We have to find out permanent solution

Around 11 lakh Rohingyas have taken shelter in Bangladesh in the face of brutal torture, rape and killing in the Myanmar's conflict-torn northern Rakhine state. The Bangladesh government has given shelter to this huge number of Rohingya refugees on humanitarian grounds. For this, Bangladesh is being appreciated massively across the world. But sheltering this huge number of Rohingya refugees for long time in Bangladesh may create a major crisis inside the country. It will be very tough for us to take responsibility of this huge number of Rohingyas for years. Adverse impact is falling on the environment of the country. At present, the country is facing a number of risks including financial pressure. More pressure will fall on Bangladesh if the crisis is not solved soon.

Alongside Bangladesh, the international community has held Myanmar responsible for Rohingya crisis. So, the Myanmar government will have to solve the crisis and take back the persecuted Rohingyas immediately. United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has voiced the same tone on the Rohingya issue. The UN chief has visited refugee camps in Ukhiya of Cox's Bazar to see the severity of Rohingya situation and UN agencies' engagement in the camps.

Mentioning that the atrocities the Myanmar army has carried out on Rohingyas are not acceptable, the UN chief said, “The international community must stand by the displaced Rohingyas.” Guterres said, “Rohingyas are not Bangladeshi nationals at all. The Myanmar government should consider the issue of giving back the citizenship to them. Myanmar has no chance to deny them. The international community should be more active to exert pressure on Myanmar for a peaceful solution to the crisis.”

World Bank (WB) Group President Dr Jim Yong Kim has come up with the same tone on the Rohingya issue. He has visited Bangladesh to see the plight of the forcibly displaced Rohingyas. After a visit to refugee camps in Cox's Bazar on July 2, the WB president said it is not the lone responsibility for Bangladesh to resolve the Rohingya crisis. All concerned will have to come forward to solve the issue. He said, “The miseries the Rohingya people are suffering have shaken us very deeply. We will continue to provide support to them until the crisis is resolved by ensuring their safe return to their motherland with dignity.” Jim Yong Kim said, “Rohingya people have suffered a terrible torture I have ever seen. We all are Rohingyas today. Our work towards them has not ended. The world community must come forward to find out a way for peaceful solution to the problem. The Myanmar government will have to give them guarantee of getting justice.”

Earlier at a meeting held in Dhaka with Finance Minister AMA Muhith, WB President Dr Jim Yong Kim termed the Rohingya crisis as a human tragedy and said, “We all are grave concerned about the Rohingya crisis. Those who are involved in these brutal activities should be punished.” The WB chief assured Bangladesh of providing with a grant worth around $48 crore to help tackle the ongoing Rohingya crisis for 700,000 Rohingyas who crossed the Bangladesh border from Myanmar's Rakhine state since August 25 last year.

These statements of the UN chief and the WB president are worth considering.  Financial assistance from the World Bank and other organizations may help tackle the current situation but the matter which is the most important is the repatriation of the Rohingyas to Myanmar. Both the UN chief and the WB president have put emphasis on exerting international pressure on Myanmar to solve the ongoing Rohingya crisis.

The Myanmar government is delaying the Rohingya repatriation process even after a deal signed with the Bangladesh government. All donor agencies including the World Bank and the international community need to play an emphatic role for forcing the Myanmar government to start the repatriation process according to the deal. The world community must come forward to find out a way for peaceful solution to the problem. The Myanmar government will have to give them guarantee of getting justice. It should be ensured that they can safely return to their motherland with dignity. After all, we all have to find out a permanent solution to the Rohingya problem. We expect the UN and other international organizations will come forward to end the ongoing crisis.


risingbd/Dhaka/July 4, 2018/Ali Nowsher/AI