Govt ‘unsure’ about start of Rohingya repatriation today

The government, till Wednesday night, failed to confirm whether they would start the long-awaited Rohingya repatriation today (Thursday) as announced earlier.
The repatriation was scheduled to start amid objections from several international humanitarian organisations.
The uncertainty emerged as many of the 150 Rohingyas, listed for repatriation on Thursday, expressed their unwillingness fearing persecution on their return.
Talking to the FE on Wednesday, chairman of the Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commission (RRRC) Mohammad Abul Kalam said, “We have taken all preparations for sending back 150 Rohingyas but right now we cannot say whether the repatriation will start tomorrow or not. We can confirm it tomorrow morning.”
"We have just received the UNHRC report on the voluntariness of Rohingyss listed to be repatriated. We have sent the report to Dhaka and (we) are waiting for their decision," he said.
But senior officials of the foreign ministry told the FE that RRRC is given full authority to execute the repatriation.
In total, 2,261 Rohingya refugees of 485 families will be repatriated in the first installment in line with the decision of the third meeting of the Bangladesh-Myanmar Joint Working Group held on October 30.
The names of 2,260 people set to be repatriated during the two weeks have been taken from a list of 8,032 identified by both Bangladesh and Myanmar as verified refugees from Myanmar.
According to the decision, everyday 150 Rohingyas will be repatriated and the process will go on.
The repatriated Rohingya will be received in the reception camp set up on the Myanmar side of the border. From the reception camp, they would be sent to houses built for them in the Rakhine state on the same day, officials said.
Since August 25, 2017, nearly 7.5 million Rohingya were forced to flee their native homes in the Rakhine state in the face of brutal persecution carried out by the Myanmar army.
From then on Bangladesh has been providing food and shelter to the homeless Rohingya.
On October 30, Myanmar has finally agreed to start repatriation due to the global uproar against the brutal act conducted by its army against the Rohingya minority. The UN body has termed the repression 'a textbook case of ethnic cleansing'.
The United States and United Nations' top human rights officials have expressed concern over a plan to repatriate thousands of Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh to Myanmar beginning from this week, warning that such a move is premature, international media reported.
The UNHCR-the UN's refugee agency-has repeatedly warned of the risk of resettling the refugees.
In a statement on Tuesday, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet reiterated those concerns and called on the government of Bangladesh to stop the plans for repatriation.
The US State Department affirmed its support for the UNHCR's position that conditions are not conducive for the Rohingya to return.
"We have engaged both governments at the highest levels to express our serious concerns about premature returns, and to emphasise that, consistent with international practice, returns be informed, voluntary, safe, and dignified," a State Department spokesperson said.
More than 700,000 Rohingya fled to Bangladesh from August 2017 to August 2018 to escape a brutal campaign of violence carried out by Myanmar's security forces.
The atrocities committed against the Muslim minority included mass rapes, murders and destruction of villages, according to the UN and State Department investigations.
Meanwhile, our correspondent in Cox's Bazar spoke to the refugees who are reluctant to go back.
In Kutupalong and Jamtoli refugee camps, this correspondent talked with Sayed Amin (45), Furkan Ali (50) and Ali Ahmed (40).
"Myanmar army members will kill us if we back to the Rakhine state," said Mr Amin. "The Myanmar government is staging a drama in the name of repatriation"
"Our houses and lands were completely destroyed by the Myanmar army. Where will we go?" he asked.

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