Int’l pressure needed to repatriate Rohingyas

Bangladesh is going ahead will the procedures to repatriate the Rohingya refugees to Myanmar. The foreign secretary has spoken about the initial list for repatriation and a draft agreement has been drawn up to begin the process. However, apprehensions concerning the return of the refugees remain. And there is justified reason for such fears. After all, though preparations are on for repatriation, refugees continue to stream in across the border from Myanmar. How can one have any hope of their return under such circumstances?

According to the agreement, only those willing to return can be repatriated. But after the brutality and violence which they faced in their homeland, they will only return voluntarily if guaranteed security upon their return. The agreement holds no such guarantee and there are no signs that the Myanmar authorities have changed their Rohingya policy in any way. While the world decries their actions as genocide, the Myanmar government does not even admit to any human rights violations. Those responsible for the genocide remain untouched.

If the refugees do not want to return voluntarily, there is no way that Bangladesh can send them back. The genocide in Myanmar has ensured that they will not want to return, and the killings continue.

Bangladesh signed the agreement because it wants to send the Rohingyas back. Bilateral solutions to any problem are always the best, but in this case the agreement has obviously been drawn up in Myanmar’s interests rather than resolving the refugee problem. The agreement has put a dampener on international pressure. Myanmar can easily delay the repatriation process as there is no timeframe in the deal. There is, therefore, no alternative but to put pressure on Myanmar and the international community must be drawn into this.

Along with the repatriation process, the government needs to also highlight the obligations of the international community. If the refugees are not willing to return to their homeland, then the issue of taking them to a third country should be brought into the discussions. Bangladesh has done its moral duty in providing shelter to the Rohingyas but it cannot sustain this burden for long. The international community must understand this and Bangladesh must take initiative to highlight the issue.