Conditions in Myanmar not conducive to Rohingya repatriation: Afreen Akhter

Cox’s Bazar Correspondent :
US Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs of the State Department Afreen Akhter on Tuesday said that the conditions in Myanmar are “not conducive to Rohingya repatriation.

She said this after meetings with the government and UN officials and talking with some Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar.

“We also discussed how any repatriation should be voluntary, should be dignified and should be safe, and that there should not be any forcible repatriation because the conditions in Myanmar are not conducive to repatriation,” she told journalists after the meetings.

Afreen Akhter also said Myanmar’s government has not agreed to allow humanitarian access to the Rohingya camps in Rakhine state of Myanmar.

“They have not allowed Rohingya to settle in villages of their choice or in their home. And so, we really don’t think conditions at this time are right.

But we will continue to work closely with Bangladesh and the international community to find a long-term solution that includes eventual repatriation, but also in the near term providing humanitarian support,” she said.

Earlier, in the morning the US official made the visit with a six-member delegation.

Talking about her visit to Rohingya camp, Afreen Akhter said: “I just want to thank the Bangladeshi government for its incredible generosity and hosting 10,00,000 refugees in a very small and populated country.

We cannot thank you enough. We know that it’s an incredible strain and we really appreciate your generosity,” she said.

“I want to emphasize that the United States is the single largest donor by far when it comes to supporting Rohingya refugees.

We have provided more than $2.2 billion to date since 2017.

We far outpace anyone else in our support for Bangladesh in their response to this crisis,” she mentioned.

Cox’s Bazar Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner (RRRC) Mohammed Mizanur Rahman said she (Afreen Akhter) inspected various UN-run activities in the camp and exchanged views with a delegation of Rohingyas.

“The US delegation reached the registration centre of Kutupalong Camp No 4 in Ukhiya around 10:30am and inspected the registration activities of Rohingyas,” he said, earlier.

Afreen Akhter arrived in Dhaka on Monday for a two-day official visit.

Caption: US Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs of the State Department Afreen Akhter speaks with the journalists in Cox’s Bazar on Tuesday.