Rohingya crisis: India, China have assured us of support, Bangladesh foreign secretary says

Foreign Secretary of Bangladesh Shahidul Haque on Monday said that India and China have committed to stay behind the country over the issue of Rohingya.

Haque was speaking at a diplomatic briefing of the regional alliance ASEAN and other Asian countries in Dhaka.

He said, "India and China are two brotherly countries. They have committed to stay beside Bangladesh as it faces the humanitarian crisis."

Bangladesh urged the international community to pursue Myanmar government for "immediate and unconditional" implementation of the Kofi Annan Commission's recommendations on Rakhine state where Rohingya Muslims have been facing widespread abuses that has created a serious humanitarian crisis. "We want that the recommendations of the Kofi Annan Commission should be implemented in totality, immediately and unconditionally for a permanent solution of the crisis," said Haque.

The foreign secretary said that foreign diplomats expressed concerns over the present humanitarian crisis created following exodus of thousands of Rohingyas and assured Bangladesh to stay beside it in this regard.

"They have assured us that they would provide all out cooperation in sharing of burden through mobilization of resources in hosting the Rohingya Muslims, who fled to Bangladesh," he added.

He said the diplomats applauded Bangladesh government for hosting a large number of Rohingyas for past three decades. They also stressed on the protection of civilians in



the Rakhine State, he added.

Bangladesh has urged the world community to extend their cooperation to solve the Rohingya crisis.

Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali organized the briefing to inform the foreign diplomats about the humanitarian crisis created following persecution of Rohinga Muslims in Rakhine State of Myanmar that has led to influx of huge number of Rohingays to Bangladesh.

Ambassadors, High Commissioners from diplomatic Missions of Afghanistan, Brunei Darussalam, China, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Vietnam, the Philippines, Thailand, Singapore, South Korea, India, Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and the Maldives were present at the diplomatic briefing.

Earlier, during the diplomatic briefing, the foreign minister apprised them that around 3,00,000 Rohingya have entered Bangladesh in last two weeks although Bangladesh has already been hosting 400,000 Rohingyas for three decades.

He said currently the total number of Myanmar nationals living in Bangladesh has reached over 700,000, a huge challenge for Bangladesh in terms of providing shelter as well as other humanitarian assistances to them.

The foreign minister highlighted that Bangladesh has always preferred bilateral solution to this long standing problem and was successful in repatriating 236,599 Rohingyas to their homeland through a bilateral agreement in 1992. He mentioned that the 1992 agreement recognized Rohingya as 'members of Myanmar society'.