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Subject: The Daily Star - Fresh more to speed up Rohingya repatriation

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The Daily Star Jan 13, 2000
Fresh more to speed up Rohingya repatriation



By Reaz Ahmad=20


Bangladesh and Myanmar officials will meet in Yangon tomorrow to =
expedite repatriation of Rohingya refugees.=20
The first official level talks on the refugee issue since February 1997 =
are expected to clear all obstacles to speedy repatriation of Rohingyas =
from Bangladesh.=20


The talks are taking place at a time when high birth rate in refugee =
camps has almost surpassed the rate of repatriation, official sources =
said.=20


Relief Secretary Azad Ruhul Amin will lead the seven-member Bangladesh =
delegation which include senior officials from home and foreign =
ministries. A deputy minister in charge of immigration will lead the =
Myanmar side.=20


Talking to The Daily Star yesterday, Amin said that Bangladesh was =
hopeful of raising the number of refugees to be repatriated in each =
batch.=20


At present, hardly 50 go back per week.=20

Some 21,000 Rohingyas living in two refugee camps - Nayapara and =
Kutupalong - in Cox's Bazar are part of around 2,50,000 who had fled =
their homes in Arakan state of Myanmar to escape persecution by the =
military junta in 1991.=20


Myanmar suddenly stopped the repatriation process in July 1997 after the =
return of refugees. Later, it agreed to take back 7,000 more - 50 in a =
batch per week - from November 1998.=20

In the following six months, only 378 Rohingyas returned home in 18 =
batches. Officials in Dhaka and sources in the office of UN High =
Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) pointed out that the repatriation =
process gradually slowed down over the months.=20

The last bilateral talks at foreign ministers level in Dhaka ended =
inconclusively in July 1999 with the Myanmar minister failing to give a =
time frame for completion of repatriation.=20

Foreign Minister Abdus Samad Azad visited Myanmar late in 1998 while his =
counterpart U Aung Win paid a return visit in July last year. In their =
meetings, Myanmar agreed to take back all its nationals.=20

Earlier in the late 70s, there was another influx of Rohingyas into =
Bangladesh and the problem was solved through discussions.=20

Since 1992, World Food Programme (WFP) provided food worth over 50 =
million US dollars for the refugees. UNHCR sought funds from the =
international community several times to run the camps.=20







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<DIV align=3Dleft><FONT color=3D#800000 size=3D4>The Daily Star Jan 13,=20
2000</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=3Dleft><FONT color=3D#800000><FONT size=3D4>Fresh more to =
speed up Rohingya=20
repatriation<BR></FONT></DIV></FONT>
<CENTER><FONT color=3D#008000 size=3D+1></FONT><BR></CENTER>
<DIV align=3Dleft><FONT color=3D#004080 size=3D+0><I>By Reaz Ahmad=20
</FONT></I><BR><BR></DIV>Bangladesh and Myanmar officials will meet in =
Yangon=20
tomorrow to expedite repatriation of Rohingya refugees.=20
<P>The first official level talks on the refugee issue since February =
1997 are=20
expected to clear all obstacles to speedy repatriation of Rohingyas from =

Bangladesh.=20
<P>
<P>The talks are taking place at a time when high birth rate in refugee =
camps=20
has almost surpassed the rate of repatriation, official sources said.=20
<P>
<P>Relief Secretary Azad Ruhul Amin will lead the seven-member =
Bangladesh=20
delegation which include senior officials from home and foreign =
ministries. A=20
deputy minister in charge of immigration will lead the Myanmar side.=20
<P>
<P>Talking to The Daily Star yesterday, Amin said that Bangladesh was =
hopeful of=20
raising the number of refugees to be repatriated in each batch.=20
<P>
<P>At present, hardly 50 go back per week.=20
<P>Some 21,000 Rohingyas living in two refugee camps - Nayapara and =
Kutupalong -=20
in Cox's Bazar are part of around 2,50,000 who had fled their homes in =
Arakan=20
state of Myanmar to escape persecution by the military junta in 1991.=20
<P>
<P>Myanmar suddenly stopped the repatriation process in July 1997 after =
the=20
return of refugees. Later, it agreed to take back 7,000 more - 50 in a =
batch per=20
week - from November 1998.=20
<P>In the following six months, only 378 Rohingyas returned home in 18 =
batches.=20
Officials in Dhaka and sources in the office of UN High Commissioner for =

Refugees (UNHCR) pointed out that the repatriation process gradually =
slowed down=20
over the months.=20
<P>The last bilateral talks at foreign ministers level in Dhaka ended=20
inconclusively in July 1999 with the Myanmar minister failing to give a =
time=20
frame for completion of repatriation.=20
<P>Foreign Minister Abdus Samad Azad visited Myanmar late in 1998 while =
his=20
counterpart U Aung Win paid a return visit in July last year. In their =
meetings,=20
Myanmar agreed to take back all its nationals.=20
<P>Earlier in the late 70s, there was another influx of Rohingyas into=20
Bangladesh and the problem was solved through discussions.=20
<P>Since 1992, World Food Programme (WFP) provided food worth over 50 =
million US=20
dollars for the refugees. UNHCR sought funds from the international =
community=20
several times to run the camps.=20
<P>
<P>
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