The United Nations Security Council will talk and keep pressure on Myanmar authority to ensure that Rohingya who fled from the Rakhine state of Myanmar can return to their home in safety and freedom, UN diplomats said before they ended a tour of Bangladesh’s refugee camps.
Envoys from the 15 council members visited camps in Bangladesh around Cox’s Bazar where about 700,000 Rohingya have sought refuge since Myanmar’s military launched a crackdown on their community in Rakhine state last August.
The visiting UNSC delegation said the Rohingya situation cannot remain without a solution and that it would find ways to speed up the implementation of the deal signed between Bangladesh and Myanmar for a safe and dignified repatriation of the refugees.
After the signing of the pact on November 23 last year in Naypyidaw, foreign affairs and migration experts said the stringent verification conditions in the deal may obstruct smooth return and prolong the repatriation process.
The delegation said "The message we are conveying to Myanmar, to refugees and to the rest of the world that we are determined to find an end and a solution to the crisis,”
The envoys met Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina before leaving Dhaka for Myanmar, They will hold talks with Myanmar’s de facto civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi. They will also take a helicopter flight over Rakhine to see the remains of villages torched during the violence.
Delegation leader Gustavo said the UNSC is united on the Rohingya issue and the visit is supported by all members of the body. He said the visit was part of their efforts to speed it up the slow progress towards a solution to the crisis
“We have been concerned that things are going slow. Also the secretary general has appointed a special envoy. So things are happening now and we will continue our discussion,” Gustavo said, adding that this will remain a top priority once they return to New York.
UNSC Delegates appreciated Bangladesh's generosity, saying the people of this country opened their doors and hearts for around a million Rohingyas.
Listen to Dhaka Correspondent Ali Habib’s full report (in Bangla) in the audio player above.
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