A 27-member delegation including 20 Rohingyas that left for Myanmar’s Rakhine on Friday morning returned to Bangladesh on Friday (May 05, 2023) around 5.50 pm after visiting 15 villages and other infrastructure built for the Rohingyas. “We have visited the places in our village, but I still don't see any opportunity to go there before fulfilling demands. We want to see the fulfillment of our demand from here (Bangladesh) and then we will return to Myanmar,” said Sufian, a member of the delegation and a resident of Rohingya camp number 26 while speaking at a briefing after returning at Teknaf-Myanmar Transit Ghat in Cox's Bazar. "We went there and made our demands. We have demanded citizenship, we have demanded our land," Sufian added. However, Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner (RRRC) Mohammed Mizanur Rahman, also the leader of the 27-member delegation team that went to Rakhine State, said, “We returned today with 20 Rohingyas after visiting the arrangements made for them around Maungdaw town. I have seen the goodwill of the Myanmar government regarding repatriation. We want to start repatriation.” Read More: China "unswervingly mediating" between Bangladesh, Myanmar to promote Rohingya repatriation: Ambassador Yao "We also had Rohingya representatives with us. Basically this event is for them. They will be deported, so they have been shown it in person. Myanmar authorities have briefed, visited various places," he added. At that time, Mizanur Rahman also assured that there are a lot of Rohingya in Maungdaw city. “As far as I can tell, about 80% of the Rohingya are doing business. I have spoken to them and told them that they are not facing any problem,” he said. Mohammad Selim, a Rohingya member of the delegation and a resident of Rohingya camp number 26, said that after many years, we have had the opportunity to see our country Myanmar. Read More: Rohingyas not bothered about facilities, their demand centres citizenship “Our last word is that if we are not given security, citizenship and land, we will not go back to Myanmar,” Selim said. Additional Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner (Additional Secretary) Mohammad Khalid Hossain, Assistant Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Biswajit Debnath and senior officials of various government agencies were present in the delegation. Earlier, a list of more than 800,000 Rohingyas was sent to Myanmar from the Bangladesh government. The country had identified about 1,140 people in the first phase as a pilot project to repatriate from the list. Later, Myanmar voiced objections regarding 429 individuals on the list. Read More: Rohingya delegation leaves for Rakhine to monitor repatriation arrangements On March 15, a 19-member technical team came to Cox’s Bazar’s Teknaf, and met 480 members of 177 Rohingya families and returned to Myanmar.

Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen has said ICRC should work more actively in Rakhine State with Myanmar authorities for creating a conducive environment so that the Rohingyas can go back to their homeland in a sustainable and dignified manner. Dr Momen made the call when he had a meeting with Peter Maurer, President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in New York recently. Maurer expressed gratitude from ICRC to Bangladesh, particularly to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for her humanitarian gesture in providing shelter to the Rohingyas when they entered Bangladesh after being persecuted in the homeland by their own state machinery. Bangladesh is now hosting over 1.1 million Rohingyas in Cox's Bazar district and Bhasan Char. Bangladesh at the UN General Assembly reiterated that the crisis was created in Myanmar and its solution lies in Myanmar. Also read: ICRC continues supporting protection of detainees in Bangladesh amid COVID-19

The National Unity Government (NUG) of Myanmar should appoint an ethnic Rohingya representative to help it implement and expand upon its new policy on the rights of Rohingya people, human rights NGO Fortify Rights has said. The NUG has issued a new 'Policy Position on the Rohingya in Rakhine State', acknowledging the rights of the Rohingya and the atrocities they faced in Myanmar.  The statement represents a monumental shift from the persecution of the Rohingya by the military junta as well as previous governments, which routinely denied their existence as well as evidence of mass atrocity crimes they suffered, according to Fortify Rights. Also read: Fully cooperating with ICJ to “ensure justice” for Rohingyas: NUG “This is an important moment for the Rohingya people and Myanmar as a whole,” said Matthew Smith, Chief Executive Officer of Fortify Rights, on Thursday.  “This new policy establishes a foundation for the future realisation of Rohingya rights in Myanmar, and for a more unified path to democracy.” The statement commits the NUG to ensuring justice and accountability for crimes against the Rohingya in Myanmar. “We will actively seek justice and accountability for all crimes committed by the military against the Rohingya and all other people of Myanmar throughout our history,” the statement read. “We intend, if necessary, to initiate processes to grant (the) International Criminal Court jurisdiction over crimes committed within Myanmar against the Rohingya and other communities.” The NUG is committed to "abolishing" the National Verification Card process, which is coercive and requires the Rohingya to identify as foreigners.  Also read: Bashan Char: an excellent example for a safe, sustainable, and resilient place for Rohingya relocation The NUG has further committed to ensuring citizenship rights based “on birth in Myanmar or birth anywhere as a child of Myanmar citizens", which would effectively restore or grant full citizenship rights of all Rohingya people and others. The NUG has also affirmed its commitment to “voluntary, safe, and dignified repatriation” of Rohingya refugees to Rakhine State. The NUG cabinet currently does not include any Rohingya representatives. Established on April 16 by elected legislators and others ousted in the February 1 military coup d’état, the NUG has 26 ministers and four executives, including State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and President Win Myint, who both remain imprisoned by the junta. Also read: Voluntary Rohingya repatriation in short term looks more challenging: UN “The NUG should appoint a Rohingya envoy to liaise with Rohingya people and to ensure Rohingya concerns are adequately represented and addressed by the cabinet,” said Matthew Smith. “This new policy is a positive first step in that direction. In addition to appointing a Rohingya representative, the NUG should continue to prioritise meaningful consultation with Rohingya people globally, including Rohingya women, said Fortify Rights.

Dhaka, Aug 25 (UNB) – Bangladesh needs to internationalise the Rohingya issue in a stronger way within the United Nations and outside of it as two consecutive attempts to repatriate Rohingyas turned futile amid Myanmar’s mockery, says an international affairs analyst.