International apathy to Rohingya repatriation irks Momen

Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen has expressed ire over an apathy of the international community to pushing Myanmar for taking back its Rohingya nationals.

“The international community’s voice should have been stronger, but unfortunately that is not happening due to personal interests of many,” he told a programme in Dhaka with some foreign diplomats among the audience.

More than 1.1 million Rohingya Muslims have taken refuge in Bangladesh, fleeing decades of persecution and a 2017 army operation in Buddhist-majority Myanmar.

The refugees have refused to return to the Rakhine state despite two recent attempts by the governments of Bangladesh and Myanmar.

The Rohingya fear they will continue facing brutal persecution if they are not granted citizenship before going back. Myanmar is accused of delaying the repatriation process as it fails to ensure peace in the Rakhine state.     

“They have been driven out of their country. Can you believe that in this century?” Momen asked. 

“These people have no future, no hope. They have been being persecuted for year after year. But the international community’s voice has weakened to support what they [Rohingya] want,” he said.

The foreign minister also said trafficking in the Rohingya to Malaysia became a big issue amidst the delay in their repatriation. 

UK High Commissioner Robert Dickson, newly appointed Australian High Commissioner Jeremy Bruer and American Chamber of Commerce in Bangladesh President Syed Ershad Ahmed, among others, attended the event organised by the AmCham.