A top Burmese official yesterday said that a camp to house Rohingya Muslim and Hindu refugees who return from Bangladesh would be ready by its promised deadline next week.
More than 650,000 ethnic Rohingya Muslims fled to Bangladesh since Myanmar’s military launched a brutal crackdown in August last year following attacks on police posts by a militant group.
Although Myanmar’s army claimed it was a clearance operation against the terrorists, the UN, US and others have said the operations were “ethnic cleansing” to remove the Rohingya from the country.
Myanmar and Bangladesh signed an agreement in November last year to repatriate Rohingya and set up a working group last month to oversee the repatriation of people who had fled violence in the northern part of Rakhine State.
Burmese Minister of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement Win Myat Aye said Myanmar was hosting a one-day meeting yesterday with Bangladesh officials in the capital, Naypyidaw, to discuss the logistics of how many Rohingya would be allowed into Myanmar and how they would be scrutinized to be placed in the camps.
Officials plan to start the repatriation process from Tuesday next week.
“We are planning ahead to be able accept the returnees from next week and we are sure that this will be done on time,” Win Myat Aye said.
The UN High Commissioner on Refugees (UNHCR) office said it is not involved in the process, but is willing to play a “constructive role” in the process if allowed, specifically in registering the refugees and helping determining whether they are returning to Myanmar voluntarily.
“Our involvement in the process and our full access to areas of return in Myanmar can help to build confidence for all concerned, including the refugees,” UNHCR senior regional communication officer Vivian Tan said.
State-run media in Myanmar yesterday reported the Hla Po Khaung camp would accommodate about 30,000 people in 625 buildings and that at least 100 buildings are to be completed by the end of the month.
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