US sees no Rohingya repatriation sign, UNHCR offers advice

A US Congress representative has expressed doubt over Rohingyas’ return to their homeland seeing no advancement in the process while UNHCR has expressed willingness to advise Bangladesh and Myanmar governments on its practical application going forward.

Expressing uncertainty over the repatriation of Rohingya people to their homeland, Congressman Eliot L Engel called for an end to the attacks and an immediate restoration of humanitarian access to Rakhine State.

He said, "The governments of Burma and Bangladesh have struck a deal to begin repatriating Rohingya next month, but it's not yet clear that anyone is interested in returning right now."

In fact, the US Ranking Member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs said, there are reports of more arrivals in Bangladesh each day, on fishing boats for those who can afford passage and on makeshift rafts for those who cannot.

"People are leaving Burma out of fear and they are leaving because they're hungry and they're leaving because they know if they stay, they'll die," Engel said in a statement shared by Bangladesh Foreign Ministry on Thursday.

UNB says more than 626,000 men, women, and children have fled to neighbouring Bangladesh over the past four months to find refuge in a country with tremendous needs of its own.

"This is more than 10 times the number of refugees the Administration will allow into the United States this year-the same Administration that ended America's participation in the UN effort to develop a Global Compact on Migration," said the Congressman.

Meanwhile, UNHCR wants to advise both Bangladesh and Myanmar governments on its practical application going forward although it was not a party to the negotiations leading to the signing of Rohingya repatriation instrument, says a senior UN official.

"Implementation of (these) commitments would require an international presence and monitoring in areas of return - key to ensuring sustainability and preventing further waves of displacement," UNHCR Deputy High Commissioner Kelly Clements told reporters at a Thursday press conference.

She said UNHCR is encouraged by the references in the bilateral arrangement that would improve conditions in Myanmar and give rights to returning refugees.

"We note the commitment to restore normalcy and human rights in Rakhine state; for refugee returns to comply with international standards of safety, dignity and voluntariness; and to commence a process to address root causes in line with the Rakhine Advisory Commission recommendations," said the UN refugee agency official.

She said, "It’s also positive that there is a role envisioned for UNHCR in the process. This is critical to ensuring the monitoring of the free and informed choice of refugees to return, eventually their favourable protection environment back home, and the overall credibility of any returns programme."

At present, she thinks, conditions in Myanmar's Rakhine State are not in place to enable safe and sustainable returns. "Refugees are still fleeing. Those who arrive have suffered immense violence and trauma in Myanmar. Some have witnessed the deaths of family members and friends."