Daily Times

In 2017, about 1.2 million Rohingyas escaped persecution by Myanmar forces. They are staying in 33 camps and Bhasanchar in Ukhia and Teknaf of Cox’s Bazar. It has not been possible to send even one Rohingya back to Myanmar in the last six years.

Bangladesh signed an agreement with Myanmar to repatriate the Rohingya in November 2017. In 2018, repatriation efforts failed. The repatriation initiative was taken again in 2019 through the mediation of China, but it was not implemented. As a result, the repatriation process stood at a standstill for the last six years. The process of repatriating Rohingyas to Rakhine on a small scale was supposed to start in 2020, but since it has not started, China has been pressuring Myanmar. ASEAN countries were also continuing their efforts to initiate small-scale repatriation to address the Rohingya issue.

Recently, Myanmar has taken the initiative to take back more than 1000 Rohingyas under the pilot project. As part of this, diplomats from eight countries were taken to Rakhine on March 8. These diplomats were shown around the interim camps in Maungdu and Sittwe, Myanmar to see the progress of preparations for the repatriation of Rohingya refugees. They were told that Myanmar wanted to start the Rohingya repatriation process as soon as possible. According to diplomatic sources, Myanmar has taken this initiative under pressure from China.

Diplomats returning from Rakhine reported that the ongoing situation is slightly better than in 2018-2020. Rohingyas in an internally displaced (IDP) camp near Sittwe, Myanmar, are now getting access to the town of Sittwe, where they were previously not allowed to leave the camp. The Rohingyas are getting limited access to education and health care. The ambassadors visited the renovation of the interim camp built five years ago in the village of Nakuya on the banks of the Naf River. All the Rohingyas will be kept in this camp for the first few days. Then, they will be shifted to Lapukha Camp in Mangdu. Finally, they will be permanently transferred to the camps under construction near Mangdu and Sitwe. The diplomats were also shown the camp of IDPs who have been living in the Chokpeu area since 2012. They were told that these camps would be closed and the displaced Rohingyas would be permanently relocated to nearby villages. Chokpiu is an important area with Chinese-invested oil companies and a deep-sea port.

A few months ago, the Arakan Army was at war with the Myanmar military in Rakhine. Later, through the mediation of Nippon Foundation Chairman Sasakawa, there was a temporary ceasefire and peace prevailed. In this situation, repatriation can be started by taking thousands of Rohingya back to Myanmar. If the repatriation starts, the international pressure on the military government of Myanmar will decrease a little and the acceptance of the military government will increase a little. Myanmar will have to present their arguments in the Rohingya Genocide case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on April 24. Through this initiative, the Myanmar government will inform the ICJ that they are taking steps to resolve the Rohingya crisis.

Myanmar plans to begin repatriation by taking back 1,500 Rohingya under a pilot project. They will try to show that they are serious about repatriation through this project. Myanmar’s Deputy Minister of Information Major General Zaw Min Tun said the pilot program on Rohingya repatriation could begin in mid-April.

On March 23, Myanmar announced plans to repatriate another 5,000 Rohingya if the pilot project was successfully implemented. Rohingyas who have taken refuge want to return to their villages in Myanmar. But they are not interested in repatriation if they cannot go back to their villages. They will return to Myanmar if they are guaranteed citizenship rights, freedom of travel or equal rights with other nationalities.

After assessing the situation in Myanmar’s Rakhine State, UNHCR said that the situation is not favourable for the sustainable return of the Rohingyas.UNHCR will continue to work to ensure that Rohingyas participate in voluntary repatriation and support efforts to create favourable conditions.

Many of the Rohingya who have been vetted are reportedly not interested in returning to Myanmar right now. They will return to Myanmar if the Rohingyas there assure them about the end of the Myanmar army’s atrocities. Displaced Rohingya living in camps in Myanmar are living inhumane lives. Due to the ongoing violence, the UN and other aid organizations cannot properly carry out relief operations in Myanmar. The Rohingyas are in a miserable conditions there. Arrangements must be made to start the relief operations in all those camps immediately. Myanmar did not involve the UN and international organizations in this pilot project. These organizations have been providing relief to the Rohingya for the past six years. The UN has said the situation in Rakhine is not conducive to repatriation. Without relief aid, the Rohingya are likely to fall back into a humanitarian disaster.

The Rohingyas demand that they will not return to Myanmar if they do not get citizenship. It is unclear whether the government’s attitude towards the Rohingya has changed. The Arakan Army has said it considers the Rohingyas its people, but they are not known to be involved in the project. Little is known about the steps taken to change hostile attitudes against the Rohingya, and there is no clear indication of a change in political will.

Rohingya rights groups say repatriation without citizenship recognition risks a repeat of the same incident. Myanmar has said it will relocate the Rohingyas to newly built villages after taking them back, but the Rohingyas want to return to their home villages. The resettlement of the Rohingyas staying in the camps in Myanmar to their previous homes and villages will create an environment of trust and the Rohingyas will return to Myanmar voluntarily. The overall repatriation process is expected to be sustainable. It is hoped that the Myanmar government will continue this program through a sustainable plan, assuring the Rohingyas of their safety and rehabilitation.

The writer is a London-based Bangladeshi expatriate who is a Bangladesh and Myanmar affairs observer, analyst, and researcher