China will officially engage in the repatriation process of Rohingyas to mediate between Bangladesh and Myanmar, says Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen.
Speaking to Bangla Tribune from New York, he said that it was agreed during the tri-partite talks on Tuesday (Sept 24) at the US city, where world leaders have gathered for the UN General Assembly.
“China has proposed forming a Tri-partite Working Group to expedite the Rohingya repatriation ... The panel will forward its proposals to the three governments” said Momen.
The talks came after two failed repatriation attempts on Nov 15 last year and Aug 22 this year as Rohingyas refused to return, citing that they don’t have any guarantee of citizenship and safety in Rakhine.
Bangladesh is now home to over 1.1 million Rohingyas after nearly 750,000 fled a military crackdown in Rakhine since August 2017. China is said to have brokered a bilateral deal between Bangladesh and Myanmar on the repatriation of Rohingyas.
China earlier said it wants a bilateral solution to the Rohingya crisis and see the start of the repatriation soon. Some officials of the Chinse embassy in Dhaka were also present at the Rohingya camps in Cox’s Bazar during the repatriation attempt on Aug 22.
Bangladesh Foreign Minister Momen said that during the talks in New York on Tuesday, Myanmar agreed that the crisis would aggravate if the Rohingyas are not repatriated.
“The Chinese had been maintaining this view for long and today, Myanmar also admitted it. They said it might lead to a dangerous situation,” he said.
The minister said he was hopeful before indicated that there were some “ifs and buts”.
“The Chinese have fully supported us. But Myanmar seemed to be trying to evade; they came with several excuses,” added the minister.
Bangladesh Foreign Minister Momen, his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, Myanmar’s Minister for the Office of the State Counselor Kyaw Tint Swe, Bangladesh Foreign Secretary M Shahidul Haque, Bangladesh’s Permanent Representative to the UN Masud Bin Momen, UN chief’s special envoy for Myanmar Christine Burgener were among others participated in the talks.
It was agreed during the talks that it was imperative to create conducive environment in Rakhine to repatriate the Rohingyas, according to a Bangladesh government official.
Responding to a query on the proposed working group, the official who asked not to be named said that it will comprise of director general of the Bangladesh foreign ministry and the envoys of China and Myanmar in Dhaka.