BD hands over list of 8,032 Rohingyas for repatriation

Myanmar revealed on Friday a three-stage plan for return and rehabilitation of its minority Rohingyas who fled their home amid what UN called "ethnic cleansing" as Naypyidaw sent a high level delegation for talks with Bangladesh officials in Dhaka, report agencies.

"Myanmar said they planned a three-stage process - taking them (Rohingyas) back, ensuring their livelihood and then awarding them with the nationality," Bangladesh's home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal told a news briefing following a meeting with his counterpart Kyaw Swe.

He, however, said the Bangladesh side repeatedly expressed concerns about the hostile situation in Myanmar's Rakhine state, the scene of atrocities. The Bangladesh side, he said, also told the 15-member Myanmar delegation that till now nearly 150 Rohingyas were crossing the border daily while some 6,500 frightened Rohingyas took makeshift refuge on the Myanmar side of the border.

Bangladesh has handed over a list of 1673 families of 8,032 Rohingays to Myanmar to start the first phase of repatriation of the displaced people living in Bangladesh to their homeland in Rakhine.

"The Myanmar side has cordially accepted the list," Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal told reporters on Friday evening after over three hours of talks with his Myanmar counterpart at the Secretariat.

He said Myanmar will scrutinise the list and names provided by Bangladesh and will send it back to Bangladesh.

The Home Minister said there is no specific timeframe to start the repatriation but he expressed the hope that it would start soon.

"[A congenial] environment needs to be created [in Rakhine] to make their return sustainable. No specific date came for repatriation but they showed sincerity and are taking preparations to take their nationals back," the minister said.

He mentioned that a meeting between Bangladesh and Myanmar would be held in a Myanmar district at 10am on February 20 to take back over 6,000 Rohingyas now staying along the zero line.

Minister Khan said the Myanmar delegation came to Dhaka in a positive mood and the meeting was very fruitful. "We're having the confidence that they'll take their nationals back."

Bangladesh Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan and his Myanmar counterpart Lt Gen Kyaw Swe led their respective sides at the meeting that began around 3:10pm.

Following the meeting which ended at 6:15pm, the Myanmar Minister left the venue without making any comment.

The Home Minister said Bangladesh and Myanmar agreed to shut down Yaba factories in Myanmar. "We've identified the 49 Yaba factories and the names were handed over to them. They're trying to shut down the factories and sought support from Bangladesh."

Minister Khan said the two countries would work together to stop illicit drug smuggling and entry of Yaba into Bangladesh.

At the meeting, they discussed the issue of ensuring security of the Myanmar nationals after repatriation in light with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's five-point proposal and the Kofi Annan Commission report.

The parties also discussed the combined operations on both sides of the border to check the rapid spread of Yaba.

Setting up of a Border Liaison Office in a bid to take instant actions to solve any problem was also discussed. "There's progress in this area and it'll be done."

UN Special Envoy Yanghee Lee said Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi, heavily criticised for failing to stand up for the Rohingyas, could be held accountable for crimes against humanity.

"For complicity or neglecting to do anything. I am afraid so," she said in an interview with the UK's Channel 4 News.

Professor Lee agreed with the interviewer that what happened with the Rohingyas in Myanmar is a systematic targeting and persecution of people.

Asked whether there has been an effort to destroy the very identity of Rohingyas, which appears to suggest genocide was occurring, her reply was, "Absolutely."