The Rohingya youth group says repatriation cannot be meaningful without recognition of Rohingya identity, citizenship, security, freedom of movement and other fundamental rights.
by Hafizur Rahman
20 August 2026: Rohingya Gen-Z has rejected a statement issued by Myanmar’s junta-controlled Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the Rohingya refugee crisis, saying any repatriation process must address the persecution, denial of identity and lack of rights that forced Rohingya from their homeland.
In a statement responding to the junta ministry’s August 15 announcement, the Rohingya youth group said it supports genuine efforts to enable refugees to return voluntarily, safely and with dignity, but warned that verification and physical return alone would not provide a sustainable solution.
“We welcome any serious discussion about the safe and dignified return of Rohingya refugees,” Rohingya Gen-Z said. “But repatriation cannot be meaningful if it ignores our identity, rights, safety and the reasons that forced us to flee our homeland.”
The junta’s foreign ministry said that, of 828,824 refugees submitted by Bangladesh for verification, it had examined 426,545 cases. It claimed that 308,797 had been identified as former residents of Rakhine State, while 113,507 could not be verified and 4,241 were linked to what it described as “terrorist activities.”
The junta also said verified refugees could be accepted for repatriation once security conditions in Rakhine State improve.
Rohingya Gen-Z challenged several elements of the statement, including the continued refusal by Myanmar authorities to recognize the Rohingya by their ethnic identity.
“We are Rohingya, and our identity cannot be a condition for our return,” the group said. “Returning home must mean returning with dignity and rights.”
The group said no refugee should be required to abandon the Rohingya identity or accept another designation as a condition for returning to Myanmar.
It also rejected the junta’s framing of the 2017 mass displacement primarily as the result of a security response to attacks by a Rohingya armed group.
“The 2017 mass exodus cannot simply be described as a counter-terrorism response,” Rohingya Gen-Z said. “The suffering of Rohingya civilians and the decades of persecution must be honestly recognized.”
More than 700,000 Rohingya fled Myanmar after the military launched its operations in August 2017. United Nations investigations later documented killings, sexual violence, destruction of Rohingya villages and mass forced displacement during the crackdown.
Rohingya Gen-Z also questioned the figures presented by the junta and said refugee numbers should be based on credible and independently verified information.
“Numbers should not be changed or presented in a way that makes the crisis appear smaller than it is,” the group said.
Bangladesh has also rejected parts of the junta’s August 15 statement, challenging its figures and its refusal to recognize Rohingya identity. Dhaka has called for children born in the refugee camps and Rohingya who arrived after 2017 to be included in any verification and repatriation process.
Rohingya Gen-Z said any verification process should be transparent, fair and independently monitored. It argued that refugees should not be excluded because of their identity or through broad allegations applied to families or communities.
“Every case should be considered fairly and individually, with proper procedures,” the statement said.
The group further said previous repatriation initiatives had failed to resolve the fundamental conditions preventing sustainable return, including citizenship, freedom of movement, security, land and property rights and access to basic services.
“Repatriation should not only mean crossing the border,” Rohingya Gen-Z said. “It must mean returning to a place where Rohingya can live safely, freely and with equal rights.”
The group called for any future return framework to include recognition of Rohingya identity, a clear path to citizenship, equal legal rights, security, freedom of movement, restoration of homes and land, access to education and healthcare, livelihood opportunities and family reunification.
It also called for accountability for serious violations and independent international monitoring of the repatriation process.
Rohingya Gen-Z said the United Nations and other international actors should play a meaningful role in any future process rather than treating repatriation solely as a bilateral issue between Bangladesh and Myanmar.
Responding to the junta’s claim that improved security in Rakhine State is necessary before repatriation can proceed, the group said security was essential but should not become an indefinite justification for delaying return.
“The real question is not simply whether there is temporary stability,” Rohingya Gen-Z said. “The real question is whether Rohingya can return voluntarily, safely and with dignity while their rights are protected.”
“A genuine return must give Rohingya a future, not simply a place to live,” it added. “We want to return to our homeland with safety, dignity, rights and hope.”
The group concluded that Rohingya themselves must have meaningful participation in any future repatriation process and that no return should take place without guarantees of safety, dignity and fundamental rights.
