Hossen Sohel: UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, and UNDP, the UN’s development agency, yesterday urged Myanmar authorities to make tangible progress to improve conditions in Rakhine State.
The call came within two months of the signing of the tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between UNHCR, UNDP, and the government of Myanmar.
In a joint statement, the UN agencies said the Myanmar government’s willingness to take the lead in the implementation of this agreement is critical to creating conditions conducive for the voluntary, safe, dignified, and sustainable return of Rohingya refugees.
The signing of the tripartite MoU with the government of Myanmar will not, in itself, allow Rohingya refugees to return home to Myanmar, according to the statement received from UNHCR.
In line with the MoU, the UN agencies said, root causes need to be addressed by implementing the recommendations of the Advisory Commission on Rakhine State.
Effective access requires being able to consult, freely and independently and on a day-to-day basis, with communities in Rakhine State about their needs.
It also necessitates a predictable, flexible and simplified procedure to approve travel authorizations within a reasonable period of time for UNHCR and UNDP staff to go to the areas where these communities reside, according to UNHCR
Secondly, freedom of movement as well as increased public services delivery is crucial for all communities in Rakhine State, irrespective of religion, ethnicity or citizenship status.
Third, it is fundamental to address the root causes of the crisis. The most sobering feature of northern areas of Rakhine State today is the empty space where villages used to stand.
Unused and empty paddy fields are a stark reminder of the missing population who used to cultivate them.