The Rakhine State Military Council officials visited Teknaf, Bangladesh to discuss the readmission of Muslim refugees. However, according to the refugees, they were not given the opportunity to express their needs or make any requests during the meeting.
The 14-member team, led by Rakhine State Military Council Social Affairs Minister U Aung Myo and the Maungdaw district administrator, held a meeting with 280 refugees from 29 Muslim refugee camps at a community center in Teknaf. During the meeting, the team explained their repatriation activities to the refugees, as reported by the refugees themselves.
According to an anonymous Muslim refugee who attended the meeting with the Military Council on May 25, they expressed disappointment as they were not given the opportunity to present their needs during the meeting.
"The Military Council will first accept us at Taung Pyo Let Wae and Nga Khu Ya repatriation camps. We will stay there for 3 days before being transferred to Hla Phoe Khaung camp. Additionally, they mentioned that we will be resettled in 15 designated villages and provided with NVC cards. However, we have not been given the opportunity to make any specific requests,” he said.
The Muslim refugees expressed their preparedness to demand three things: the right to live in their original place of residence, obtain citizenship, and receive security guarantees. However, they were not given the opportunity to make any requests during the meeting, and the Military Council members left without addressing their concerns.
Ko Aung Myaing from Kutupalong refugee camp stated that without the opportunity to present their demands, the readmission case being prepared by the Military Council is rendered impossible for the Muslim refugees.
Ko Aung Myaing from Kutupalong refugee camp said, "They are fulfilling their own agenda without meeting our needs or providing any support. Their actions are aimed at gaining favor on the international stage."
On May 5, the Military Council brought around 20 Muslim refugees to reception camps in Maungdaw township and showed them the prepared facilities.
The Military Council is planning to accept the first group of over 1,000 Muslim refugees from Bangladesh, but the specific date for their arrival has not been determined yet.
According to some political analysts, the Military Council's attempt to facilitate the readmission of Muslim refugees in the aftermath of Cyclone Mocha is seen as a desperate move to defend their case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
After ARSA attacked police outposts in the Maungdaw region in 2017, leading to a series of clearance operations by the military, more than 700,000 Muslims were reported to have fled to Bangladesh, according to international organizations. However, Myanmar authorities claim that the number of Muslims who fled to Bangladesh since 2017 is slightly over 500,000.
