Europeans Press For Action on Rohingya After China, Vietnam Shield Myanmar at UNSC

RADIO FREE ASIA
2020-02-05

The UN Security Council discusses maintaining international peace and security and upholding the United Nations Charter during a meeting at UN headquarters in New York, Jan. 9, 2020.
AFP/UN/Mark Garten 

European member states of the United Nations called for Myanmar on Tuesday to take measures to hold to account those responsible for committing human rights violations against Rohingya Muslims after the Security Council failed to support an order by the international body’s top court to protect members of the minority group.

UN fails to take action on order against Myanmar on Rohingya

Aljazeera
2020.02.04

Myanmar's allies China and Vietnam block vote on a joint statement forcing EU member states to make separate report.

More than 700,000 Rohingya fled to Bangladesh after Myanmar security forces launched a crackdown on the Muslim minority in August 2017 [File: Abir Abdullah/EPA]

The UN Security Council on Tuesday discussed the International Court of Justice's order that Myanmar do all it can to prevent genocide against the Rohingya Muslims, but failed to agree on a statement.

Myanmar Unrolls a Welcome Mat for China, but Not All the Way

The New York Times
By Hannah Beech and Saw Nang
Jan. 16, 2020

As Xi Jinping visits Myanmar, fighting in ethnic borderlands threatens China’s ambitious investment plans.

President Xi Jinping of China and his counterpart in Myanmar, Win Myint, during a welcome ceremony at the Presidential Palace in Naypyidaw, Myanmar, on Friday.Credit...Ann Wang/Reuters

BANGKOK — As the leader of China, Xi Jinping, touched down in Myanmar on Friday, his two-day visit is designed to celebrate Beijing’s expanding presence in the region, both as an economic and political role model.

But relations between the two neighbors have never been so simple.

China is by far the largest foreign investor in Myanmar, which boasts a trove of natural resources. And China also provides a road map for how one of Asia’s poorest nations might lift its citizens out of hand-to-mouth existences.

Myanmar, China Ink Deals to Accelerate Belt and Road as Xi Courts an Isolated Suu Kyi

The New York Times

Reuters

Jan. 18, 2020

NAYPYITAW — China and Myanmar inked dozens of deals on Saturday to speed up infrastructure projects in the Southeast Asian nation, as Beijing seeks to cement its hold over a neighbour increasingly isolated by the West.

But no major new projects were agreed during the two-day visit by President Xi Jinping, the first of any Chinese leader in 19 years. Analysts said Myanmar was generally cautious of investments by Beijing and was also being careful ahead of elections later this year.

Still, Xi and Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi signed 33 agreements shoring up key projects that are part of the flagship Belt and Road Initiative, China’s vision of new trade routes described as a “21st century silk road”.

China's Xi stands with Myanmar despite Rohingya genocide accusations

AFP
18 Jan 2020

China's Xi Jinping doubled down on his support for fallen rights icon Aung San Suu Kyi on Saturday, signing dozens of infrastructure and trade deals and meeting with the Myanmar army chief accused of overseeing a genocide against Rohingya Muslims.

The Chinese president's state visit to Myanmar's purpose-built capital came as Western investors give a wide berth to the country due to the Rohingya crisis.

A 2017 military crackdown on the minority, which UN investigators called genocide, forced around 740,000 people from western Rakhine state over the border into Bangladesh.

What China’s Xi will and won’t get in Myanmar

ASIA TIMES
Bertil Lintner,
Chiang Mai
January 16, 2020

Chinese leader to make historic Jan 17-18 visit in bid to advance contested Belt and Road Initiative 

When Xi Jinping travels to Myanmar on January 17, it will be the first visit by a sitting Chinese president since Jiang Zemin toured the country in December 2001.

Xi’s visit will show just how much times have changed between now and then. Jiang visited Myanmar when it was still ruled by a military junta and China was the then isolated nation’s closest ally.

