Dhaka, Dec 19 – Rohingyas have said they would return to Rakhine as soon as the Myanmar government would ensure safety and security for them as they don’t want to stay in the camps.
The Rohingyas placed these demands before the visiting Myanmar delegation who paid a two-day long visit to Cox’s Bazar, sources said. The nine-member delegations of Myanmar visited Rohingya camps to listen to the demands of the Rohingyas to pave the path for repatriation to their place of origin Rakhine.
Sources said the Rohingyas have placed their demands which include their safety and security along with citizenship rights before the delegations.
The delegations, which left Dhaka yesterday, had listened to the Rohingyas and would inform their government what they have found at the camps.
Refugee relief and repatriation commissioner (RRRC) Md Mahbub Alam Talukder told Journalists yesterday: “The delegation has talked to the Rohingyas who have placed their demands before them. Rohingyas said they want to go back but prior to it security has to be ensured.”
“The delegation came to assure the Rohingyas to gain their trust for the repatriation,” he added.
He further this visit is significant because Myanmar has taken such initiative when the whole world is looking at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) where a public hearing has been completed recently against a lawsuit that Myanmar has committed ‘genocide.’
Mahbub Alam said, “We are always ready for starting the repatriation. Even there are many changes among the Rohingyas after the lawsuit at the ICJ.”
Tiny African Muslim country and also a member of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC Gambia filed a lawsuit against Myanmar. The World Court has already complted the three-day long pubic hearing from December 10-12. Myanmar leader and Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi defended her country’s army at the court.
Gambia has sought ‘provisional measures’ from the court to impose on Myanmar to stop ‘genocide’ in Myanmar. As per court, it would come to the order soon.
In such a situation, a delegation paid a visit to Cox’s Bazar to listen to the demands of the Rohingyas.
However, this is not the first time the Myanmar delegation listened to the Rohingyas.
Earlier, in July a 10-member delegation led by Myanmar’s foreign secretary Mint Thaw visited Cox’s Bazar Rohingya camps to talk to the Rohingya people to assure them that better environment is being created in Rakhine for their repatriation.
At that time the Rohingyas said they would return when Myanmar would ensure safety and security including their citizenship.
But still Myanmar could not assure the Rohingyas that a safe and secured environment has been created for them for their return.
Over two years of the Rohingya influx, not a single Rohingya has returned to their homeland Myanmar despite taking two attempts.
Right now Bangladesh is hosting over 1.1 million Rohingyas at the congested camps in Cox’s Bazar. – Staff Reporter
