{"id":237103,"date":"2023-06-12T12:00:03","date_gmt":"2023-06-12T11:00:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/?p=237103"},"modified":"2023-06-09T09:19:03","modified_gmt":"2023-06-09T08:19:03","slug":"bangladesh-must-suspend-plans-to-return-rohingya-refugees-to-myanmar-rights-expert","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/2023\/06\/bangladesh-must-suspend-plans-to-return-rohingya-refugees-to-myanmar-rights-expert\/","title":{"rendered":"Bangladesh Must Suspend Plans to Return Rohingya Refugees to Myanmar: Rights Expert"},"content":{"rendered":"<blockquote><p>8 Jun 2023 &#8211;<em> <span class=\"field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden\">Bangladesh must \u201cimmediately suspend\u201d a pilot repatriation project for Rohingya refugees to return to Myanmar, where they face \u201cserious risks\u201d to their lives and freedom, a UN-appointed independent rights expert said today.<\/span><\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<div id=\"attachment_237104\" style=\"width: 510px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/rohingya-family-burma-myanmar-bangladesh.jpg\" ><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-237104\" class=\"wp-image-237104\" src=\"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/rohingya-family-burma-myanmar-bangladesh-1024x464.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"226\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/rohingya-family-burma-myanmar-bangladesh-1024x464.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/rohingya-family-burma-myanmar-bangladesh-300x136.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/rohingya-family-burma-myanmar-bangladesh-768x348.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/rohingya-family-burma-myanmar-bangladesh.jpg 1170w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-237104\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A Rohingya family stand outside their home in a refugee camp in Teknaf, Bangladesh.\u00a0 \u00a9 UNICEF\/Suman Paul Himu<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"main-wrapper\" class=\"layout-main-wrapper clearfix\">\n<div id=\"main-container\" class=\"container layout-main-container\">\n<div class=\"row row-offcanvas row-offcanvas-left clearfix\">\n<section class=\"section\">\n<div id=\"block-views-block-content-fields-block-body\" class=\"views-element-container block block-views block-views-block-content-fields-block-body\">\n<div class=\"content block__content\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"view view-content-fields view-id-content_fields view-display-id-block_body js-view-dom-id-0e3e71cf02d8efd3f61f1a2a64aa3feb9896140ffdc9ef51e4ecfbf7eec59da5\">\n<div class=\"view-content\">\n<div class=\"views-row\">\n<div class=\"views-field views-field-field-news-story\">\n<div class=\"field-content\">\n<div class=\"paragraph paragraph--type--one-column-text paragraph--view-mode--default\">\n<div class=\"lc-section lc-section-956 layoutcomponents-one-column container lc-inline_section-edit\">\n<div class=\"lc-inline_container-section-edit\">\n<div class=\"row lc-container-cols lc-inline_row-edit\">\n<div class=\"lc-inline_column_first-edit layoutcomponent-column col-md\">\n<div class=\"layout-builder__region js-layout-builder-region lc-inline_column_first-content-edit\">\n<div class=\"block block-layout-builder block-field-block-paragraph-one-column-text-field-text-column\">\n<div class=\"content block__content\">\n<div class=\"clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-text-column field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item\">\n<blockquote><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ohchr.org\/en\/special-procedures\/sr-myanmar\"  target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em>Tom Andrews<\/em><\/a><em>, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, insisted that current conditions there were \u201c<strong>anything but conducive<\/strong>\u201d for the return of Rohingya refugees.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h3><em><strong>Death trap<\/strong><\/em><\/h3>\n<p>He stressed that the very generals who had launched \u201cgenocidal\u201d attacks against the Rohingya, causing hundreds of thousands to flee the country, were now in power and \u201c<strong>attacking civilian populations while denying the Rohingya citizenship<\/strong>\u00a0and other basic rights\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>According to Mr. Andrews\u2019 statement, Bangladesh officials have been planning to send back to Myanmar, potentially very soon, an\u00a0<strong>initial group of 1,140<\/strong>\u00a0Rohingya refugees, using a combination of threats and financial rewards.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Bangladesh must immediately suspend a pilot repatriation project for Rohingya to return to Myanmar, where they face serious risks to their lives and liberty &#8211; UN expert  <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RapporteurUn?