China working with Myanmar on ceasefire in Rakhine, says Ambassador Yao

Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen has said his country is working with Myanmar to have another ceasefire in Rakhine State, so that the Rohingya repatriation process can start very soon.

“Repatriation issue is something we discussed quite deeply. We understand, now we face difficult days. But we need to be confident,” he told reporters on Sunday after his meeting with Foreign Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Ambassador recalled that they saw ceasefire in the past under the mediation of China in Rakhine State.

He said they, under the joint initiative of Bangladesh, China and Myanmar, have already made remarkable progress in terms of repatriation of the Rohingyas.

Ambassador Yao said China will continue to play its role and hoped that Bangladesh and Myanmar will remain engaged to make arrangements so that the Rohingyas can return to Myanmar as soon as possible.

Responding to a question on the Teesta project, he said China is committed to help Bangladesh in this regard but it requires proposal from the Bangladesh side first.

The Chinese Ambassador said they expect better future and deep cooperation with Bangladesh.

On Saturday, Foreign Minister Hasan said Bangladesh’s security forces along the Myanmar border remain alert amid growing tensions in the neighbouring country.

He said tensions prevailed in Myanmar with brief pauses and Bangladesh forces have remained alert from much earlier.

Talking to reporters at the state guesthouse Padma, the foreign minister said such a tense situation will certainly have a negative impact on the efforts to repatriate Rohingyas to their place of origin in Myanmar.

But, he added, the Myanmar government will feel compelled to take back their nationals if the international community puts pressure on them.

The foreign minister mentioned that there are multiple issues concerning security and environment, and the Rohingya camps might become a breeding ground for militancy. “We are overburdened. We provided them shelter on humanitarian grounds.”