Home Minister Khan says he sought bilateral solution to Rohingya crisis during Myanmar visit

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan has said he pitched a bilateral solution to the Rohingya crisis during his Myanmar visit.

“We’ve told them that this should be resolved bilaterally and that’s what we want. Our honourable prime minister wants it too,” Khan said at a media briefing at the Secretariat on Thursday, a day after his return from Naypyidaw.  

He hinted that Bangladesh would think of something else if Myanmar did not respond to Bangladesh’s call for a bilateral solution to the crisis.

“We’ve told them that we would raise the issue at different platforms gradually, because Bangladesh is shouldering the burden.”

Bangladesh earlier sheltered around 400,000 Rohingya refugees who fled persecution in Myanmar’s Rakhine State time to time for decades.

Myanmar, instead of responding to Bangladesh’s calls to take back the Rohingyas, continued a campaign of torture and maltreatment to the Rohingya ethnic minority.

In the latest wave of violence, more than 600,000 Rohingyas have crossed the border into Bangladesh since the start of a Myanmar army operation in response to insurgent attacks on security forces on Aug 25.

​Rohingya houses at Maungdaw in Rakhine State set on fire allegedly by the Myanmar Army and other security forces. Photo: mostafigur rahman

Facing criticism from across the world over the brutal operation which the UN dubbed 'ethnic cleansing', Myanmar once again agreed to take back its nationals.

The two countries agreed to form a joint working group on repatriation of the Myanmar nationals when Myanmar government’s de-facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi sent minister Kyaw Tint Swe to Dhaka early in October.

“They have said the joint working group would be formed within Nov 30,” he said.

Bangladesh handed him a draft proposal on the repatriation process, but Myanmar is yet to respond to it. The Bangladesh Home Minister's visit to Myanmar from Monday to Wednesday came as a follow-up.

“We think we have started walking on a path of a solution and we will reach the destination,” Khan said at the conference.

He said Bangladesh proposed the joint working group would work centring the recommendations by the Kofi Annan Commission and the five-point proposal by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

The Myanmar government formed the commission headed by former UN chief Kofi Annan after criticism over persecution that forced thousands to flee to Bangladesh last year.

Giving citizenship to the Rohingya Muslims and taking them back from Bangladesh after ‘joint verification’ are some of the key features of the Annan commission recommendations.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina placed her proposals at the UN General Assembly in New York last month, which include full implementation of the Annan commission recommendations.

The international community has also in favour of the implementation of the Annan commission report. The Western countries, especially the US, are blaming the Myanmar Army which still controls the state, for the recent exodus of Rohingyas.

China and Russia, the longtime allies of Myanmar, have continued their support to the country.

Rohingyas head for the mainland in Cox's Bazar's Teknaf on boats from Shah Porir Dwip. Photo: mostafigur rahman

A reporter asked whether Myanmar discussing the issue with the home minister was mere 'eyewash' to ease international pressure, Khan said, "I don't see anything negatively. I believe it's their problem and they will solve this."     

"We think we'll have to overcome the crisis," he added.

The minister also said he reminded Myanmar that they too, would have to suffer if the refugee crisis continues.

"If they (Rohingyas) remain here longer, they may get involved in terrorism and militancy that we managed to control so far. We won't have anything to do in that case. Myanmar will suffer the same problems we do," he said.   

Besides Suu Kyi, he met his Myanmar counterpart lieutenant general Kyaw Swe, among other officials during the visit.

"They have agreed to our points, but said they would finalise everything through a process," Khan said.

He also said Myanmar officials handed Inspector General of Police AKM Shahidul Hoque, who accompanied Kamal during the visit, a list of insurgents when the Bangladeshi delegation offered Myanmar help to tackle militants.

"The list, however, has only names. There's no address or father's name by which we could trace them," the home minister said.      

About the meeting with Nobel Peace Prize winner Suu Kyi, he said, "I told her that the people of Bangladesh believe she can also take Myanmar to the place where our prime minister has taken our country to."

"Aung San Suu Kyi asked me to encourage the Rohingyas to return because they don't want to come back here."

"Then, I told her she must have known why they are not willing to return; because there is no suitable environment to return," he said.

He said he urged Suu Kyi to create the environment suitable for taking back the Rohingyas by implementing the Kofi Annan Commission report.

"Restoration of peace in her country will be a great relief for us, I told her," the home minister said.

"She listened to all the proposals. I think they will implement these gradually. Suu Kyi herself said her government was working to take back the Rohingyas," he added.