Myanmar team likely to visit Cox’s Bazar camps

A high-level Myanmar delegation is likely to visit Cox's Bazar Rohingya camps to motivate the refugees to go back to their homeland in Rakhine.
'We have proposed the Myanmar side to visit Rohingya camps in Cox's Bazar to brief the Rohingyas about the works they have done for ensuring the safety of the Rohingyas. We told them that this would motivate the Rohingyas to go back and they have in principle agreed to our proposal" Mahbub Uz Zaman, secretary-bilateral (Asia and Pacific) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Sunday.
Mr Zaman led a 13-member Bangladesh delegation to the fourth meeting of the JWG held in Naypyidaw on Friday last.
Though the schedule of the visit is yet to be fixed, it may take place during the next Joint Working Group meeting, officials said.
Asked about the outcome of the meeting with the Myanmar side, Mr Zaman said the Myanmar authorities made a detailed presentation to them about the steps they have taken for the repatriation.
"They told us that houses and shelters were being built and they have stepped up security" he added.
Bangladesh also urged Myanmar to expedite and to simplify the verification process for Rohingyas.
"Things are moving at a slow pace. So we have told them that it should be simplified more. They have agreed to expedite the process."
In the meeting, Bangladesh raised the issue of the involvement of the ASEAN in expediting the process.
Thailand is the current chair of the ASEAN. Thai foreign minister in his recent visit to Dhaka expressed the willingness of the ASEAN in helping both Myanmar and Bangladesh to resolve the issue.
ASEAN intends to focus on humanitarian and disaster management side and the process has started.
According to Zaman, Myanmar's engagement with the UN agencies has increased off late.
They have signed agreement with UNHCR and IOM few months ago as regards the refugee issue.
According to an official, Myanmar's ties with the UN agencies got strained for sometimes but recently it has become normal.
During the meeting, Bangladesh also requested Myanmar to take steps for a simplified pathway to citizenship of Rohingyas.

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