1 November, 2019
Diplomatic Correspondent, Dhaka
In our estimate, not a single Rohingya has returned to Myanmar, says foreign minister AK Abdul Momen
Foreign minister Dr AK Abdul Momen yesterday said Bangladesh will verify Myanmar’s claim that several hundred Rohingyas have voluntarily returned to Myanmar as that country has repeatedly been spreading misinformation. “In our estimate, not a single Rohingya has returned to Myanmar. But Myanmar claimed that several hundred Rohingyas had returned to their homeland. It is their account—we don’t know anything about it. They have not taken back the Rohingyas who are at their border,” he added. The minister said this in reply to a query by journalists in the capital.
The Myanmar embassy in Dhaka posted on its on its official Facebook page yesterday: “In total, 46 displaced persons have returned to Myanmar from Bangladesh on their own volition through Taung Pyo Letwe and Nga Khu Ya Reception Centres on October 31, 2019 again. All of them were warmly received by the officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement, and Ministry of Labour, Population and Immigration, and other officials concerned.”
“It has been confirmed that a total of 397 displaced persons have voluntarily returned from Bangladesh to Myanmar till today and they were duly provided with rice, cooking oil and foodstuff
monthly by the Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement of Myanmar,” it reads.
“The Government of Myanmar is making its best efforts to ensure the safe, smooth and sustainable repatriation in accord with the bilateral instruments signed with the Bangladesh Government and closely cooperating with UN Organisations in this regard,” it added.
Against this backdrop, Momen said: “Myanmar claims a lot of things. The country claims that it has created a congenial environment. We want the international community to check the matter. We proposed to Myanmar to allow non-military civilian observers in Rakhine state. We even asked it to allow friendly countries from ASEAN to visit the region. But Myanmar did not agree to our proposal.”
“We have told Myanmar to take some Rohingya leaders to show that a congenial environment had been created there. Convince Rohingyas, not us. But they did not reply to it either,” he added.
On Wednesday, the foreign minister strongly protested against the statement issued by a Myanmarese minister at the recent NAM summit in Baku for spreading “fabricated information” in order to avoid its obligations for the sustained repatriation and reintegration of the forcibly displaced Rohingya with safety and dignity.
Rejecting the baseless accusation, falsification, and misrepresentation of facts, the minister said: “Myanmar must stop such concocted campaigns and concentrate on the fulfilment of its obligations.”
Just a day later, Myanmar came up with another claim, saying that 46 displaced persons had returned to Myanmar from Bangladesh on their own volition.
The foreign minister yesterday said they did not have any such information and would verify it.
Asked about Myanmar’s claim that Bangladesh has termed the situation as ‘ethnic cleansing in Myanmar’, the minister said: “We did not say that. Various international agencies, including the UN, were saying that it was a classic example of ethnic cleansing.”
“Prime Minister has averted a genocide by giving shelter to Rohingyas. This could have been the largest genocide after WWII if we did not shelter them. We have saved the honour of the world by sheltering them,” he added.
About seeking the cooperation of the European Union in addressing the Rohingya crisis, the minister said: “As per your (EU
countries) information, a genocide has taken place in Myanmar. As per the UN, ethnic cleansing has taken place. But you are doing business there. GSP is continuing there. It looks odd.”
“We have told them that until the Rohingya repatriation takes place, there should be a moratorium. Tell them that GSP has been withdrawn and you (Myanmar) will get it back when Rohingyas go back. It will create pressure. They have appreciated this proposal and talked about it,” he added.
Asked about the relocation of Rohingyas to Bhasan Char, the minister said: “The place is ready.”
Asked about the alleged torture of Bangladeshi workers in Saudi Arabia,
the minister said: “We have very good relations with Saudi Arabia. Only a few people face such suffering out of several lakhs of expatriates.”
“Whenever such incidents take place, we tell the Saudi authorities to address the problem. We have a special arrangement for the expatriates who suffer torture. We take them back,” he mentioned.
“If any woman worker faces any untoward situation and informs it to the authorities there, the Saudi government immediately takes action,” he added.
The Myanmar embassy in Dhaka posted on its on its official Facebook page yesterday: “In total, 46 displaced persons have returned to Myanmar from Bangladesh on their own volition through Taung Pyo Letwe and Nga Khu Ya Reception Centres on October 31, 2019 again. All of them were warmly received by the officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement, and Ministry of Labour, Population and Immigration, and other officials concerned.”
“It has been confirmed that a total of 397 displaced persons have voluntarily returned from Bangladesh to Myanmar till today and they were duly provided with rice, cooking oil and foodstuff
monthly by the Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement of Myanmar,” it reads.
“The Government of Myanmar is making its best efforts to ensure the safe, smooth and sustainable repatriation in accord with the bilateral instruments signed with the Bangladesh Government and closely cooperating with UN Organisations in this regard,” it added.
Against this backdrop, Momen said: “Myanmar claims a lot of things. The country claims that it has created a congenial environment. We want the international community to check the matter. We proposed to Myanmar to allow non-military civilian observers in Rakhine state. We even asked it to allow friendly countries from ASEAN to visit the region. But Myanmar did not agree to our proposal.”
“We have told Myanmar to take some Rohingya leaders to show that a congenial environment had been created there. Convince Rohingyas, not us. But they did not reply to it either,” he added.
On Wednesday, the foreign minister strongly protested against the statement issued by a Myanmarese minister at the recent NAM summit in Baku for spreading “fabricated information” in order to avoid its obligations for the sustained repatriation and reintegration of the forcibly displaced Rohingya with safety and dignity.
Rejecting the baseless accusation, falsification, and misrepresentation of facts, the minister said: “Myanmar must stop such concocted campaigns and concentrate on the fulfilment of its obligations.”
Just a day later, Myanmar came up with another claim, saying that 46 displaced persons had returned to Myanmar from Bangladesh on their own volition.
The foreign minister yesterday said they did not have any such information and would verify it.
Asked about Myanmar’s claim that Bangladesh has termed the situation as ‘ethnic cleansing in Myanmar’, the minister said: “We did not say that. Various international agencies, including the UN, were saying that it was a classic example of ethnic cleansing.”
“Prime Minister has averted a genocide by giving shelter to Rohingyas. This could have been the largest genocide after WWII if we did not shelter them. We have saved the honour of the world by sheltering them,” he added.
About seeking the cooperation of the European Union in addressing the Rohingya crisis, the minister said: “As per your (EU
countries) information, a genocide has taken place in Myanmar. As per the UN, ethnic cleansing has taken place. But you are doing business there. GSP is continuing there. It looks odd.”
“We have told them that until the Rohingya repatriation takes place, there should be a moratorium. Tell them that GSP has been withdrawn and you (Myanmar) will get it back when Rohingyas go back. It will create pressure. They have appreciated this proposal and talked about it,” he added.
Asked about the relocation of Rohingyas to Bhasan Char, the minister said: “The place is ready.”
Asked about the alleged torture of Bangladeshi workers in Saudi Arabia,
the minister said: “We have very good relations with Saudi Arabia. Only a few people face such suffering out of several lakhs of expatriates.”
“Whenever such incidents take place, we tell the Saudi authorities to address the problem. We have a special arrangement for the expatriates who suffer torture. We take them back,” he mentioned.
“If any woman worker faces any untoward situation and informs it to the authorities there, the Saudi government immediately takes action,” he added.
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