Preparations to receive returnees to Rakhine State

March 6, 2018

TAUNG Pyo Letwe Reception Centre, Nga Khu Ya Reception Centre and Hla Pho Khaung Transit Centre were being opened to receive returnees back to Rakhine State Maungtaw region.

An Arrangement on Return of Displaced Persons from Rakhine State was signed on 23 November 2017 between Myanmar and Bangladesh and a Joint Working Group on the Repatriation of Displaced Myanmar Residents from Bangladesh was formed to implement the agreement.

The first meeting of Joint Working Group on the Repatriation of Displaced Myanmar Residents from Bangladesh was held on 15 January in Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Physical Arrangement for Repatriation of Displaced Myanmar Residents From Bangladesh was signed.

In the first meeting of Joint Working Group on the Repatriation of Displaced Myanmar Residents from Bangladesh the forms that voluntary returnees need to fill in were discussed thoroughly by the two sides.

Myanmar-Bangladesh Home Affairs Ministers second meeting for cooperation on bilateral security and law enforcement was held in Bangladesh from 15 to 17 February.

At the meeting particulars of 8,032 persons from 1,673 households were handed over to Myanmar by Bangladesh for assessment prior to returning them.

The form that describes these persons was not according to the agreed format and was in a format made by the Bangladesh side. As it is not in the agreed format, it was difficult to clarify where these people actually lived. Additional difficulties were

- impossible to assess whether they return on their free will

- no undertaking to obey and follow the existing laws of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar

- no signature or finger print to guarantee that the information provided are true

- no from number and no date of entry on filling the form - no finger print and distinct sign of head of household included

- no indication of whether the person previously hold document(s) issued by Myanmar government and no Myanmar address of the parents of the head of household

- modern methods of comparing the photo by household and documents issued for each family with the photo of the voluntary returnees were in place but the photo sent was of low quality and could not be checked

- father and mother names of each individual in the household lists were not included and non-related person can be included in it - the numbers of the cards held were not shown making it difficult to compare it with the records

- despite space provided for finger print and photo, no photo and finger print included

- a family photo was included but was not clear

- no signature of assessment group included that could cause confusion

As such, Bangladesh side was informed through diplomatic channel to send the forms in the agreed format it is learnt.

Discussions and coordinations were being conducted with Bangladesh in order to quickly assess and accept the returnees it is learnt.

Myanmar News Agency

Ref; The Global New Light of Myanmar