Myanmar wants more time to verify Rohingyas

Myanmar Minister for Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement Win Myat Aye said more time is needed to verify people before beginning the repatriation of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, reports Radio Free Asia.

Aye is set to visit Bangladesh on April 11 and April 12 for a meeting with the ministers of foreign affairs and home affairs. Aye said he also plans to visit the refugee camps if possible.

Nearly 700,000 Rohingyas have fled across the border from Myanmar's Rakhine state during a military crackdown that began in late August last year in response to deadly insurgent attacks on police outposts in the region, according to bdnews24.com.

Bangladesh and Myanmar signed agreements for the return of refugees who volunteer to go back to Myanmar. Myanmar said it has 'verified' only 500 or so of the initial list of 8,000 provided by the Bangladesh authorities.

Aye said the delay is caused by forms that were filled out incorrectly.

"If the process goes according to the agreement between Bangladesh and Myanmar and if the refugees filled out the forms according to the agreement, it shouldn't be delayed," he told Radio Free Asia in an interview.

The process would go faster if the forms had been  properly filled out, he said. The issue is to be discussed during Aye's Bangladesh trip.

"That's why we needed more time to verify people. We sent a list of those whom we could verify to Bangladesh, but we haven't heard anything back yet," the minister said.

Bangladesh and Myanmar will maintain a good relationship and work together on this issue, he said.His visit would allow for authorities from both countries to cooperate more smoothly, he added.