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" >@RapporteurUN<\/a> <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/IIZi7obUKO\" >https:\/\/t.co\/IIZi7obUKO<\/a> <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/qEbd40DPni\" >pic.twitter.com\/qEbd40DPni<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; UN Special Procedures (@UN_SPExperts) <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/UN_SPExperts\/status\/1666809858597978113?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" >June 8, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<h3><em><strong>Confined to \u2018designated area\u2019<\/strong><\/em><\/h3>\n<p>The returnees would reportedly pass through \u201ctransit\u201d centres in Rakhine state before being resettled in a \u201cdesignated area of 15 newly constructed villages\u201d which they will \u201c<strong>not be allowed to leave freely<\/strong>\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe return of Rohingya refugees under these conditions would likely violate Bangladesh\u2019s obligations under international law and expose Rohingya to\u00a0<strong>gross human rights violations and, potentially, future atrocity crimes<\/strong>,\u201d Mr. Andrews said.<\/p>\n<p>In March, Bangladesh authorities facilitated two visits by Myanmar junta authorities to the Bangladesh camps, said the UN rights office <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ohchr.org\/EN\/pages\/home.aspx\"  target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">OHCHR<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>According to reports, at least some of the refugees were\u00a0<strong>coerced into participating in so-called \u2018verification\u2019 interviews with junta officials<\/strong>. Bangladesh and the military regime\u2019s officials also coordinated a \u2018go see\u2019 visit to Rakhine State for some Rohingya refugees.<\/p>\n<p>Bangladeshi officials said the refugees had expressed \u201cgeneral satisfaction\u201d with the arrangements being made for their return, but these assurances were contradicted by reports that those who participated in the trip had unequivocally rejected the repatriation plans, OHCHR said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI implore Bangladesh to\u00a0<strong>immediately suspend<\/strong>\u00a0the repatriation pilot programme,\u201d Mr. Andrews said.<\/p>\n<h3><em><strong>Stand with Rohingya<\/strong><\/em><\/h3>\n<p>\u201cI also urge the international community to stand with Rohingya refugees in both word and deed\u201d, he added.<\/p>\n<p>\u201c<strong>This must include reversing the failure to provide a humane level of support<\/strong>\u00a0for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh who are unable to pursue livelihoods, continue to face hunger and malnutrition, and whose children have very limited educational opportunities\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>Tom Andrews and other independent human rights experts are appointed by the UN <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ohchr.org\/EN\/HRBodies\/HRC\/Pages\/Home.aspx\"  target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Human Rights Council<\/a>, in Geneva, under its\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ohchr.org\/en\/special-procedures-human-rights-council\"  target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Special Procedures<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>They are mandated to monitor and report on specific thematic issues or country situations. They are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work.<\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/news.un.org\/en\/story\/2023\/06\/1137457\" >Go to Original &#8211; news.un.org<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>8 Jun 2023 &#8211; Bangladesh must \u201cimmediately suspend\u201d a pilot repatriation project for Rohingya refugees to return to Myanmar, where they face \u201cserious risks\u201d to their lives and freedom, a UN-appointed independent rights expert said today.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":237104,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[677],"tags":[1198,526,865,527,1949,124],"class_list":["post-237103","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-asia-updates-on-myanmar-rohingya-genocide","tag-buddhism","tag-burma-myanmar","tag-genocide","tag-rohingya","tag-un-human-rights-council","tag-united-nations"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/237103","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=237103"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/237103\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":237107,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/237103\/revisions\/237107"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/237104"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=237103"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=237103"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=237103"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}