Almost a year has passed since the ethnic cleansing and the subsequent refugee crisis of 2017, yet it is only last week that Bangladesh’s first high level foreign delegation led by Foreign Minister AH Mahmoob Ali has managed to squeeze a visit from Myanmar authorities. Bangladesh has long been keen to get the ball rolling on the safe repatriation of Rohingya refugees, but Myanmar, despite their international assurances on trying to convince the international community on their resolve to solve the Rohingya crisis, has been rather unwilling to engage in high level talks at the diplomatic levels with their host nation which currently bears the burden of more than a million refugees.. The repatriation treaty signed rather hastily by the two countries last year, with Bangladesh reportedly succumbing to pressure from a Myanmar ally, has not yielded any results with the Myanmar authorities not taking anyone back from Bangladesh.
Bangladesh, one of the more resource starved and underdeveloped nations in the world has been trying to solve the refugee crisis reportedly calling for a safe return of the Rohingya. Yet the visit by Ali has not yielded any significant progress, according to government officials speaking to international media agencies.
There are reports that Ali and his entourage has been given a visit to the Maungdaw centres supposed to take back returning Rohingya refugees. These ‘repatriation’ centres which bear such an eerie resemblance to concentration camps set up by Nazi Germany that it is little surprise that observers are expressing the utmost concern and horror. While the Bangladesh entourage has not given any remarks, their reaction at being escorted to these repatriation centres are obvious. Add to this, reports that no set date has been agreed on the repatriation of the first Rohingya and one can gauge Myanmar’s sincerity in dealing with both Rohingya and Bangladesh. Anyone taken back threatens to be banished to these ‘concentration’ camps for a lifetime.
Reports that Myanmar expressed serious stress on Rohingyas taking refuge on the zero point in the Taung Pyo region also lends credence to the argument that instead of making Arakan safe for Rohingyas, Myanmar wants to push more Rohingyas to Bangladesh. Incidentally Myanmar has maintained aggressive positions on the zero point threatening Rohingyas to go back, with at least one child being injured after being security forces opened fire.
While the Bangladesh delegation has claimed some success, overall indicators show that Myanmar is not very keen o negotiating with their neighbour.
