Myanmar delegation arrives in Teknaf to verify information

A 22-member delegation from Myanmar has arrived in Teknaf of Bangladesh to verify the information of Rohingyas enlisted for repatriation.

The Myanmar delegates, led the foreign ministry’s regional district for Maungdaw Aung arrived in Teknaf’s Chowdhurypara transit jetty at around 9:45 am on Wednesday.

Mohammad Shamsud Douza, additional refugee relief and repatriation commissioner of Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commission (RRRC), welcomed the Myanmar delagates in Teknaf.

Speaking to Prothom Alo, refugee relief and repatriation commissioner Mizanur Rahman said, “The Myanmar delegation will verify information of 429 Rohingyas enlisted for repatriation. At the same time they will work on gathering information and documentation of children recently born in the camps.”

Sources from the RRRC office said Bangladesh has sent a list of over 800,000 Rohingyas for repatriation. Information of 1,140 Rohingya from the list were primarily verified. Myanmar agreed to repatriate 711 Rohingya but objected to another 429. The new delegation has arrived in Bangladesh to verify the information of those 429 Rohingya people.

The delegation members were verifying the information at Malancha auditorium of Teknaf land port.

The RRRC officials said it might take six days to complete verifying the information of the 429 Rohingyas. Information of only 65 people will be verified on the first day on Wednesday, they added.

The number of enlisted Rohingya people in 33 camps in Ukhia and Teknaf in Cox’s Bzar is over 1.25 million. Of them, 800,000 arrived after 25 August 2017.

Bangladesh government could not repatriate not even one Rohingya person in the last five and a half years to Rakhine state of Myanmar, their country of origin. The Rohingyas staying in camps at different times demanded that they would not return to Myanmar until they are given citizen status.