Myanmar, Bangladesh agree to cooperate on Rohingya refugee repatriation
The countries signed two agreements covering security and border cooperation, and agreed to form a working group and halt the outflow of refugees
Myanmar and Bangladesh on Tuesday agreed to cooperate on the repatriation of Rohingya refugees and took steps to boost border security as relations between the neighbours have been strained by the continuing flow of refugees into Bangladesh.
At a meeting in Myanmar’s capital Naypyidaw, attended by Myanmar’s home affairs minister lieutenant general Kyaw Swe and his Bangladeshi counterpart Asaduzzaman Khan, the countries signed two agreements covering security and border cooperation.
The two countries have agreed to arrange different steps so that these people can return to their homeland
The two sides have also agreed to “to halt the outflow of Myanmar residents to Bangladesh,” and “to form a joint working group,” Tin Myint, permanent secretary from Myanmar’s home affairs ministry told reporters after the meetings.
“After joint working group, the verification, [the] two countries have agreed to arrange different steps so that these people can return to their homeland safely and honourably and in secure conditions,” said Mostafa Kamal Uddin, secretary from Bangladeshi home affairs ministry.
The officials did not elaborate on the specific steps the authorities would take for the repatriation, adding that the bulk of discussions was dedicated to border and security cooperation agreements which have been long in the making.
Tin Myint said the two countries agreed “to restore normalcy in Rakhine to enable displaced Myanmar residents to return from Bangladesh at the earliest opportunity.”