UN urges Myanmar to address root causes of Rohingya crisis

UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres has reiterated the importance of addressing the root causes of violence in Rakhine state and sought steps from Myanmar for the safe return of Rohingyas to their homeland.
"It's critical that conditions are put in place to ensure that the Rohingyas are able to return home voluntarily in safety and dignity," deputy spokesman for the secretary-general Farhan Haq said in a regular briefing at the UN headquarters on Tuesday.
The UN secretary-general reminded the responsibility of the government of Myanmar to provide security and assistance to those in need.
Earlier, the UN issued a statement saying the secretary-general was shocked at reports of remarks attributed to Myanmar senior general Min Aung Hlaing.
He urged all leaders in Myanmar to take a unified stance against incitement to hatred and to promote communal harmony.
"Such leadership is critically needed to advance institutional measures to combat discrimination and implement the recommendations of the Rakhine Advisory Commission (Kofi Annan Commission report)," Farhan said.
Some 700,000 Rohingyas have taken shelter in Bangladesh since last August following an army crackdown that the United Nations has likened to ethnic cleansing.
On 16 January, Bangladesh and Myanmar signed a document on 'Physical Arrangement' which will facilitate the return of Rohingyas to their homeland from Bangladesh but there is no significant progress over repatriation.
The 'Physical Arrangement' stipulates that the repatriation will be completed preferably within two years from the start of repatriation.