UN chief visits Rohingya camp, says heard ‘unimaginable’ tales
UN secretary general Antonio Guterres said Monday that he heard “unimaginable accounts of killing and rape” from Rohingya refugees who have fled from Myanmar to Bangladesh since last August to escape violence.
Guterres tweeted on Monday after visiting refugee camps in Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar district that the hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims who have taken shelter there want “justice and a safe return home”.
Guterres was visiting Bangladesh to meet refugees who have been seeking protection from the United Nations and the international community.
He said that the refugees had to live under terrible conditions in the camps because of massive violations of their human rights in Myanmar. He praised Bangladesh’s government for being generous toward the refugees.
“It is impossible to visit these camps without breaking our hearts,” Guterres said. “It is possibly one of the most tragic stories in relation to ... systematic violation of human rights.”
On Sunday, Guterres met Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and assured her of the UN’s continuing support for Rohingya.
Bangladesh and Myanmar signed an agreement in November to start repatriating the Rohingya in January, but the process has been delayed over safety concerns and a complicated verification process. Global human rights groups and the UN said the conditions in Myanmar were not safe for the refugees’ return.