China took a ‘good initiative’

GBNEWS24DESK//

Chinese Special Envoy Deng Xijun had a meeting with Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen on Rohingya repatriation on April 6, two days before the latter flew to Washington to hold a bilateral meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

“I had a courtesy call with him and we discussed how to quickly repatriate the Rohingyas to Myanmar,” Momen told journalists after attending an event marking the Foreign Service Day at the Foreign Service Academy yesterday.

There was, however, no public announcement of the Chinese special envoy’s visit to Dhaka.

Meanwhile, Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen flew to China on Monday and is likely to return today, said sources. They could not say details of his schedule while in China.

Foreign Minister Momen also did not respond to a question when asked about the purpose of the foreign secretary’s China visit.

Asked if there was any suggestion from Xijun during his meeting in Dhaka, Momen said China has been working for many days on the Rohingya repatriation. Not only they, many others are also working towards that end, he added.

“I should say they [China] took a good initiative … China facilitates the discussion between Myanmar and Bangladesh [on Rohingya repatriation] and we are hopeful that it will go forward.”

Asked exactly when the repatriation can start, Momen said, “I cannot say that unless it really starts. There were several attempts, but it did not happen. We want them to return with dignity.”

Not a single Rohingya returned since the biggest influx of some 7.5 lakh Rohingyas in 2017. Meanwhile, the military takeover in February 2021 and subsequent civilian-military conflicts in Myanmar put the Rohingya repatriation into further uncertainty.

A Rohingya genocide case is ongoing at the International Court of Justice, while the US declared the atrocities against Rohingyas as genocide. The US and other western countries say that the environment in Myanmar is not yet conducive for repatriation.

China, a close ally of Myanmar, meanwhile, has been brokering discussion between Bangladesh and Myanmar for the repatriation.

Xijun, also a former envoy to ASEAN, recently held three meetings with leaders of Federal Political Negotiation and Consultative Committee, a coalition of seven ethnic armed organisations based in northern Myanmar, according to Myanmar’s news portal Irrawaddy on March 20.

The FPNCC, which opted out of signing the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement with the Myanmar government and military, is seeking alternatives to build peace and solve political problems in Myanmar.