The United Council of Rohingya challenged the junta’s claims on Rohingya identity, displacement and verification, and called for UN-supervised repatriation with citizenship, security and land rights.
by RK Desk
COX’S BAZAR, Bangladesh, 18 August 2026: The United Council of Rohingya (UCR), an elected Rohingya representative body in the Cox’s Bazar refugee camps, has rejected a recent statement by Myanmar’s military junta on the Rohingya crisis, accusing it of distorting the history of displacement and avoiding responsibility for abuses against the community.
In a statement issued on 16 August, the UCR responded to a 15 August statement from the junta’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs concerning Rohingya displacement, verification and possible repatriation.
The council strongly rejected the junta’s continued description of Rohingya as “Bengalis,” saying the term was being used to deny their ethnic identity and historical connection to Rakhine State.
It called for recognition of Rohingya identity and restoration of citizenship rights as essential conditions for any future return.
UCR Rejects Junta Account of 2017 Displacement
The council also challenged the junta’s portrayal of the 2016 and 2017 violence as security operations prompted primarily by attacks carried out by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA).
The UCR said the mass displacement resulted from systematic military operations involving killings, sexual violence, village burnings and forced displacement.
More than 700,000 Rohingya fled to Bangladesh following the Myanmar military’s 2017 crackdown, while hundreds of thousands had already been displaced during earlier waves of persecution.
The council also disputed the junta’s claim that around 540,000 Rohingya crossed into Bangladesh following the 2017 violence.
Verification Process Challenged
Myanmar’s junta has said Bangladesh submitted 828,824 names for verification and that, by the end of July, 308,797 people had been confirmed as former residents of Rakhine State.
The junta said 113,507 others could not be verified and classified another 4,241 as people allegedly involved in what it called “terrorist activities.”
The UCR rejected that classification and questioned the credibility of the verification process.
It argued that Rohingya should not be required to accept identification as “Bengali” as part of any verification or documentation procedure, saying such a requirement would undermine their identity.
The council called for an independent verification process led by the UN refugee agency, UNHCR.
Citizenship, Security and Land Before Return
The UCR said previous repatriation processes had failed to provide lasting protection for Rohingya, citing earlier returns in 1978 and 1992 that were followed by renewed persecution and displacement.
It said future repatriation must not depend simply on a declaration by Myanmar authorities that security conditions have improved.
Instead, the council called for any return to be voluntary, safe and dignified, carried out under international supervision and accompanied by clear guarantees of citizenship, security and freedom of movement.
It also demanded the restoration of homes and ancestral land belonging to displaced Rohingya families.
The question of land rights has become increasingly significant as displaced Rohingya continue to report confiscation, redistribution and restrictions over property in Rakhine State.
Calls for International Involvement
The UCR also rejected the junta’s position that the Rohingya crisis should be resolved primarily through bilateral arrangements between Myanmar and Bangladesh.
It argued that allegations of genocide, crimes against humanity and other serious abuses make the crisis an international legal and human rights issue requiring greater involvement from the United Nations and international institutions.
The council called on the UN Security Council and the International Court of Justice to maintain pressure on Myanmar over accountability and Rohingya rights.
“No Rohingya will return to Rakhine without guaranteed security, legal citizenship rights, and direct UN peacekeeping oversight,” the UCR said in its statement.
The council said Rohingya would return to their homeland only when their identity, rights and safety were guaranteed.
The statement represents one of the clearest Rohingya responses so far to the junta’s latest verification and repatriation claims, which have otherwise largely been discussed between governments without direct Rohingya participation.
