Chinese ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen.
Chinese ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen said on Sunday that China was engaged with Myanmar for a ceasefire in Rakhine state to pave the way for Rohingya repatriation, while the United Nations resident coordinator to Bangladesh Gwyn Lewis said that it was not a ‘good time’ for the return of the displaced people to their homeland.
The Chinese envoy mentioned a ceasefire took place in the Rakhine state in the past under the mediation of China and there were joint efforts by all the three countries for the Rohingya repatriation.
‘Myanmar government already has three ceasefire agreements. We want to have another ceasefire in the Rakhine state so that the repatriation process could start as soon as possible,’ the Chinese envoy told reporters after a call on foreign minister Hasan Mahmud at his Segunbagicha office.
He said that they discussed current and future relations between Dhaka and Beijing as it was his first meeting with the new foreign minister.
Hasan Mahmud, who had also a meeting with the UN resident coordinator at his office on Sunday, said that the Rohingyas were becoming a burden for Bangladesh, now hosting over 11 lakh distressed people, as none could be returned to Myanmar since the 2017 influx of the persecuted community sheltered in Bangladesh camps.
The lone solution to the crisis was the repatriation of the Rohingya people with their rights to Myanmar, the minister said, adding that the international allocations for the Rohingya has been reduced to half now.
He called on the international community to keep the Rohingya issue on the spotlight so that it does not go missing following the situations, particularly the Gaza and Ukraine wars.
Hasan Mahmud said that China has invited prime minister Sheikh Hasina to visit the country and they had discussed about the visit for a convenient time.
Referring to the adverse situation in the Rakhine state due to armed fighting between ethnic rebel groups and Myanmar security forces near the bordering area, the minister said that similar situation has been prevailing in the neighbouring country for long.
About the repatriation, Gwyn Lewis said that the issue should be considered from the humanitarian grounds as the situation in Myanmar is now difficult although the repatriation is obviously a priority for the Rohingya community.
‘I explained to the minister that we are doing what we can in Myanmar to provide humanitarian support. The situation is very difficult, so it is not a good time for their repatriation,’ she said.
Asked what the UN is doing for creating a good situation inside Myanmar, she told reporters that it is a political issue for the member states.
‘I am not a politician. This is very much of a political issue between member states, and from the UN perspective the UN general secretary is following the issue very closely,’ the UN official said.
Responding to a reporter’s question, the Chinese ambassador expressed hope that Bangladesh would also remain engaged with Myanmar so that the Rohingya repatriation from Bangladesh could begin soon.
Urging all to be confident about the ongoing tripartite collaboration among China, Bangladesh and India, he said, ‘The repatriation issue is discussed quite deeply. We understand we face difficult days now. But we need to be confident.’
Asked about the Teesta project, the Chinese envoy said that China is committed to helping Bangladesh in this regard, but has yet to get any proposal from the Bangladesh side.
New Age