World briefs: Rohingyas shipped to lone island; EU, U.K. trade deal talks are ‘paused’; Saudis: End to Qatar boycott ‘in reach’; Bus goes off bridge in Brazil, killing 14

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 

COMPILED FROM NEWS SERVICES
Decenber 5,2020

Authorities in Bangladesh on Friday sent the first group of more than 1,500 Rohingya refugees to an isolated island despite protests by human rights groups.

The 1,642 refugees boarded seven Bangladeshi naval vessels in the port of Chittagong for the trip to Bhashan Char, according to an official.

After about a three-hour trip, they arrived at the island, which was once regularly submerged by monsoon rains but now has flood protection embankments, houses, hospitals and mosques built at a cost of more than $112 million by the Bangladesh navy.

UK Pledges to Support 860,000 Rohingya Refugees Amid Controversial Policies at Home

Global Citizen 

By James Hitchings-Hales 

Nov. 3, 2020 

While UK aid is doing tremendous good abroad, refugee policies at home need work.

In recent months, there have been UK government proposals to build a floating wall in the English Channel to keep out migrant dinghies, install water cannons that create waves to push away refugee boats, and create offshore detention camps on islands thousands of miles away.

The UK has hardly thrown its arms open to refugees in 2020. Indeed, asylum seekers are perhaps more likely to be met with war ships than welcome banners. It’s led to Global Citizen launching a campaign urging people to write to their MP, asking them to offer safe passage.

British sanctions against Myanmar military are ‘toothless’, says UK-based pressure group

Myanmar Now
Published on Oct 20, 2020

  

None of the 16 people subject to sanctions in the UK have had any assets frozen there, says Burma Campaign UK 

A member of the border guard force seen in Buthidaung township, Rakhine early last year. (Aye Chan Khaing/Myanmar Now) 

Senior members of Myanmar’s military and security services have been completely unscathed by “toothless” British sanctions imposed in response to the mass killing of Rohingya in Rakhine state, a rights group said.

A recent annual review from the British Treasury showed that none of the 16 individuals, including commander-in chief Min Aung Hlaing, have had any of their assets frozen as a result of measures.

IOM, UK Emergency Medical Team Continue COVID-19 Health Support for Refugees, Locals in Cox’s Bazar

IOM UN Migration
Date:10/13/20

Cox’s Bazar – From the outset of the COVID-19 health crisis in Bangladesh, humanitarian agencies in Cox's Bazar have worked around the clock to prepare to effectively respond to the outbreak in the district, which hosts one of the largest refugee settlements in the world.

Key to this enormous effort includes enhancing existing partnerships and seeking new collaborative opportunities to address the lack of technical expertise and strained human resources in an already complex refugee crisis.

UK for keeping Rohingya issue alive on UNSC agenda

NEWAGE

Diplomatic Correspondent 

Oct 01,2020 

The United Kingdom on Wednesday stressed the need for keeping the Rohingya issues alive on the international platforms including the UN Security Council for mounting pressure on Myanmar for ensuring repatriation of the members of the community to Rakhine.

‘Myanmar must remain on the agenda’ of the UNSC and likeminded countries would require to work together on the matter, British high commissioner Robert Chatterton Dickson said in a talk held on a web platform with Diplomatic Correspondents Association, Bangladesh in Dhaka.

Joint Statement on Myanmar oint Statement on Myanmar

GOV.UK

Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and Jonathan Allen
Published 11 September 2020

Joint statement by the UK, Belgium, the Dominican Republic, Estonia, France, Germany, Tunisia, and the United States after Security Council consultations on Myanmar

UK accuses China of 'gross' human rights abuses against Uighurs

B B C

19 July 2020 

 China's ambassador Liu Xiaoming: "There is no such concentration camp in Xinjiang"

UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has accused China of "gross and egregious" human rights abuses against its Uighur population and said sanctions against those responsible cannot be ruled out.

Reports of forced sterilisation and wider persecution of the Muslim group were "reminiscent of something not seen for a long time", he told the BBC.

UK imposes sanctions against human rights abusers

B B C

6 July 2020
Killing of Jamal Khashoggi

Image copyright Reuters

The UK is imposing sanctions on 49 people and organisations behind the most "notorious" human rights abuses of recent years.

Individuals implicated in the death of Russian lawyer Sergei Magnitsky in 2009 will have their UK assets frozen and banned from entering the country.

And Saudi Arabian officials involved in the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi are also being targeted.

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said the move sent a "clear message".

Covid-19: UK pledges to help BD, Rohingyas

dailyobserver

 Thursday, 25 June, 2020

UK International Development Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan has said they are strongly committed to helping Bangladesh and the Rohingya people through this devastating crisis.

She came on a virtual visit to Bangladesh on Wednesday and saw how UK aid is working with the government of Bangladesh to tackle coronavirus in the country.

The UK has dedicated at least £21 million to tackle coronavirus in Bangladesh, where 120,000 cases have been reported.

UK minister urged to mount pressure on Myanmar over Rohingya on virtual Bangladesh visit

bdnews24.com
Staff Correspondent,
25 Jun 2020

Bangladesh has once again called on the UK to exert and increase pressure on Myanmar for solving the Rohingya crisis urgently through sustainable repatriation of the Rohingya refugees to Rakhine.

Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen and UK International Development Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan discussed the issue during her “virtual visit” to Bangladesh on Wednesday.

