Rohingya in Bangladesh will not be forced back to Myanmar

AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): Hundreds of thousands of Muslim-majority Rohingya who fled Myanmar, citing rape, murder and arson, will not be forcibly repatriated, Bangladesh's Rohingya Relief and Repatriation Commissioner has said.

"No one will be forced back to Myanmar," Abul Kalam told Al Jazeera.

Bangladesh is scheduled to send back an initial group of 2,260 Rohingya from 485 families on Thursday, in line with a bilateral plan agreed by the two governments in October.

But the move has been opposed by the United Nations' refugee agency and aid groups who say the Muslim minority can't be forced back, causing confusion over whether the repatriations will go ahead.

"They survived atrocities so it's natural they fear to go back," Kalam said.

When asked whether the Rohingya would be guaranteed a "safe and dignified" return, Kalam said: "Everything is done as per the agreement between Bangladesh and Myanmar. I hope the Myanmar authority will keep their words."

The terms of the repatriation deal, however, has never been made public.

The plan to begin returning the Rohingya to Myanmar comes just days after UN investigators warned of an "ongoing genocide" against the Muslim minority.

Marzuki Darusman, the chairman of the UN Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar, said beyond mass killings, the conflict included the ostracization of the population, prevention of births, and widespread displacement in camps.

Earlier this week, Michelle Bachelet, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights urged Bangladesh to halt the repatriation plan saying it violated international law.

The Rohingya themselves have said they are terrified of returning to the country.

"People do not want to go back to Myanmar due to safety concerns," Foyazullah, a 43-year old Rohingya living in Bangladesh's sprawling Cox's Bazar refugee camp.

"The people in charge of the camps are harassing people. As a result many families have fled and are hiding in nearby forests."


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