BD seeks New Delhi's sustained pressure on Myanmar

Staff Correspondent: India's External Affairs Minister Sushman Swaraj on Sunday said the solution of Rohingya crisis lied with the return of the "displaced persons" as Bangladesh sought New Delhi's sustained pressure on Myanmar for solution of Rohingya issue that created humanitarian crisis in Bangladesh.

"India is deeply concerned at the spate of violence in Rakhine State of Myanmar. . . t is clear that normalcy will only be restored with the return of the displaced persons to Rakhine state," she said reading out a statement at a joint media briefing with her counterpart AH Mahmood Ali.

She said New Delhi "urged that the situation be handled with restraint, keeping in mind the welfare of the population" while it supported implementation of the Kofi Annan led Special Advisory Commission report's implementation.

Swaraj also referred to the India response to the crisis launching the 'Operation Insaniyat' in September to support Bangladesh in its "commendable efforts to provide shelter in Cox's Bazaar to lakhs of "displaced persons" who fled from Rakhine.

She said under the operation New Delhi supplied essential requirements by way of parboiled rice, dal, salt, sugar, cooking oil, tea, milk powder, mosquito nets and soap to about 300,000 displaced persons.

"(But) In our view, the only long term solution to the situation in Rakhine State is rapid socio-economic and infrastructure development," she said.

Swaraj also expressed India's commitment to provide financial and technical assistance for identified projects to be undertaken in Rakhine State "in conjunction with the local authorities".

The two ministers appeared before the media after the 4th fourth Bangladesh-India Joint Consultative Commission (JCC) meeting when they were aided by top officials of the respective foreign and other ministries of the two countries.


risingbd/Dhaka/October 22, 2017/Saif/A K Azad