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ASEAN urges Myanmar to ensure security in Rakhine
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Muslim Rohingya refugees walk down a hillside in the Kutupalong refugee camp in Cox's Bazar on Nov. 26, 2017. (AFP/Ed Jones)
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SEAN has called on the Myanmar government to guarantee the safety of the Rohingya community, both in the country and in exile, as the region's foreign ministers push for more dialogue with the refugees in the ongoing repatriation process.
Myanmar attracted international attention two years ago when its military initiated a crackdown on Rakhine state, driving about 730,000 Muslim Rohingya to cross into Bangladesh.
Since earlier this year, civilians in Rakhine have also been caught up in clashes between the military and the Arakan Army, an insurgent group that recruits from the mainly Buddhist ethnic Rakhine population and is fighting for greater autonomy for the state.
The call on Myanmar was stated in a joint communiqué issued at the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting last week in their bid to ensure a voluntary return of Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh to Rakhine in a safe, secure and dignified manner.
“We also looked forward to the continued and effective dialogue between Myanmar and Bangladesh to facilitate the repatriation process of displaced persons from Rakhine,” the ministers said.
The ministers also “welcomed the visit of the High-Level Mission” by Myanmar’s government accompanied by representatives from the ASEAN Secretariat and the AHA Center, including an ASEAN-ERAT member, to Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, on July 27 to 29.
The visit was one of the recommendations made in the AHA Center’s preliminary report on the Rohingya, which suggests ASEAN help with the communication strategy during the preparations for repatriation.
