Bangladesh, Myanmar sign Rohingya repatriation deal

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Myanmar and Bangladesh signed a memorandum of understanding on Thursday for the return of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees who fled to Bangladesh to escape a Myanmar army crackdown, a senior Myanmar official has told Reuters.

"We are ready to take them back as soon as possible after Bangladesh sends the forms back to us," said Myint Kyaing, a permanent secretary at Myanmar's ministry of labour, immigration and population.

The breakthrough comes days after Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited both countries last week, urging leaders to resolve the Rohingya refugee crisis through bilateral negotiations instead of an international initiative.

"We have seen now, through the joint efforts by all parties concerned, including China, the ceasefire has been held and the tensions were visibly eased. China is glad and welcomes such a development," Wang said last week in Dhaka after laying the groundwork for the current talks.

Rohingya refugees walk on the shore as they arrive on a makeshift boat after crossing the Bangladesh-Myanmar border near Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, on November 9, 2017. /Reuters Photo

Buddhist-majority Myanmar has come under immense international pressure over its military crackdown in northwestern Rakhine State, which has seen over 600,000 Rohingya Muslims fleeing the state, mostly to neighboring Bangladesh.

The US on Tuesday dubbed the Myanmar military operation against the Rohingya as "ethnic cleansing," and threatened targeted sanctions against those responsible for what it described as "horrendous atrocities."

Bangladesh's Foreign Minister Abdul Hassan Mahmood Ali and Myanmar's Minister for State Counsellor’s Office Kyaw Tint Swe led their respective delegations at the bilateral meeting in the Myanmarese capital on Wednesday to discuss the repatriation process for the hundreds of thousands of Rohingya who have fled Rakhine State since the August crackdown.

Speaking ahead of the negotiations, Myanmar State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi said last week that she hoped talks would lead to a deal on the "safe and voluntary return" of those who have fled.

Prior to the talks, Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said that "Myanmar will have to take back their nationals ensuring their safety, security and dignity for a durable solution to the crisis."

Bangladesh is likely to seek a timeframe over the completion of Rohingya refugee repatriation, the Dhaka Tribune reported quoting an unnamed senior government official.

'China is ready to help'

Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi during their meeting in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on November 18, 2017. /Photo via China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs‍

After holding talks with the top leadership including Hasina and Suu Kyi, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi proposed a three-stage solution to the refugee crisis, beginning with a cessation of hostilities leading to talks.

"We hope that the relevant proposals can not only be useful in resolving the Rohingya issue at present, but can also help solve this problem at its root," Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang told reporters.

At a press briefing in Dhaka on Saturday, Wang expressed China’s willingness to help resolve the crisis.

"China supports resolving the crisis peacefully, bilaterally with mutual consultation between Bangladesh and Myanmar," he said.

"It is a complex situation and needs a comprehensive solution. Economic development of Rakhine State is needed. China is ready to help."

Wang had already opposed the idea of external mediation of any kind at the press briefing in Dhaka, which followed a UN resolution against Myanmar that was adopted on Friday despite opposition from China, Russia and other regional neighbors.

"The international community should not complicate the situation. Actions in the United Nations Security Council must help Bangladesh-Myanmar bilateral cooperation to resolve the problem peacefully," said Wang.

Earlier on November 6, the UN Security Council had unanimously approved a statement condemning the violence that led to the exodus of Rohingya Muslims from Myanmar.

The latest UN resolution, drafted by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), called on the Myanmarese government to allow access for aid workers, ensure the return of all refugees and grant full citizenship rights to the Rohingya people.

Following its adoption on Friday, the non-binding measure will be debated by the full assembly next month.

US accuses Myanmar of 'ethnic cleansing'

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson at the Palace Hotel in New York City, US, on September 18, 2017. /Reuters Photo

Meanwhile, in one of the strongest criticisms of Myanmar’s actions against Rohingya Muslims so far, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson labelled the military operations as “ethnic cleansing.”

Tillerson had avoided using the term when he visited Myanmar last week.

"The situation in northern Rakhine State constitutes ethnic cleansing against the Rohingya," he said in a statement, echoing the remarks by UN’s human rights chief Zeid Ra‘ad al-Hussein who in September had described the situation as "a textbook example of ethnic cleansing."

"The United States will also pursue accountability through US law, including possible targeted sanctions," Tillerson added.

Human rights monitors have accused Myanmar's military of atrocities, including mass rape, against the stateless Rohingya during its operations following Rohingya militants' August 25 attacks on 30 police posts and an army base.

"These abuses by some among the Myanmarese military, security forces, and local vigilantes have caused tremendous suffering and forced hundreds of thousands of men, women, and children to flee their homes in Myanmar to seek refuge in Bangladesh," Tillerson said.

While the US Secretary of State denounced the attacks by Rohingya militants, he still held the view that "no provocation can justify the horrendous atrocities that have ensued."

Suu Kyi denies genocide claims

Myanmar State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi during a news conference at the Asia Europe Foreign Ministers (ASEM) in Naypyidaw, Myanmar, on November 21, 2017. /Reuters Photo

Reuters also reported that the US was investigating whether the events in Myanmar constituted genocide or crimes against humanity, citing a senior US official.

Myanmar’s government has denied most of the claims, and the army last week said its own probe found no evidence of wrongdoing by troops.

"We are not hearing of any violations going on at the moment," Suu Kyi told reporters last week. "We can’t say whether it has happened or not. As a responsibility of the government, we have to make sure that it won’t happen."

Suu Kyi, who effectively leads Myanmar's two-year-old government, has faced widespread criticism for her handling of the crisis despite the fact that she has no control over the military leadership with whom her government shares power.

"It's not a situation that is completely under her authority, but certainly we are counting on her to show leadership and also to work through the civilian government with the military to address the crisis," a Reuters report quoted a senior US official as saying.

The hardening of the US stance is being seen as a tactic to increase pressure on Myanmar’s military and civilian leaders to address the crisis, following President Donald Trump's first visit to Asia, earlier this month.

(With input from agencies)

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