Myanmar offers to ‘take back’ Rohingyas

Over “10,000 Muslims are arriving at the western grove between Letphwekya and Kwunthpin village to emigrate to the neighboring country”, the state-backed Global new Light of Myanmar reported Tuesday.

The latest wave of violence began in late August when Rohingya militants attacked police posts, leading to an army crackdown which the United Nations called “ethnic cleansing” by Myanmar, formerly Burma.

He trekked to Bangladesh as part of an exodus of a half million people from Myanmar, the largest refugee crisis to hit Asia in decades.

Myanmar yesterday formally proposed taking back the Rohingyas sheltered in Bangladesh but offered no specifics on how the repatriation of such a massive refugee population should take place.

Inside Rakhine, conditions are deteriorating for those left behind.

Violence erupted in Rakhine last month when Rohingya militants attacked security posts, triggering a crackdown by the Myanmar army.

Bangladesh, where hundreds of thousands of Rohingya burmese people are now refugees, has made proposals to return them to Burma.

Three senior advocates have sought the Supreme Court’s direction to the Centre against any move to deport the Rohingya refugees on the ground that the ethnic minority will face imminent threat of persecution in their homeland.

Despite Myanmar’s assurances, there is widespread scepticism over how many will be able to return.

“Everything was burned, even people were burned”, said a refugee who identified himself as Abdullah, dismissing the chances that people would have the necessary documentation for verification of identity.

The 19-year-old Miss Grand Myanmar lost her title on Sunday when organisers announced they had revoked it.

State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi told diplomats recently in Nay Pyi Taw that Myanmar will repatriate all refugees who have fled to Bangladesh after the terrorist attack and the military’s response in Rakhine State.

Citing worldwide declarations and conventions to which India is signatory, Nariman wondered whether August 8 communication by the government over-rides the county’s general policy on refugees which lays down the standard operating procedures that needs to be followed by the agencies in dealing with the people who claim to be refugees.

At the meeting that lasted for over an hour, both countries also agreed to form a joint working group to resolve the Rohingya crisis.

The court’s observations came in view of strong resistance put by Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta on justiciability as well as maintainability of a writ petition filed by two Rohangiya Muslims – Mohammad Salimullah and Mohammad Shaqir- who challenged the Union government’s decision to deport about 40,000 of their fellow immigrants to Myanmar.

Officials say the process can start at anytime for those who want to return and verified refugees will be accepted without any problem. The regular fee is $5.