AFP: The repatriation of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees to Myanmar due to begin Tuesday will be delayed, a Bangladesh official said, citing the huge task of preparing transit centres and approving lists of returnees.
Government: Ready to begin repatriation
Myanmar is ready to launch the repatriation of refugees from Bangladesh despite a delay announced by Bangladesh authorities. Under the agreement between Myanmar and Bangladesh, repatriation was slated to begin yesterday. “We are ready to accept the first batch of returnees today as agreed, because under the agreement with Bangladesh, we must start the repatriation within two months and today is the day we slated to launch the repatriation,” said Dr. Win Myat Aye, Union Minister for Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement at the press conference in Nay Pyi Taw yesterday. Myanmar has prepared two reception camps on its side of the border to take back up to 300 people per day. “I want to reiterate that we are ready to accept the returnees from Bangladesh according to the list we sent to Bangladesh. To carry that out, we need international cooperation,” said U Myint Thu, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs