Myanmar and UN agreement could lead to return of Rohingyas

MYANMAR AND United Nations agencies have signed an agreement that could lead to the return of some of the 700,000 Rohingya Muslims who fled brutal persecution by the country’s security forces.

The memorandum of understanding promises to establish a “framework of co-operation” to create conditions for “voluntary, safe, dignified and sustainable” repatriation of Rohingya refugees who are crowded into makeshift camps in Bangladesh.

The deal does not address Burma’s denial of citizenship for the minority.

The Burmese government said it hoped the pact would hasten repatriation, but rights groups still doubt it will let many Rohingya return or can guarantee the safety of those who do.

Burma’s statement did not mention Rohingya, reflecting the government and the Burmese majority’s insistence there is no such ethnic group in Burma. Instead it referred to them as “displaced persons”.

Burmese security forces have been accused of rape, killing, torture and the burning of Rohingya homes in western Rakhine state, where most Rohingya lived.

The UN and US have described the army crackdown that began in August last year as ethnic cleansing.

Predominantly Buddhist Burma and Bangladesh agreed in November to begin repatriating Rohingya, but refugees feared their lives would be at risk without international monitoring, while Burma insisted they have identity documents, which most Rohingya have been denied.

Knut Ostby, UN resident and humanitarian co-ordinator in Burma, said the agreement is an important first step towards resolving the crisis.