On the ninth anniversary of the mass exodus of Rohingya to Bangladesh, 16 diplomatic missions, including those of the UK, Australia, Canada and the EU, in Dhaka on Tuesday recalled the Rohingya's right to return to their home country, Myanmar.
Bangladesh has been sheltering about 1.2 million persecuted Rohingya on the southeastern Cox’s Bazar coast after they fled a brutal Myanmar military crackdown and started crossing the border on August 25 2017.
However, nine years after the mass exodus, conflict is escalating across the Rakhine state and humanitarian needs are rising, according to the foreign missions’ joint statement.
“Deepening insecurity, air strikes on civilian infrastructure and the Myanmar authorities’ blockades on aid and trade are worsening the humanitarian crisis,” the statement said, marking Rohingya Genocide Remembrance Day, observed on August 25.
Ongoing conflict driving further displacement
This instability is driving further displacement into Bangladesh, and across the region, leading to tragic loss of life through dangerous sea crossings, it said, adding that these conditions do not currently allow for voluntary, safe, dignified, and sustainable repatriation.
They said conditions for Rohingya return will require a strategic, coordinated, and long-term approach to address the root causes of displacement, build trust between communities, and support greater peace and stability in Myanmar.
They also said they will continue to work with Bangladesh to find pathways towards building the conditions for repatriation.
UN calls for renewed international attention
The statement came as UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for renewed international attention and action to address the plight of the Rohingya, according to his spokesperson Stephane Dujarric on Monday.
"Rohingya people in Myanmar, Bangladesh and across the region face deepening insecurity, shrinking protection space and diminishing prospects for durable solutions, exacerbated by funding cuts impacting life-saving assistance," Dujarric said in a statement.
In Myanmar, Rohingya and other communities remain caught in conflict and displacement, facing "grave human rights violations and other abuses," including by the Myanmar military and the Arakan Army, Dujarric said.
"Hundreds of civilians continue to be killed every year, while movement and humanitarian access remain restricted. Rohingya are also exposed to forced recruitment, arbitrary arrests and sexual violence," he added.
Guterres reiterated his call for the protection of civilians in accordance with international law, including international human rights law, international humanitarian law and international refugee law, the statement said.
The UN chief also expressed appreciation for Bangladesh and other countries hosting refugees from Myanmar, urging all states to provide protection to those fleeing the crisis.
"He is alarmed by the increasing number of Rohingya perishing at sea and urges regional cooperation on search and rescue, safe disembarkation and action against human trafficking."
"He is deeply troubled by rising misinformation, disinformation and hate speech targeting Rohingya in Myanmar and other countries in the region," Dujarric said.
Dujarric said Guterres urges the international community to strengthen collective action to support an "inclusive and comprehensive" political solution that addresses the root causes of the protracted crisis in Myanmar.
