By The Daily Star/ Bangladesh

Wed Apr 19, 2023 07:40 AM Last update on: Wed Apr 19, 202301:17 PM

With an aim to start Rohingya repatriation before the monsoon,Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen held a tripartite meeting in Kunming withrepresentatives from China and Myanmar yesterday.

A diplomatic source told this to The Daily Star, but declined elaboration.

Masud Bin Momen flew to Kunming of China on Monday. This trip was not publicised,and Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen also did not respond when he was askedabout the secretary's China visit after an event at the Foreign ServiceAcademy.

The source said there was a plan to repatriate some 1,000 Rohingyas beforemonsoon. After observing their situation back in Rakhine State, the next courseof action could be taken.

Amid mounting global pressure, a 17-member Myanmar delegation in March thisyear conducted a five-day campaign in Teknaf to verify the identities ofRohingya refugees for repatriation of the first batch of Rohingyas beforemonsoon.

According to Bangladesh officials, there were some issues regarding theearlier verification process, and virtual meetings held in this regard were notenough to settle those.

"Therefore, the delegation met the Rohingyas in person and verifiedtheir names, villages, towns … " a foreign ministry official had told TheDaily Star in March.

Since 2017, when around 750,000 Rohingyas fled a military crackdown inMyanmar's Rakhine State, there were at least two attempts of repatriation andChinese officials were also involved in the process as China began mediatingunder a tripartite arrangement involving China, Bangladesh and Myanmar.

However, not a single refugee of the over one million sheltered in Cox'sBazar's Teknaf and Ukhiya upazilas was repatriated, as the Rohingyas said theconditions in Rakhine were not safe and there was no guarantee of citizenshipafter returning.

Talks between Myanmar and Bangladesh had slowed since the start of theCovid-19 pandemic in early 2020, and military takeover of Myanmar in 2021.

Meanwhile, the global pressure piled on the Myanmar junta that is accused ofkilling thousands of civilians fighting for the return of democracy.

On the other hand, a genocide case is ongoing with the International Courtof Justice, while the US has also termed the atrocities against the Rohingyas agenocide.

In December 2021, the US Senate passed the BURMA Act to bolster support forthe Myanmar democratic forces.

Foreign ministry officials said Myanmar has shown growing interest for theRohingya repatriation in recent times and has also arranged a trip forambassadors of ASEAN countries and of Bangladesh, India and China to Rakhineearly March to show the conditions.