By The Nation – Yangon
While the international community continues to show
concern over the government’s political will on the repatriation of Rohingyas,
Myanmar recently took steps to boost ties with the United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
Dr.Ko Ko Naing, a director general at the Ministry of
Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement, told The Nation on Friday that the
authorities recently had a “fruitful discussion” with Filippo Grandi, UN High
Commissioner for Refugees, who was in the country for a five-day visit which
began on Monday.
“We have been actively cooperating with UN agencies over
the past few years, and UNHCR is one of them. (On Thursday) we discussed with
Grandi further plans for collaboration,” he said.
Officials on Thursday signed a memorandum of
understanding (MoU) on collaboration in disaster management and humanitarian
works with Grandi. The agreement, signing in Nay Pyi Taw, will strengthen
Myanmar’s ties with the UN refugee agency, allowing UNHCR’s assistance in the
event of disasters.
“We will ensure to prioritise security and stability of
the conflicted areas while undertaking humanitarian works in disaster-hit
regions,” he said.
According to the agreement, UNHCR will have to notify the
ministry of any challenges it is facing on the ground so both parties can work
together to address them.
“This MoU means additional three years cooperation with
UNHCR. We hope to collaborate more in welcoming Myanmar migrant workers back
home as well as providing humanitarian assistance to internally displaced
persons (IDPs),” he said.
Prior to the signing, Grandi met with State Counsellor
Aung San Suu Kyi on Thursday, and discussed the extension of the MoU signed
between Myanmar, UNDP and UNHCR in June 2018, implementation of the
community-based Quick Impact Projects (QIPs), the voluntary return of verified
Myanmar nationals from the temporary camps along the Myanmar-Thailand border,
and provision of assistance by UNHCR for ensuring peace and development in
Myanmar.
In the first two days of his trip, Grandi visited
communities in Rakhine State including Muslim refugees in Khaung Doke Khar camp
in Sittwe, and the northern townships and met with regional authorities.
In Maungdaw township, in the northern part of Rakhine
State, Grandi travelled to a number of villages to hear Rakhine, Rohingya and
other communities tell of their challenges, needs and hopes. They also said
that projects in their villages - such as water reservoirs, school
rehabilitation, road improvements, provision of bicycles and skills training -
are already making a difference in their lives.
While driving in northern Rakhine, Grandi saw stretches
of empty land once occupied by Rohingya villages now covered by overgrown
vegetation. Few signs remain of the houses and markets that once dotted the
landscape, the statement said.
In Buthidaung, at a Buddhist monastery hosting Rakhine
people recently displaced, representatives told Grandi of their wish to return
to their homes as soon as possible. They asked for security to be reestablished,
unexploded ordinances cleared and strongly appealed for peace.
The Rakhine State Government currently estimates that
around 29,000 people, mostly from the Rakhine community, are displaced in seven
townships in Rakhine state due to this conflict.
Grandi also met with a group of Rakhine villagers in
Maungdaw township, once a cluster of five villages surrounded by farms and fish
ponds, with a large Rohingya population who are now refugees in Bangladesh.
They expressed concerns about the impact on the local economy and labour
shortages following the departure of their Muslim neighbours.
As the first visit by the UN refugee chief to Myanmar
since August 2017, Grandi’s trip comes on the heels of the High Commissioner’s
mission to Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh at the end of April. More than
900,000 stateless Rohingya refugees currently live in crowded settlements in
Cox’s Bazar, of whom an estimated 741,000 fled from Myanmar since August 2017,
according to UNHCR.
“In the course of his stay in Myanmar, Grandi will follow
up on a range of issues raised by refugees from Myanmar and will discuss
Myanmar’s efforts to find comprehensive and durable solutions to the crisis in
Rakhine State,” UNHCR said in a statement.
Prior to his visit to Myanmar, Grandi visited refugee
camps in Bangladesh in late April. There, he stressed that key moves and
progress must be made by Myanmar authorities.
“The Myanmar side must address the issue of Rohingya
rights,” he said. “That includes freedom of movement, access to jobs and services,
and a path to citizenship.”