Bangladesh would seek help from the US to resolve the Rohingya issue with Myanmar.
The issue will be discussed with Senior Adviser for Burma at the State Department Judith Beth Cefkin while interaction with State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahariar Alam and Foreign Secretary Md Shahidul Haque. Cefkin arrived in Dhaka yesterday and is scheduled to fly to Myanmar today.
“Washington would like to develop relationship with Naypyidaw for strategic reasons and Bangladesh wants to take the leverage by requesting US to solve the problems,” said a senior diplomat, seeking anonymity.
“We would like to convey our message to the senior adviser andexpect that she would pass it on to Myanmar,” he said.
Bangladesh’s stance is clear. Rohingya issue was not generated in this country and Bangladesh wanted Myanmar to resolve this issue, the diplomat said.
Bangladesh is doing more than it should have done for last 30 years to help the Rohingyas, who were pushed inside the boundary but now it is overburdened with manifold problems, he said.
Officially around 30,000 Rohingya refugees reside in two camps in Cox’s Bazar while about half a million undocumented Myanmar nationals are estimated to reside in Bangladesh.
Dhaka wants to provide assistance on humanitarian grounds to the refugees but one must understand that it has limitations, the diplomat said.
Rohingyas, the Myanmar nationals, started to come to Bangladesh since there was first influx in late 1970s following sectarian violence and ethnic cleansing began in the Rakhine state close to Bangladesh border by the Myanmar government.
Last year in December, in a testimony given to the Senate, Judith said: “The US government coordinates closely with the international community to send unified messages to the government of Burma on Rakhine State.”
She said after tensions spiraled into violence in June and October 2012, nearly 200 people were killed and approximately 140,000 people, mainly Muslims, displaced and up to 60,000 Rohingyas fled Rakhine State by boat, the highest number in over 20 years.