China, Russia for deeper engagement

NEWAGE

Shahidul Islam Chowdhury 

Nov 21,2019

China and Russia on Wednesday separately expressed intent to make deeper engagement in implementing the bilateral agreements between Bangladesh and Myanmar for peaceful solution to the Rohingya crisis.

Chinese ambassador Li Jiming and Russian ambassador Alexander I Ignatov expressed their eagerness to this end in separate meetings with foreign minister AK Abdul Momen at the foreign ministry in Dhaka, according to diplomatic sources.

Envoy: China involved from day one to find Rohingya solution

Dhaka Tribune 
Tribune Desk
November 17th, 2019

Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Li Jiming speaks at a function at the Chinese Embassy in Dhaka marking the formation of a Chinese medical team on Sunday, November 17, 2019 BSS

Chinese medical team ready to set off to help host community in Cox’s Bazar, he said

Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Li Jiming has said his country remains involved to find out a solution of the Rohingya issue since the crisis began in the region.

“As a reliable friend and neighbor of Bangladesh and Myanmar, China has been involved in finding the way out almost since day one,” he said.

Right now, Rohingya crisis bigger than China’s treatment of Uyghur - Dr M

malaysia kini
6th November 2019

Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad said Malaysia will only join the world in protesting China’s alleged ill-treatment of the Uyghur Muslims if it resulted in a mass emigration of Uyghurs fleeing the country.

Myanmar gets fresh list of 50,000 Rohingyas for verification

UNB
October 15, 2019

Tripartite meeting with Myanmar, China soon, says FM 

Bangladesh is currently hosting more than 1.1 million Rohingyas. File photo/AP

Dhaka, Oct 15 (UNB) – Bangladesh has handed over a new list of around 50,000 Rohingyas to Myanmar authorities for verification and subsequently expediting their repatriation efforts.

Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen came up with the figure while talking to a small group of reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

He said there are many stages of preparing a list and they are now expediting the process to facilitate the verification and repatriation process.

Myanmar rejects China proposal to let Rohingyas visit Rakhine

Dhaka Tribune

Humayun Kabir Bhuiyan  

October 2nd, 2019

Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen addresses a press conference at the Foreign Ministry in Dhaka on Wednesday, October 2, 2019 Focus Bangla

'China also said [to Myanmar] to give them [Rohingyas] cell phones so that they can inform their relatives about the situation'

China has joined Bangladesh to ask Myanmar to take some Rohingyas sheltered in Bangladesh to Rakhine state for them to see the existing condition, Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen said on Wednesday.

Rohingya repatriation: UK welcomes Chinese initiative

Dhaka Tribune
Humayun Kabir Bhuiyan
September 23rd, 2019

File photo of British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Robert Chatterton Dickson Courtesy

Pressure on Myanmar to continue, says UK envoy

The United Kingdom has welcomed the Chinese initiative to help the safe, secure and dignified repatriation of hundreds of thousands of Rohingyas back to their homes in Rakhine.

“What we see is greater Chinese engagement in the situation. What I would say...I think what we have seen a greater Chinese engagement. China has enormous influence (on Myanmar),” British high commissioner in Dhaka Robert Chatterton Dickson told a press conference at his residence yesterday.

US, China envoys visit Rohingya camps in Cox's Bazar

Dhaka Tribune
Abdul Aziz, Cox's Bazar
September 15th, 2019

File photo of a Rohingya Camp Syed Zakir Hossain/Dhaka Tribune  

Both the delegations inspected the overall condition of the camps

Delegations from the United States and China have visited the Rohingya camps in Cox's Bazar.

The American envoys arrived around 9:30am while the Chinese delegation reached around 11:30am on Sunday.

China Proposes Meeting with Bangladesh, Myanmar over Rohingya Repatriation

BenarNews

Kamran Reza Chowdhury
Dhaka
2019-08-29

 

Bangladeshi Foreign Minister A.K. Abdul Momen briefs Dhaka-based diplomats and representatives of international agencies on efforts to repatriate Rohingya refugees, Aug. 29, 2019.

