A team consisting of approximately 20 refugees and officials from Bangladesh, known as the "Go to See" team, is scheduled to visit the Maungdaw region of Rakhine State on May 5. The purpose of their visit is to assess the preparedness of the Military Council to facilitate the return of Muslim refugees.
Upon entering Myanmar via the bilateral friendship bridge in Taung Pyo Let Wae, Maungdaw Township from Bangladesh, the group will visit various Reception Centers located in Maungdaw North, including Taung Pyo Let Wae, Nga Khu Ya, and Hla Pho Khaung.
Ko Ka Maul of Kutupalong No. 7 refugee camp told DMG, "We are aware that the Go To See team will be conducting on-site inspections of the reception centers, and we have heard that they are scheduled to begin accepting refugees on May 15. There will be 20 Muslim refugees from Bangladesh in the group that will go."
Officials from the Office of the Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner (RRRC) in Bangladesh will lead the Go to See group during their visit to Myanmar.
It has been reported that the 20 refugees who are participating in the Go To See team to study the situation on the ground are not a representative group of refugees. Rather, they are only individuals who have been listed for repatriation. As a result, many Muslims have expressed skepticism and lack of confidence in the team's ability to accurately represent their interests.
"The group of 20 Muslims who will be conducting ground inspections does not include any representatives from the actual refugee community. Instead, they are the ones listed by the Military Council. We do not have trust in their actions. Without the ability to return to our previous location, it will be impossible for us to move forward," said an anonymous person from a refugee camp in Bangladesh.
As part of the Military Council's refugee readmission plan, the refugees are requesting citizenship, the right to return to their original place of residence, freedom of movement, and access to life insurance.
In March, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) stated that the situation in Rakhine State is not conducive to the long-term return of Muslim refugees.
On April 4, the Myanmar Alin newspaper reported that the Military Council had announced its decision to initially accept over 700 Muslim refugees who had previously fled to Bangladesh.
In March, the Military Council invited diplomats from China, India, Bangladesh, and Thailand, along with representatives from ASEAN's humanitarian organization, to Maungdaw Township for a discussion on the issue of repatriating Muslim refugees.
The Arakan Army (AA) believes that the Military Council's acceptance of Muslim refugees is merely a pretense to gain international recognition.
Following the ARSA's attack on police outposts in the Maungdaw region in 2017, the Myanmar military cleared the area, and according to the international community, more than 700,000 Muslims fled to Bangladesh. However, Myanmar authorities claim that the number of Muslims who fled is slightly over 500,000.
