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Bangladesh’s prime minister said on Monday that the prolonged stay of more than 1 million Rohingya refugees in the country’s overcrowded camps has become a serious security and stability issue.
“In addition to their own suffering, their long-term presence is causing serious repercussions for Bangladesh’s economy, environment, security and socio-political stability,” Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina opened a three-day meeting of military officials from 24 countries The formula is in the Indo-Pacific region.
The United States co-hosted the conference, called the Indo-Pacific Army Management Symposium, with the Bangladesh Army.
Bangladesh is using the platform to highlight the issue of Rohingya refugees fleeing violence in Myanmar, while participating armies discuss disaster management, transnational crime, security issues and women’s empowerment.
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Bangladesh Army Chief of Staff SM Shafiuddin Ahmed said attendees including the US, Canada, Australia, Japan, Indonesia, India, China and Vietnam will visit the sprawling Rohingya refugee camp to see their plight firsthand.
Ahmed said military leaders were taken to refugee camps in the Cox’s Bazar area to give them a “clear understanding” of the magnitude of the refugee crisis and why it was necessary to send them back to Myanmar.
Last month, the refugees marked the fifth anniversary of the mass exodus of more than 700,000 Rohingya to Bangladesh, who are fleeing a harsh crackdown by Myanmar’s military. In total, Bangladesh hosts more than 1 million Rohingya refugees.
Hasina has said that repatriation is the only solution to the crisis, but Bangladesh will not force them to return to Myanmar.
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Bangladeshi officials have expressed disappointment that at least two attempts to repatriate refugees have failed under a bilateral agreement brokered by China. The Muslim Rohingya say the situation remains too dangerous in Buddhist-majority Myanmar, where they face widespread discrimination.
Charles A Flynn, commander of the U.S. Army in the Pacific, told reporters he could not answer policy questions such as how the military could help repatriate the Rohingya to Myanmar, but thanked Bangladesh for arranging a delegation to the camp.
“I am going to say this. I am grateful to the Bangladesh Army Chief for finding a way to bring us to Cox’s Bazar in this program and seeing Bangladesh provide five years of humanity to this situation aid,” he said.
The Rohingya crisis has been referred to an international court and Myanmar has denied any wrongdoing.
Last month, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the United States remained “committed to advancing justice and accountability for the Rohingya and the entire people of Myanmar.”
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