EU Doubts Myanmar, Bangladesh Deal on Rohingya Return

EU Foreign Policy Chief, Federica Mogherini inspects a Rohingya refugee camp in Bangladesh.

Brussels, MINA – The EU expressed doubts Tuesday whether the agreement signed between Myanmar and Bangladesh last November, on the return of thousands of Rohingya Muslims who fled violence in their home country, would be implemented.

“The repatriation agreement between Myanmar and Bangladesh was an important first step,” KUNA quoted David Daly, head of South Asia division in the European External Action Service (EEAS), ta telling the European Parliament’s foreign affairs committee in a debate on Rohingya.

“The implementation of this agreement has to be monitored carefully by the EU and the international community. The role of UN is key in this,” Daly added.

“We are concerned that the UNHCR is not involved in its implementation and we have doubts that international standards, and voluntary and dignified returns can be guaranteed,” he said.

“On accountability and human rights we took note of the many credible allegations by UN bodies, by NGOs by the fact-finding mission of the very serious and systematic human rights violations,” noted the EU official.

The EU regrets that Myanmar did not carry out serious investigations so far, did not cooperate yet with the Human Rights fact-finding mission, and discontinued its cooperation with the UN Special Rapporteur to Myanmar Yanghee Lee, Daly expressed.

He also affirmed that the EU will continue to put international pressure including at the UN, alongside constructive engagement with Myanmar.

On his part, David Mcallister, Chairman of the EP foreign affairs committee, said that over 600,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled Myanmar to Bangladesh since in August 2017, in addition to already 240,000 in refugee camps in Bangladesh.

An EP delegation will visit Myanmar and Bangladesh from 14 to 16 February, he added.

A call for stronger steps

Meanwhile, in a letter to EU Foreign Ministers, 26 civil society organizations from inside and outside Myanmar called today on the EU to take stronger steps to stand for the Rohingya.

In recent months, Myanmar’s authorities have prevented the UN Special Rapporteur to Myanmar Ms Yanghee Lee and the independent international Fact-Finding Mission from entering the country.

They have also detained several journalists covering Rakhine State, they said in a joint statement in Brussels.

Mark Farmaner, Director of Burma Campaign UK, said, “We are highly concerned that despite the much-needed EU attention at the end of 2017 on the plight of the Rohingya, it appears that the EU’s focus has turned to other priorities.”

“We sent this letter to highlight that Myanmar was not discussed at the Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels on Monday 22 January,” Farmaner added.

The situation continues to be dire for the many thousands of Rohingya forced from their homes and for those who remain in Rakhine State, he added. (T/RS5/RS1)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)