China will pursue Myanmar to take back Rohingya refugees: Official

China has told Bangladesh it will pursue Myanmar to create a safe atmosphere for Rohingya repatriation to their homeland from Bangladesh.

Reazul Basharfrom Chinabdnews24.com
Published : 4 July 2019, 03:39 PM
Updated : 4 July 2019, 03:39 PM

The assurance came at the bilateral talks between Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her Chinese counterpart Li Keqiang at the Great Hall of People on Thursday.

“Peace and stability are being affected in the region due to the Rohingya problem. Their repatriation is very important to restore peace and stability,” Hasina was quoted as saying by Foreign Secretary Md Shahidul Haque in a briefing after the talks.

“She said with passage of time, the challenge will be bigger, and a speedy repatriation of the Rohingyas to their homeland is the only solution,” he said.

Hasina also highlighted Bangladesh's initiatives on the Rohingya repatriation.

“The prime minister said we made all efforts in this regard, but the Rohingyas don’t want to go back as they are afraid of further atrocities,” said the foreign secretary.

To remove the fear, the prime minister emphasised a role by China in building a conducive environment so that the Rohingyas can go back to their homeland with safety, dignity and own identity, he said.

Responding to the statement of Bangladesh prime minister, the foreign secretary said, Keqiang thanked Bangladesh for sheltering Rohingyas.

“The Chinese prime minister said Beijing was convinced that the Rohingya crisis is a big challenge for Bangladesh. There is no doubt that it’s a big problem,” he said.

During the talks, the Chinese premier agreed with Hasina on resolving the protracted crisis quickly.

Li Keqiang, however, stressed the need for solving the crisis bilaterally, and promised to help end the standoff.