Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has placed a four-point proposal to resolve the Rohingya crisis at the Outreach Session of the G7 Summit in Canada, calling the world leaders to persuade Myanmar for safe return of its nationals.
“I have said it earlier and will say it again – ‘the root of the Rohingya problem lies in Myanmar and the solution has to be found in Myanmar’,” Hasina said.
“The Rohingyas must be able to return to their homes where they lived for centuries,” she added.
Her four proposals to solve the crisis are:
i) Persuade Myanmar to implement the bilateral agreements with Bangladesh for safe and sustainable return of the forcibly displaced Rohingyas;
ii) Pursue with Myanmar for implementation of the recommendations of Rakhine Advisory Commission immediately and unconditionally;
iii) Work towards adoption of resolution in the UN Security Council imposing appropriate and adequate sanctions against the responsible entities;
iv) Take actions to ensure accountability and justice for the mass atrocity crimes or human rights violations committed against the Rohingyas.
Bangladesh and Myanmar have signed a deal on repatriation of the Rohingyas to Rakhine.
Rohingyas from Myanmar on their way to a refugee camp in Bangladesh after crossing the border. Photo: mostafigur rahman
The two countries also signed agreements with the UN separately to ensure safe, voluntary and sustainable return of the Rohingyas.Bangladesh is currently sheltering around 1.1 million forcibly displaced Rohingyas, including around 7 million who crossed the border since Aug 25 last year when the Myanmar army a crackdown described by the UN as ‘textbook example of ethnic cleansing’.
Hasina also said the Rohingyas have come to Bangladesh to save their lives as they have been facing “ethnic cleansing in their own country”.
“Our people have opened their homes and hearts for the distressed Rohingyas and shared their food with them,” she said and thanked the international community for their support to Bangladesh to manage the huge number of refugees.
“We have our own constraints, yet we are providing them with safe shelter, medicare and other basic services from our own resources,” the prime minister said.She said her government was taking necessary precautions for the impending monsoon and cyclone season.
She also called for more support from the international community, especially from the G7 countries, to persuade Myanmar to take measures for implementation of the recommendations by Rakhine Advisory Commission head by former UN chief Kofi Annan to address the root causes and stop the recurrence of the Rohingya exodus.
Giving citizenship to the Rohingya Muslims and taking them back from Bangladesh after ‘joint verification’ are some of the key features of the Annan commission recommendations.
Source: Bdnews24.
