Create mechanism to evaluate Rohingya refugees prior to repatriation: Centhra

KUALA LUMPUR: The Centre for Human Rights Research and Advocacy (CENTHRA) has called upon the governments of Bangladesh and Myanmar to set up a mechanism for evaluating Rohingya refugees prior to repatriation.
Its chief executive and lawyer, Azril Mohd Amin (pix) in a statement today said, the mechanism would be used not only to determine whether the refugees had been involved in terrorist or criminal activities in the past, but also whether or not they held extremist or militant views that might lead to violence in the future.
"It is essential not only for the security of Myanmar, but indeed for the Rohingya themselves, that the refugees be officially cleared by both the Bangladeshi and Myanmar authorities of suspected militancy prior to their return to Myanmar," he said.
Azril said it had been documented that members of the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) who participated in the attacks on Aug 25 had recently been interred in refugee camps in Bangladesh and thus, the potential threat of militants among refugees was quite real.
"Also, Myanmar owes an obligation of due diligence to its citizens to ensure that no terrorist elements are returned to the country.
"For the Rohingya, it is important that they be cleared of this suspicion prior to their repatriation to prevent any subsequent claim by the government that they are engaged in militant activities as a pretext for another military pogrom," he opined.
Foreign media reported that Bangladesh and Myanmar had signed a deal on Nov 23 for the possible repatriation of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees who fled violence in Rakhine state, Myanmar. — Bernama