Myanmar, Bangladesh agree on the Rohingya

NAYPYITAW - Reuters

Myanmar and Bangladesh on Oct. 24 agreed to cooperate on the repatriation of Rohingya refugees and took steps to boost border security as relations between the neighbors have been strained by the continuing flow of refugees into Bangladesh.

Over 600,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled Myanmar since Aug. 25, when Rohingya insurgent attacks sparked a ferocious military response by the

Myanmar army that the United Nations has called ethnic cleansing.

At a meeting in Myanmar’s capital Naypyitaw, 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 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 honorably 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.”