Call for mounting int’l pressure on Myanmar to resolve Rohingya crisis

Speakers at a webinar on Tuesday urged the international community to keep pressure on Myanmar and its military to resolve the Rohingya crisis by repatriating the forcibly displaced people to their home in Rakhine State.

Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS) and Bangabandhu Centre for Bangladesh Studies Canada jointly organized the webinar titled “The Rohingya Exodus in Bangladesh : Regional and Global Security Implications.”

Professor Dr Imtiaz Ahmed, Director, Centre for Genocide Studies, University of Dhaka, delivered his lecture as keynote speaker.

Major General Md. Emdad-Ul-Bari, Director General, BIISS, delivered the welcome address and Dr Khalilur Rahman, High Commissioner of Bangladesh to Canada made the concluding remarks.

Prof Imtiaz said that the international community has the responsibility to solve this issue as it is a humanitarian crisis.

“They should keep pressure on Myanmar military. More countries should come forward to support and solve this crisis,” he said.

In his speech Emad-Ul-Bari said Myanmar is facing trouble to manage its ethnic issues since its birth as an independent state.

The forceful expulsion of Rohingya started in 1978. In August 2017, Myanmar drove out the largest number of Rohingyas into Bangladesh.

From then, he said, an internal issue of Myanmar, has transcended to across the countries threatening the security issues of south and southeast Asia.

The prime concern for Bangladesh now is the sustainable repatriation of the Rohingyas, Emad-Ul-Bari said.

Bangladesh opened formal negotiations with Myanmar on this issue in October 2017.

Both countries signed a deal on 23 November 2017 for the possible repatriation of Rohingyas.

Thereafter, two abortive attempts have been made to start voluntary return.

Consequently, about 10 agreements between the two countries including those in areas of land boundary management, prevention of narcotics, trade and transport etc. have not gone as desired.

He emphasized that the problem was created by Myanmar and its solution must be found in Myanmar.

“The Rohingya crisis needs to be resolved with utmost priority. It is the responsibility of the international community to act proactively to solve this humanitarian crisis,” Bari said.