Myanmar Delegation
Fails to Make Convincing Case for Safe Return
Myanmar officials
arrived at the sprawling refugee settlement in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh this
week to discuss the repatriation of the Rohingya population.
Armed with “fact”
sheets, colorful brochures, and PowerPoint presentations, officials whose
government committed a campaign of ethnic cleansing that forced hundreds of
thousands of Rohingya to flee to Bangladesh two years ago were now trying to
persuade them it was safe to return home.
Read: Myanmar
high-level team fails to convince Rohingyas repatriation, agree to continue
talks https://lnkd.in/gsNSAUY
They were not
convincing. “They didn’t even use the term ‘Rohingya,’” one refugee noted,
alluding to the government’s longstanding unwillingness to recognize the ethnic
group.
Also
read “Myanmar delegation’s meeting with Rohingya refugees and reactions of
Rohingyas”: https://lnkd.in/gUqa-jz
The 10-member
delegation, led by the permanent secretary of the Myanmar Foreign Ministry,
Myint Thu, explained categories of citizenship and promoted the government’s
National Verification Card (NVC) process. Many Rohingya despise this deeply
flawed process, which they view as a perpetuation of the discriminatory 1982
Citizenship Law, which has effectively left them stateless in their own
country. The newly digitized NVC process would require Rohingya to reapply for
their citizenship using their biometric data, which may further encourage
discrimination. Myint Thu told them this was a first step towards achieving
“naturalized citizenship.” The problem is that many Rohingya already consider
themselves Myanmar citizens.
“We showed them
documents that prove that our ancestors were Burmese,” said Dil Mohammad, one
of Rohingya participants. “Why do we need to go through that NVC process again
which will identify us simply as a foreigner?”
Given the horror of
the atrocities they survived, the refugees understandably first want Myanmar
authorities to assure them that they and their families will be safe if they
return home, before they discuss terms of their repatriation.
Instead of this
bizarre charm offensive, Myanmar should be dismantling the systematic and
institutionalized discrimination against the Rohingya that that has caused mass
flight to Bangladesh and elsewhere for years. A good place to start is by
amending the country’s problematic citizenship law.
Donors and concerned
governments should also call on Myanmar to do everything necessary to permit the
safe, dignified, and voluntary return of Rohingya refugees. But more than that,
the government needs to ensure that the Rohingya return to a better place – one
where they can become citizens, have freedom of movement, access services, and
rebuild their livelihoods. To do this the authorities also need to take steps
to ensure justice and redress.
By @hrw