China is the ‘key player’ to manage Myanmar for Rohingya solutions: Ambassador Humayun Kabir

A former Bangladesh ambassador, Humayun Kabir, has said the “key player” to bring Myanmar in line for ending the Rohingya crisis is China.

“We need to somehow manage China,” he said.

“If not directly we can take support of our other friends and work through them," he said, naming Japan, India and ASEAN countries to bring China on board.

“There is confusion and China has been playing on both sides. But they realise the fact that unless Rakhine becomes stable, their BRI project and geopolitical interest in Rakhine and in the Bay of Bengal will not be served,” he said.

“Keeping that larger picture in mind , I think we can work through our friends,” he said.

Ambassador Kabir was speaking at a panel discussion which Canadian Prime Minister’s Special Envoy for Myanmar Bob Rae also addressed.

The panel discussion on the potential long-term implication of Rohingya crisis was co-organised by the Canadian High Commission in Dhaka and Reading Club Trust.

Rae asserted that justice would be done for Rohingya atrocities whatever the time it takes.

“Those who believe that there will be no accountability, there will be no conclusions drawn, I don’t agree with that. Whether it takes a year, two years, five years, 10 years, justice will be done,” he said.

Over 700,000 Rohingyas have fled what the United Nations calls ethnic cleansing in the Rakhine State and taken shelter in Bangladesh since August 2017.