'Rohingya repatriation Myanmar’s responsibility'

Staff Correspondent: Acting Assistant Secretary of United State for the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration Simon Henshaw said, "It is the “responsibility” of the Myanmar government to set up process and take back Rohingyas in safe and secure areas.

The senior US official said this at a press briefing in Dhaka on Saturday.

“They [Myanmar] are responsible for setting up the process and making sure that they are providing the safe and secure area for people to voluntary return,” Heanshaw said.

State Department’s Spokesperson Heather Nauert and Ambassador to Marcia Bernicat also attended the briefing.

“It’s a complex crisis. Our visit to Myanmar made that clear,” he said, adding that there are issues related to transition from the military rule to civilian democracy, differences between the communities in Rakhine and issues between the state and central government.

“All these make this very difficult,” he said, adding that they told Myanmar about their “responsibilities” including returning security and stability to Rakhine State, investigate reports of atrocities and bring those responsible to account.

A US delegation led by Henshaw visited Myanmar and then came to Bangladesh and visited Cox’s Bazar camps for two days from November 2.

The US team comprised deputy assistant Secretary Scott Busby of the bureau of democracy, human rights, and labour, acting deputy assistant secretary Tom Vajda of the bureau of south and central Asian affairs and office director Patricia Mahoney of the bureau of East Asian and pacific affairs.



risingbd/Dhaka/Nov 4, 2017/N A/Nasim