakhine (UEHRD), more than 5000 people have been verified by the Myanmar government out of the 8000 on the list submitted by the Bangladesh authorities.

Last week, U Kyaw Tint Swe, minister of the State Counsellor’s Office, told the UN General Assembly that the government has made all the necessary preparations for the repatriation and is ready to accept verified residents.

“We have taken steps to effect the early return of all displaced persons from Rakhine who are verified residents, especially women and children,” U Kyaw Tint Swe said.

Myanmar signed a MoU in June with the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to help ensure the success of the repatriation.  

The agencies completed initial assessments in 26 locations in northern Rakhine last week.

U Maung Maung Soe, a political analyst, urged the government to guarantee the rights of refugees who have been cleared for repatriation. 

“We should review the policy that restricts returnees, even if they are verified as citizens, from leaving the areas defined by the government,” said U Maung Maung Soe.

He said the humanitarian problem in northern Rakhine should be handled by Myanmar and Bangladesh, not the international community. 

U Tun Aung Kyaw, secretary of the Arakan National Party, said ethnic Rakhine people support giving citizenship to Muslims under the 1982 citizenship law, but new citizens must respect the law.