HO/Bangladesh Foreign Ministry 

 

Beijing has proposed a fresh tripartite meeting with Bangladesh and Myanmar to jumpstart the repatriation of Rohingya Muslims, Bangladesh’s foreign minister said Thursday, as pressure mounted for the two neighboring countries to find a solution to the refugee crisis.

China still willing to mediate Rohingya repatriation after second failed attempt

bdnews24.com
Senior Correspondent,
bdnews24.com
29 Aug 2019

China is still offering mediation after two failed attempts to help Myanmar and Bangladesh start the process to repatriate Rohingya refugees.
Newly-appointed Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Li Jiming on Thursday said China would play “more constructive role” in resolving the crisis.

He made the remarks to journalists after his maiden meeting with Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen at his office.

China, India, Japan in Myanmar’s pocket: DU teacher Prof Imtiaz on Rohingya issue

bdnews24.com 
Senior Correspondent
bdnews24.com
Updated: 28 Aug 2019 

Dhaka University’s Professor of International Relations Prof Imtiaz Ahmed has said Myanmar is staging a ‘drama’ in the name of repatriating the forcibly displaced Rohingyas as they feel they have 'some important' countries in the region in their ‘pocket’.

 

“They think they have at least three countries in their pocket, so they think, ‘what can Bangladesh do?’” he remarked, naming China, India and Japan, at a discussion on the two years of the latest Rohingya crisis on Tuesday.

A deeper relationship between Dhaka and Beijing

Dhaka Tribune 

Opinion

Muhammad Zamir
July 21st, 2019

Photo: DHAKA TRIBUNE

Can China help in addressing the Rohingya crisis?

The ties between Bangladesh and China have evolved into a deeper relationship over the last few years. This dynamic has intensified in its diversity through greater connectivity within the sub-regional and regional paradigms. This has opened doors within this matrix. It has also generated endeavours towards cooperation in diverse areas.

Is China’s Rohingya pledge mere rhetoric?

Dhaka Tribune
Opinion - Op-Ed
Towheed Feroze
July 8th, 2019

 They have a right to return MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

Or are we finally going to see an end to the Rohingya crisis?

Reportedly, China has told the visiting prime minister of Bangladesh that they were thinking of taking a step to help settle the impasse between Bangladesh and Myanmar over the Rohingya issue.

China has also said that the imbroglio can only be addressed when the two countries sit for dialogue.

This demand for “dialogue” has been standard diplomatic rhetoric for a long time. Of course, in most complex situations of life, people often try to find an acceptable middle path through dialogue.

Though, in such cases, both parties must have the spirit of reconciliation along with a desire to find a possible way forward by making concessions.

PM to brief media on China visit Monday

Dhaka Tribune  

Tribune Desk
Published at 01:20 pm July 6th, 2019 

File photo of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Focus Bangla

Sheikh Hasina visited China for a five-day bilateral official visit

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will hold a press conference on Monday to brief journalists about the outcomes of her just-concluded visit to China.

The press conference will be held at the premier's official residence Ganabhaban at 4pm, Secretary Md Nazrul Islam from the Prime Minister’s Office said on Saturday.

China for quick solution to Rohingya crisis

APN NEWS
Published on July 6, 2019

Chinese President Xi Jinping has expressed agreement with Bangladesh that Rohingya crisis should be resolved quickly so that the displaced persons can go back to Myanmar.

Briefing media after the bilateral meeting between Sheikh Hasina and the Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing yesterday, Foreign Secretary of Bangladesh Md Shahidul Haque said that the two countries agreed that the Rohingya issue can’t be left unresolved any more.

Bangladesh and China agreed that representatives of the two countries will work together and use their goodwill on Myanmar for the speedy resolution of the issue.