Myanmar to resettle 6,000 stranded Rohingya refugees

Myanmar agreed with Bangladesh on Tuesday to resettle more than 6,000 Rohingya Muslims who have been stranded in a no man’s land between the two countries, as plans for the repatriation of hundreds of thousands of others have been delayed over concerns for their safety if they return to Myanmar, officials said.

About 700,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled army-led violence in Buddhist-majority Myanmar since August and are living in refugee camps in Bangladesh. Some, however, became stranded at the Tombru border point after Myanmar reportedly began building bunkers and threatened the refugees to leave and enter Bangladesh, which denied their entry.

Ali Hossain, the top government administrator in Cox’s Bazar district, said officials from the countries agreed that Myanmar would identify the stranded refugees and then resettle them.

He said Myanmar invited Bangladeshi officials to visit the Tombru border point in Naikkhongchhari and talk to the refugees.

“There was a dispute about who will verify them. We said that is the duty of Myanmar as they have not entered Bangladesh territory,” he said. “Myanmar has agreed to list and resettle them.”

Bangladesh Relief and Refugee Commissioner Abul Kalam said they went to the site to “encourage the refugees” to go back voluntarily.

“The refugees told us they want to go back and get settled in their homes. We pressed the Myanmar authorities to create a congenial and safe atmosphere to resettle them,” Kalam said by phone. “The Myanmar side has agreed to take that responsibility.”

Kalam said their return must be voluntary under the terms of a November agreement between the two countries.

Last Friday, Bangladesh Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan gave a list of 8,032 Rohingya refugees to his Myanmar counterpart to begin repatriations.