As we mark the fifth anniversary of the Rohingya exodus on 25 August, Bangladesh is hopeful about beginning Rohingya refugee repatriation before the end of this year.
Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen appeared optimistic on 21 August speaking to reporters, as reported by The Daily Star.
"We are hopeful we can start the repatriation by the end of the year,” he said after a meeting of the National Task Force on the Rohingya held at the foreign ministry. “We are trying to do it for our own interest because they are becoming a burden for us."
Though such optimism is in stark contrast to the analysis provided by many experts, who feel the Myanmar military coup has thrown another wrench into trying to find a solution to the Rohingya crisis, Bangladesh expects that world leaders will show a responsible attitude to pile up pressure on the Military rulers to cease violence against Rohingyas and speed up early repatriation.
Despite repeated efforts, no Rohingya could be repatriated from Bangladesh in the last five years. Since 2017’s massive exodus, Bangladesh has been hosting over 1.1 million forcefully displaced Rohingya mainly in Cox’s Bazar district.
Michelle Bachelet, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, recently visited Bangladesh from 14 to 17 August, a first in the way of a high-level visit by the UN Human Rights Chief to Bangladesh. With her visit, the ongoing humanitarian tragedy impacting the displaced Rohingya population has drawn more attention at the national and international level.
“The protracted stay of the displaced Rohingya in Bangladesh bears the risk of the spread of radicalism, transnational crimes, and thus may hamper regional stability,” said the Bangladeshi Foreign Minister in a statement while meeting with UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
"We requested her to engage the United Nations as the world's most powerful organization to create a peaceful environment in Myanmar so that we can go back to our homeland with citizenship rights and safety," said Maulana Azim Ullah, a Rohingya religious leader while Bachelet was visiting one of the world’s largest refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar District to evaluate the conditions of camp and service of the numerous humanitarian organizations and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). She assured the Rohingya that the UN will play a positive role in their peaceful and sustainable repatriation.
Despite the negotiations between Myanmar and Bangladesh that have so far produced few results, there is a lot of optimism that the UN will develop a regionally integrated strategy to speed up the safe return. Bangladesh urged the UN system including UNDP and UNHCR to launch efforts in Myanmar’s Rakhine State to improve the conditions for the Rohingya to return.
In addition, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the UN for Myanmar, Ms Noeleen Neyzer, arrived in Dhaka for a four-day visit beginning on 22 August. Following her journey to Myanmar, she will visit the Rohingya camps and ask locals about their current conditions. She is expected to monitor, describe, and actively work to expedite the repatriation process, though it unclear just what she will achieve as her recent trip to Naypyitaw appeared to be little more than a “photo opportunity,” though she reportedly did raise the issue of the Rohingya repatriation.
For Bangladesh, the recent official rejection of Myanmar’s objections to the Rohingya genocide case by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the ICJ's impending decision on the Gambia's genocide charge is a promising result. Bangladesh has started a fund-raising initiative to aid Gambia in its legal conflict with Myanmar at the ICJ over the Rohingya genocide. Organization of Islamic Countries (OIC), ASEAN, the US, UK, Canada, and all other developed nations should provide financial support to the Gambia so that the Rohingya genocide lawsuit against Myanmar can move forward smoothly.
Bangladesh is bearing a substantial economic burden to support the persecuted Rohingya as it needs to spend a hefty $3.6 billion a year to host the Rohingya, or $300 million every month. The amount of money being donated by international donors appears to be sluggish due to the economic slowdown brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. In the first three years following 2017, the fund for humanitarian aid fluctuated between 72 and 75 percent of the overall requirement. By 2020, it had decreased to 65 percent. Barely $366 million of the approximately $1 billion needed for this year has been committed or disbursed as of July 2021, which is only 34% of the total.
Therefore, it is hoped that people will not forget about the world's most persecuted population and will donate as agreed upon in consideration of global inflation that drives up commodities prices in addition to increasing demand for repatriation.
Due to the domestic political upheaval, the 10-nation Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) bloc, of which Myanmar is a part, has been striving to establish calm in the nation. The "five-point consensus" they reached calls for a halt to violence and for productive communication between internally polarized groups, but the bloc still has a lot more to offer. Along with providing a framework for internal conflict resolution, the block is anticipated to act more adamantly to lessen the persecution of the Rohingya people and to keep up pressure on the Myanmar government to allow the Rohingya to return peacefully to their country of origin as part of its humanitarian responsibility. Bangladesh's application to become an ASEAN Sectoral Dialogue Partner (SDP) ought to be accepted, which will pave the way for Bangladesh to have a platform where it can actively address Rohingya issues as a development partner.
Myanmar analysts have assessed that a comprehensive approach from its influential neighbours like China, India, and Russia—all of whom are cordial to Bangladesh too—may have a more successful impact on prompt and successful repatriation. Recently Chinese state councillor and foreign minister Wang Yi said his country is sincerely working to find a solution to the Rohingya crisis when he visited Bangladesh on 7 August. UN agencies' quick impact projects being carried out in the communities of Rakhine were presented. In addition, China, Japan, and India are working to improve the situation there. Bangladesh must have adequate information on that development to work on building confidence among Rohingya for repatriation. Influential neighbours of Myanmar are expected to put pressure on Myanmar for a solution.
Bangladesh's government has cared for the persecuted Rohingya since their mass departure in 2017 in a responsible manner. The Bangladesh government built "Bhashan Char" in Noakhali District with all contemporary amenities to provide shelter for more than 100,000 Rohingya to relieve strain on the congested border camps, and during the COVID-19 pandemic Bangladesh provided immunizations for them. However, if the Rohingya crisis is allowed to fester, it could pose security risks to Bangladesh, Myanmar, and the wider region, leading to an increase in radicalization, extremism, terrorism, and cross-border crime. Early, safe, and dignified repatriation of the Rohingya is therefore necessary for peaceful coexistence.
These stateless peoples have the same rights as everyone else to live in dignity and create a secure future in their country, but this can only be ensured if the international community shows comprehensive solidarity with the group that is subjected to the harshest persecution.
Manowar Morshed is a human rights activist based in Dhaka, Bangladesh