UK announces 21m pounds in virus funds for Bangladesh

bdnews24.com 

News Desk bdnews24.com
Published: 06 Apr 2020

The UK has announced around £21 million to support Bangladesh’s efforts to fight the coronavirus outbreak and help preparedness in the Rohingya refugee camps

 
The funds include £7 million to multiple partners, such as UNICEF, WHO and World Bank, to help prepare the national health system, including logistics and supplies of personal protective equipment for health workers, laboratory supplies for testing and oxygen support in hospitals, the British High Commission said in a statement.

UK pledges a further £87m

The Daily Star  

Diplomatic Correspondent

October 10, 2019

The UK has pledged further support of £30 million for mitigating the Rohingya crisis, to help with food, healthcare, sanitation and counselling for victims of sexual violence.

The UK’s International Development Minister Baroness Sugg announced the aid support, on top of the UK’s recent pledge of £87 million in this regard during a visit to Bangladesh last week.

Fears for 'a lost generation' of Rohingya children in Bangladesh - new briefing

Amnesty International UK
29 Aug 2019, 

Press releases

Two years after a brutal ethnic cleansing campaign forced around 700,000 Rohingya to flee Myanmar for Bangladesh, refugees are still trapped in unbearable conditions in overcrowded camps, Amnesty International said in a new briefing published today (August 29).

The 70-page briefing, ‘I don’t know what my future will be’: Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, warns that a ‘lost generation’ of Rohingya children are being systematically denied an education, and documents the sense of hopelessness and uncertainty expressed by many young people in the camps.

Amnesty researchers travelled to Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh and spoke to 97 refugees in nine camps in February this year. With the situation still dire, Amnesty is calling on the Bangladeshi government to look beyond emergency measures and develop a long-term response to respect and protect the rights of refugees.

UK for working together to find solution to Rohingya crisis

UNB
UNB News
July 08, 2019,

Photo: Courtesy

Dhaka, July 8 (UNB) - British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Robert Chatterton Dickson on Monday laid emphasis on more “unified approach” in the UN Security Council saying it is really urgent to work together globally to find a solution to Rohingya crisis.

He said the news headlines that he saw over the last couple of days regarding Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s just-concluded China visit are “very encouraging”.

During the visit, Bangladesh and China agreed on speedy solution to the Rohingya crisis noting that it cannot be kept unresolved.

PM seeks sustained global pressure to repatriate Rohingyas

The Daily Star 
Sunday, "April 7, 2019"

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on April 7, 2019, calla upon the international community, including the United Kingdom (UK), to keep up mounting pressure on Myanmar for taking back the forcibly displaced Rohingyas. Photo: BSS

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today called upon the international community, including the United Kingdom (UK), to keep up mounting pressure on Myanmar to take back the forcibly displaced Rohingyas.

She made the appeal while visiting UK Minister of State for Asia and the Pacific at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Mark Field, MP, paid a courtesy call on her at the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) this morning.

Rohingya issue dominates agenda at PM’s first meeting with UK envoy

Dhaka Tribune
Wednesday, Apr 03, 2019

Newly appointed British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Robert Chatterton Dickson pays a courtesy call on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at her official residence Ganabhaban on Tuesday, April 2, 2019 Focus Bangla

UK companies ‘very keen’ to invest in Bangladesh, UK high commissioner tells PM

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has reiterated that the country wants safe and quick repatriation of the displaced Rohingya, who took shelter in Bangladesh.

Bangladesh wants UK's leading role in UN to end Rohingya crisis

UNB
UNB News
Publish Date - March 29, 2019,

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam along with others cut cake at the 49th Bangladesh Independence and National Day Reception in London on Wednesday, Mar 27, 2019. Photo: Courtesy

Dhaka, Mar 29 (UNB) – Bangladesh has sought UK’s strong and unremitting support to ensure the Rohingyas’ safe return to their homeland.

“We would like to see UK’s sustained diplomatic leadership in the UN, Geneva and the Security Council for the safe and sustainable return of Rohingyas to Myanmar,” State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam said at the 49th Bangladesh Independence and National Day Reception in London on Wednesday.

Bangladesh seeks UK’s ‘sustained leadership’ on Rohingya issue

bdnews24.com 
Senior Correspondent bdnews24.com
Published: 29 Mar 2019

Bangladesh wants the ‘sustained diplomatic leadership’ of the United Kingdom in the United Nations to resolve the Rohingya crisis, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam has said.

Speaking at an event marking Bangladesh’s independence in London, the state minister called for the “strong and unremitting” support of the UK – the top donor in the humanitarian response to the Rohingya crisis – to tackle the issue.

President urges UK to play strong role for Rohingya repatriation

Prothum Alo _______________

Mar 06, 2019 

President M Abdul Hamid sought continued cooperation and stronger role of the United Kingdom to ensure a safe and dignified repatriation of the Rohingyas as outgoing UK High Commissioner to Bangladesh Alison Blake called on him at Bangabhan in the capital on Wednesday afternoon.

Dhaka urges London to return all convicted criminals

NEWAGE

United News of Bangladesh . Dhaka | Published: 01:19, Mar 06,2019 

Bangladesh urged the United Kingdom to send back all the criminals convicted by Bangladesh courts but were living in the UK.

‘You should send back all the criminals who have been convicted by our courts,’ foreign minister AK Abdul Monen told outgoing British high commissioner Alison Blake without mentioning the name of any convicted criminal.

While talking to reporters at his office, the foreign minister said that he had told the British ambassador that the UK should send back all the convicted criminals if they claimed that their justice system was fair and they believed in law and fairness.