By AFP
Bangladesh's Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina
says she has asked other Asian nations including China, India and Japan to help
resolve the Rohingya crisis
Bangladesh's prime minister has blamed
Myanmar for the failure of a recent attempt to repatriate Rohingya refugees,
saying its neighbouring country did not do enough to win the community's trust.
The comments from Sheikh Hasina came three
weeks after a fresh push to return the Muslim minority to Myanmar's
conflict-scarred Rakhine state that fell flat when no-one turned up.
Some 740,000 Rohingya fled their villages in
Rakhine following a military crackdown in August 2017, joining nearly 200,000
already living in squalid camps across the border in southeast Bangladesh.
"We've seen Myanmar could not win
Rohingya's trust in creating a conducive situation (in Rakhine) for their
dignified return," Hasina said in parliament late Wednesday.
"We had full preparation, but still the
repatriation did not start... uncertainty looms over Rohingya getting back
their homes, land and other properties."
Hasina said she had asked other Asian nations
including China, India and Japan to help resolve the crisis.
Her comments reflect Dhaka's frustration over
the lack of a resolution to the refugee crisis. A previous repatriation offer
was rejected by Rohingya leaders in October.
Her government has also started to crack down
on activity in the camps amid a recent outbreak of violence and rising tensions
with locals.
Dhaka has imposed a virtual internet blackout
in the camps in the border towns of Teknaf and Ukhia by cutting access to 3G
and 4G mobile internet networks.
Expects have said 2G networks are too slow
for internet use.
Rohingya leaders have repeatedly said the
refugees will not return to their homeland unless their safety is ensured,
their rights and citizenship are granted and they are allowed to resettle in
their villages.
The Rohingya are not recognised as an
official minority by the Myanmar government, which considers them Bengali
interlopers despite many families having lived in the country for generations.
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