Bangladesh says Rohingya refugees will not be forced back to Myanmar
BANGLADESH Bangladesh has said it is fully prepared to begin repatriating Rohingya refugees to Myanmar but emphasised it would not force anyone to go back against their will.
Four trucks and three buses have been stationed at Unchiprang camp in Cox’s Bazar since Thursday morning, ready to carry refugees who have been “approved” to a transit camp by the border but not one refugee has been willing to board them. Most on a list of those approved to return have gone into hiding. Mohammad Abul Kalam, Bangladesh’s refugee relief and rehabilitation commissioner, told the Guardian his team had completed the “physical and logistical preparations” to facilitate the repatriation. “We decided to repatriate refugees from the Unchiprang camp today,” he said. “Our entire team has reached the camp in the morning. There is also a medical team, which is ready to accompany the returning refugees up to the border. If we get anyone voluntarily willing to return, we will help them cross the border.” Abul Kalam emphasised that Bangladesh was “totally committed to the principle of the nonrefoulement and voluntary repatriation”. “We will not force anyone to go back to Myanmar against his or her will,” he said.
More than 2,000 Rohingya refugees had been put on the list approved by Myanmar for return, without their consent. While the plan was to send them back in batches of 150 per day, by Wednesday night almost all had gone into hiding in other camps and in the nearby forest amid fears they would be sent to Myanmar against their will. Hours before repatriation was due to begin, the UN high commissioner for refugees had located just 50 families listed for repatriation, all of whom said they did not want to return to Myanmar in the current conditions. However, while Abul Kalam acknowledged most Rohingya were still too afraid to return, he insisted: “At least some Rohingya, we believe, are willing to go back to Myanmar now. We are trying to reach them in different camps. We are ready to help them return to Myanmar.”
(The Guardian)