Amin Al Rasheed
The news comes in our hands on April 15th
morning. According to the Myanmar government, Reuters reports that Myanmar has
returned a 5-member Rohingya Muslim family back home. Naturally the news made
us both agitated and suspicious.
We were thinking that, already informal repatriation
started? But the main reason for the suspicion was the news, Reuters quoted
only the Myanmar authorities. There was no statement from Bangladesh. As a
result, we first contacted refugee, relief and rehabilitation commissioner
Mohammad Abul Kalam. He said, a family of 5 members returned on the night of
April 14th. However, this is not a matter of repatriation. Because that family
has not officially arrived in Bangladesh. Rather they were on the zero line and
they were back from there. Apart from a short, we also received the statement
of Foreign Secretary Shahidul Haque. He clarified that the Ministry does not
know about the claim that Myanmar is going to return a Rohingya family.
Bangladeshi journalists, who are searching for
information about the incident in the media, Khaled, a Rohingya leader from
Tambru border, told them that the person and his 4 members from Akhtar Alam had
gone to Myanmar from zero line, he was the representative of a union of
Myanmar. He did not say anything while going. Not only that, it has been
reported in the media that Akhtar, who returned to Myanmar, was originally the
spy of the Myanmar army. During the recent violence, he also took shelter with
other Rohingyas at the zero line. Then he got shelter in a neighboring
Bangladeshi family of the border. But because of his movements were suspicious,
he would be taken out of her house by the Bangladeshi family. Akhtar originally
sent the news of Bangladesh and border areas to Myanmar army. He had a mobile
phone with him. The question that concerns us in this incident is that, how
many more spies are there in the zero-line, even the Rohingya who are now in
different camps of Bangladesh, who are regularly transferring information to
the Myanmar army?
Another question is, why did Myanmar take away a
family and campaigned? The answer is probably that the strategy they created
from the beginning of the formation of a kind of smoke or camouflage in the
Rohingya issue, this phenomenon is also their frequency. This phenomenon is more
dangerous than it is big or important. Because of spreading the return of a
Rohingya Muslim family, Myanmar has taken a strategy to make fool the whole
world. They have tried to give such a confusing message to the world that they
are very sincere to take back the Rohingyas and without any compulsion Rohingya
voluntarily return to Myanmar. As a result, there is no need for any kind of
deal or reconciliation on the issue of repatriation. They may also like to
propagate that Myanmar is sincere in returning Rohingyas, but Bangladesh is not
ready for this.
Ahead of this incident, another news came to the
media before few days. That is, 7 army personals have been sentenced to 10
years rigorous imprisonment for rioting in Rakhine. Four of the convicted soldiers
were army officers. Apart from the punishment, they were also fired from the
army. It is said that in a statement published on the Facebook page of Myanmar
army chief Min Aung Hailing, the soldiers were sentenced to 10 years in the
military courts, along with their hard work in the remote areas.
Almost the same time on 11th April, the Social
Welfare, Relief and Rehabilitation Minister of Myanmar Mr. Win Myat Aye visited Bangladesh and gone to Rohingya camps in Cox's
Bazar. He promised to taking Rohingyas back as soon as possible. But question
is, as the framework of the government of Myanmar and the impact and control of
the army there is a slight desire for a social welfare minister in this
assurance. Moreover, if the country's defense, foreign or home minister gave
such assurance, he would also have made a diplomatic value. It is a question of
the importance of assurance of a very sensitive and very important issue of
returning Rohingya to a minister who works in relief and rehabilitation.
However, this visit by a minister of Myanmar proves that, despite the
international pressure on the Myanmar government, no matter how loud and
tactful the Rohingya issue is, they have to do some intimidation even though
they do not solve the problem. That is, now under pressure of the situation,
they have to do some eyewash. They did not show courtesy before.
It is heard that a delegation of the United Nations
Security Council in the end of this month will visit Bangladesh to see the
situation in Rohingya, where a member from Russia will be part, that Russia is
actually in favor of Myanmar in the Rohingya issue. Because of the huge
investment in Myanmar, China and political, religious and financial interests
in many areas, India is also in favor of Myanmar on the Rohingya issue - which
is a big obstacle in front of Bangladesh to overcome this crisis. Even after
the security council members came to Bangladesh, and after seeing the Rohingya
situation in Cox's Bazar, there would be doubts about how easy it would be to
send Rohingyas back to Myanmar. Because, in the past, the Myanmar government
has reportedly said that they will mainly dispel the issue of returning
Rohingyas. As a result, before the visit of the Security Council members to
Myanmar, Myanmar would probably do some more eyewash on this issue - so many
would think that they all took Rohingya back! But in reality it will not be
easy. The number of Rohingya who are now in Bangladesh, which will eventually
take them back to Myanmar, can be predicted slightly, but since it is no longer
limited to the bilateral issue of Bangladesh-Myanmar, it has now become an
international form and the United Nations (especially the Secretary-General) )
It is evident that Bangladesh is beside, so the question, how global diplomacy
and international pressure on Myanmar can play role to repatriate Rohingya.
Amin Al Rasheed
Journalist & Writer, Bangladesh
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