Keep Rohingya high on agenda

UN Secretary-General's special envoy on Myanmar Noeleen Heyzer on Thursday called upon the international community to keep the Rohingya and the affected host communities high on the international agenda.
"The generosity of Bangladesh and host communities towards Rohingya refugees in a time of need conveys the critical urgency of greater international and regional commitment to share the burden …," she told a seminar, organized by the Centre for Genocide Studies of the University of Dhaka.
Professor Imtiaz Ahmed made the keynote presentation at the seminar, chaired by Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen.
Ms Heyzer also urged the global and regional leaders to support Bangladesh and leverage their influence with Myanmar to create conducive conditions for the voluntary, safe and dignified return of the refugees.
She made it clear that it is ultimately Myanmar's responsibility to establish conditions for the voluntary, safe and dignified return to Myanmar for all the refugees.
The rights and security of the Rohingya people must be guaranteed and embedded in a manner that the solutions toward a peaceful, democratic and inclusive future are guided by the recommendation of the Advisory Commission on the Rakhine State, she said.
Expressing frustration about the situation in Rakhine, the UN envoy said that no progress has so far been made on addressing the root causes of the problem, including lack of citizenship, land ownership, and freedom of movement.
"But to create conditions for conducive return, we need to look at sustainable solutions and think out of the box. And this includes working with member states, regionally and internationally to address root causes of Rohingya vulnerabilities," she added.
She also suggested making the Rohingya an integral part of discussions regarding the repatriation so that their needs and concerns are heard, respected, and integrated.
"My message today is that we all must do more to give the Rohingya people greater hope and not allow the sense of being forgotten and abandoned, to take their right to live in dignity as human beings must be supported and safeguarded by all of us, including the international community," she said.
Addressing the seminar, Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen said Myanmar's successive governments carried out a well-planned, well-coordinated campaign to drive out the Rohingya from their ancestral homes in the Rakhine State.
He noted that not a single Rohingya could return to their homeland due to the non-committal attitude of Myanmar towards obligation mentioned in the bilateral instrument signed since the beginning of the crisis, which was created by Myanmar and its solution also lies with Myanmar.
He said the Rohingya issue is not only Bangladesh's responsibility to take care, but it is also a global responsibility.
Japanese Ambassador Ito Naoki said that Japan is planning to start skills development training for the Rohingya.
He also mentioned the Japanese plan to host some Rohingya under a third-country initiative.
Meanwhile, in a joint statement issued on Thursday by the missions in Dhaka of 13 European countries and the USA said that the international community stands resolute in solidarity in its support for Rohingya and Bangladesh, and will continue to pursue a long-term solution to the crisis and its causes.
"Today, five years on, we reflect on the horrific events of August and September 2017 that forced around 800,000 Rohingya to flee from their homes in Myanmar to seek refuge in Bangladesh," it said.
The countries acknowledged the incredible resilience and courage of the Rohingya in the face of their displacement, and vowed to continue to raise the plight of Rohingya on the international stage and seek a solution to the crisis that allows for the voluntary, safe, dignified and sustainable return of Rohingya to their communities in Rakhine State, Myanmar, as soon as conditions allow.
"We note with concern the reports of escalating violence and serious human rights violations across Myanmar by the Myanmar military," they said, urging Myanmar to end the culture of impunity in Myanmar.
"Our countries have imposed sanctions on some individuals responsible for serious human rights violations against Rohingya. We will also continue to push for a solution to the political and humanitarian crisis in Myanmar caused by the military coup of February 2021, a solution which must be inclusive of Rohingya," they said.

mirmostafiz@yahoo.com