Rohingyas demand quick repatriation

Thousands of Rohingya refugees on Friday rallied at Ukhia camps in Bangladesh to mark the sixth anniversary of "genocide day", demanding their secured and dignified return to Myanmar. — AFP

Thousands of stranded Rohingyas at Kutupalong camp in Cox's Bazar on Friday demanded quick repatriation to their homeland, urging the international communities to put pressure on the Myanmar government.

More than 20,000 Rohingyas gathered at the camp to observe the Sixth Genocide Remembrance Day.

On August 25, 2017, displacement of the Myanmar nationals from their homeland started. Some 0.75 million Rohingyas were forced to enter into Bangladesh territory that year.

"We are requesting the UN and other international communities to facilitate our repatriation to Arakan homeland. We do not want to stay in Bangladesh as refugees. We want dignity and proper rights at our birthplace in Myanmar," said Md Jubair, head of the Arakan Rohingya Solidarity for Peace and Human Rights.

"We all want to return home. We are requesting the global communities to ensure our citizenship rights and peaceful stay there."

The Rohingya leader urged the UN and the ASEAN to facilitate their sustainable repatriation.

Md Musa, a representative of the forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals, told the FE that they want to return home by next summer.

"We are hopeful that the international communities will ensure our repatriation shortly," he added.

Prof Hafizur Rahman Kazal, Head of the Centre for Genocide Studies of Dhaka University, said the Myanmar government should take back their nationals shortly, as they want to return to their homeland.

The international communities, including China, India, the US and the United Nations, should take the issue seriously for peaceful repatriation, he added.

Meanwhile, this correspondent talked with some displaced Rohingyas in Kutupalong, and all of them wanted to return to their homeland.

Jubayer, a 15-year-old boy, told the FE that he wanted citizenship to study at school in his homeland Arakan.

Some other young and middle-aged Rohingyas also demanded repatriation to their homeland and appealed to the global communities to ensure their return.

Bangladesh and Myanmar inked a deal on Rohingya repatriation in November 2017. But no refugee has returned to his homeland so far due to non-cooperation of the Myanmar government.

kabirhumayan10@gmail.com