Meet today on Rohingya repatriation plan

Hamid Hussain, a 71-year-old Rohingya Muslim farmer, first fled Myanmar for Bangladesh in 1992. He went home the next year under a repatriation deal between the two neighbours, only to repeat the journey last September when violence flared once more.

Officials from Myanmar and Bangladesh meet today (Monday) to discuss how to implement another deal, signed on Nov 23, on the return of more than 650,000 Rohingya who have escaped an army crackdown since late August. Hussain is one of many who say they fear this settlement may be no more permanent than the last, reports Reuters.

"Bangladesh authorities had assured us that Myanmar would give us back our rights, that we would be able to live peacefully," said Hussain, who now lives in a makeshift refugee camp in southeast Bangladesh.

"We went back but nothing changed. I will go back again only if our rights and safety are guaranteed - forever."

Buddhist-majority Myanmar has for years denied Rohingya citizenship, freedom of movement and access to many basic services such as healthcare and education. They are considered illegal immigrants from mainly Muslim Bangladesh.

Our Correspondent in Cox's Bazar adds, biometric registration of 985,685 Rohingya refugees was completed until Saturday in seven camps out of 12 in Ukhia and Teknaf upazilas of the district.

According to official sources, the Passport and Immigration Department registered names of more than 9.85 lac Rohingya refugees so far. Additional District During the registration the Social Welfare Department detected 40,000 orphan children in 12 refugee camps.

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