Rohingya Repatriation: Waiting for Godot?
The Daily StarDec 20, 2022
Myanmar Seeking to Repatriate Rohingya Refugees From Bangladesh
Image copyright: Allison Joyce/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Facts
Officials from Myanmar traveled to Bangladesh on Tuesday to meet with Rohingya refugee families and discuss their repatriation, building upon a China-brokered pilot plan agreed in April between the two countries to return roughly 3K refugees by December.
Bangladesh's Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner Mizanur Rahman said that this trip comes as part of a verification process focused on the extended family members of those selected earlier for repatriation, including newborn children and wives of newlyweds.
The Spin
Narrative A
The quality of life within camps inhabited by Rohingya in Bangladesh is only deteriorating, and barely keeping afloat thanks to humanitarian aid. The slow processing of data provided by Bangladesh to the Myanmar authorities implies that there is little real desire to see Rohingya people return to their homeland. More pressure must be applied to Myanmar to oversee and ensure safe and peaceful repatriation.
Narrative B
Bangladesh's pilot plan ignores a host of human rights concerns surrounding the potential return of Rohingyas to Myanmar. Bangladesh is well aware of the potential consequences of blindly returning the persecuted Muslim community to the hands of a discriminatory military junta. Bangladesh must rethink its agreement with Myanmar, and provide a real opportunity for its refugees to live a normal life.