Rohingya demand guarantees before returning to Myanmar

Many Rohingyas in the camps believe that repatriation is merely a transfer between camps, with no real opportunities

DHAKA, Bangladesh – Myanmar’s junta has pledged to build 20 new villages to facilitate the return of Rohingya Muslims from Bangladesh.

However, the Rohingya are skeptical of the offer and suspect it is merely for international optics.

Although Myanmar has made several attempts to repatriate the Rohingya since 2017, particularly after a violent crackdown in Rakhine State, these attempts have largely failed.

Currently, about 1 million Rohingya live in refugee camps in Bangladesh.

Union Minister Ko Ko Hlaing announced plans to repatriate 7,000 Rohingya soon and mentioned support from China and other international organizations to build more houses.

This announcement followed invitations to several foreign embassies to view preparations for the Rohingya’s return.

However, the Rohingya in Bangladesh say they have no confidence in these plans.

The junta’s reputation has continued to suffer after it took power in 2021, leading to conflicts with various ethnic groups and the deaths of more than 4,000 civilians.

Many Rohingyas in the camps believe that repatriation is merely a transfer between camps, with no real opportunities.

They stress the need for guarantees of citizenship, access to education, freedom of movement, and resettlement rights before considering return.

Previous efforts in 2018 and 2019 to repatriate Rohingya failed because these guarantees were lacking.

The United Nations  has also indicated that conditions in Rakhine State are not conducive to Rohingya return in the near future.