The UK and Canada have called for greater support from the international community to address the Rohingya refugee crisis.
Speaking on the sidelines of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in London, British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said on Tuesday that the plight of the Rohingyas will not be forgotten, the foreign office said in a statement.
“As a Commonwealth community, we need to ensure there is a strong response to the urgent request for humanitarian assistance in Bangladesh,” Johnson said, adding “lives depend on it”.
Johnson and his Canadian counterpart Chrystia Freeland hosted a round-table to allow Commonwealth nations to stand in solidarity with Bangladesh, now home to the nearly 700,000 Rohingyas who have fled Myanmar in the past nine months.
They were joined by the foreign ministers of Australia, New Zealand and Bangladesh.
The statement quoted the British foreign secretary that the UK has so far committed £59 million in support for the Rohingyas. “It is right that we use events such as the Commonwealth Summit to ensure that attention does not fade away from the almost 1 million refugees living in Bangladesh”.
“We want these people to be able to return home,” Johnson said. “But as the [United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees] has said, the conditions in Rakhine are not conducive to safe returns.”
The authorities in Myanmar “need to demonstrate that they are serious about the safety and security of the Rohingya. A credible independent investigation into reported atrocities is an important step in this process”, he added.
Canadian Foreign Secretary Chrystia Freeland said “We stand with our partners in the Commonwealth to remind the international community of the urgent need to assist the Rohingya in both Myanmar and Bangladesh”.
Commending Bangladesh for providing shelters to the hundreds of thousands of Rohingyas, she said “Bangladesh deserves our gratitude and continued support.”
The international community, including key Commonwealth nations, must rally and reaffirm their support to ensure that the basic needs of those affected by the crisis are met, she added.
“We also need to work together to hold perpetrators of violence to account and actively coordinate our efforts to further promote diversity, inclusiveness, justice and equity for all and support all efforts towards building lasting peace and reconciliation in Myanmar.”
The ministers also discussed the role of the UN in resolving the crisis, including “access for the UNHCR to Rakhine state in advance of any returns process and the upcoming UN Security Council visit to the region”.
The statement said there was a general agreement that any returns must be safe, voluntary, sustainable and dignified and monitored by the UNHCR on both sides of the border.
“Attendees also discussed accountability options and the need for a credible independent investigation into mounting reports of atrocities,” it added.
Nearly 700,000, mostly children and women, have fled Myanmar since Aug 25, 2017 when Myanmar forces launched a bloody crackdown.
The Rohingyas, described by the UN as the world's most persecuted people, have faced heightened fears of attack since dozens were killed in communal violence in 2012.
At least 9,000 Rohingyas were killed in Rakhine state from Aug 25 to Sept 24, according to Doctors Without Borders.
In a December report, the humanitarian organisation said the deaths of 71.7 per cent or 6,700 Rohingyas were caused by violence. They include 730 children below the age of 5.
The UN has documented mass gang rapes, killings -- including of infants and young children -- brutal beatings and disappearances committed by security personnel. In a report, UN investigators said such violations may have constituted crimes against humanity.