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[🇧🇩] Insurgencies in Myanmar. Implications for Bangladesh
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Dhaka urges global action on Rohingya crisis at commonwealth meeting
Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha . New York 25 September, 2024, 01:14

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Professor Muhammad Yunus | UNB file photo

Urging the international community to come forward to resolve the long-pending Rohingya crisis, chief adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus has said if this crisis is not resolved, not only Bangladesh but the entire region will also fall into trouble.

‘We have to be careful...we must pay attention to this,’ he said while speaking at a high-level discussion about the Rohingya crisis on the sidelines of the annual session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Tuesday evening. Foreign affairs adviser Md Touhid Hossain, High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi, ICC prosecutor Karim AA Khan and IOM director general Amy Pope, among others, spoke at the event.

Speaking on the occasion, Prof Yunus proposed rethinking the solution to the Rohingya crisis to the international community.

‘First of all, we want the UN Secretary General to organise a conference on the Rohingya crisis in the presence of all parties involved as soon as possible,’ he said.

Reviewing the overall situation of the Rohingya crisis, the chief adviser said a new and far-sighted solution should be proposed to resolve the crisis.

Secondly, he said, there is a need to revive the ‘Joint Response Plan’ programme conducted jointly by the United Nations and Bangladesh.

Since there is a lack of funds to spend on Rohingyas, the process of raising money should be strengthened with political decisions, Prof Yunus said.

In the third proposal, he said the international community should come forward with sincere support to ensure justice for the crimes of genocide committed against the Rohingya people.

To ensure long-term peace and security in Myanmar, justice for these Rohingyas, who were persecuted by Myanmar’s military junta, must be ensured, he said.

High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said he was honoured to participate in the discussion on Rohingya crisis led by Prof Yunus.

‘Like every year, the event was held but the presence of Dr Yunus and his vision made this discussion particularly important. We must continue our efforts to end discrimination, statelessness and forced displacement of the Rohingya people,’ he added.

IOM Director General Amy Pope said the Rohingya people should not be forgotten, so all should do more to resolve this crisis and continue the necessary support and long-term process of solution to this crisis.

The IOM chief said it is committed to doing everything possible to achieve this goal.

While participating in the high-level UNGA sidelines event on the Rohingya crisis, US Under Secretary of State for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights Uzra Zeya announced nearly $199 million in new assistance for Rohingya refugees and communities hosting them.

Meanwhile, during the ongoing UN General Assembly session, some Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh sent a message to world leaders asking ‘Do not make us frustrated’.

They, in the video message, said the Rohingya community should not be forgotten.

Later, at a reception, chief advisor Muhammad Yunus has sought cooperation from foreign friends to build a new Bangladesh dreamt by youth folks.

‘Through the sacrifice of lives and indomitable leadership of the youth, revolutionary changes have taken place in Bangladesh. They sacrificed their lives to build a discrimination-free society and a prosperous country,’ he said.

Yunus said this at a reception hosted marking the 50th year of Bangladesh’s membership in the United Nations Tuesday evening.

The chief adviser said: ‘The sacrifice of young people has created a great opportunity for us.

We don’t want to miss this opportunity. The youth want to build a new Bangladesh through a drastic change in the existing state structure and institutions. We need all of your support to implement it.’

Pakistan prime minister Shahbaz Sharif, US Assistant Secretary of State for Central and South Asia Donald Lu and representatives of various countries attended the event.

On September 17 in 1974, Bangladesh became a full member of the United Nations.

Foreign affairs adviser Md Touhid Hossain, energy adviser Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan, permanent representative of Bangladesh to the UN Ambassador Muhammad Abdul Muhith, principal coordinator (SDGs affairs) Lamiya Morshed, chief adviser’s special assistant Mahfuj Alam and chief adviser’s press secretary Shafiqul Alam were present, among others.

Professor Yunus and photographer Shahidul Alam unveiled the covers of two books written on the events of the student-led uprising.

Recalling the sacrifice of the students, Yunus said the whole nation is united today.

The chief adviser said his government is working to put in place a new electoral system through institutional reforms.

Addressing the foreign friends, the Nobel laureate said the courage and determination the Bangladeshi youths showed has overwhelmed all.

Standing in front of bullets, the youths did not hesitate to accept disability, Prof Yunus said, adding ‘We want you (foreign friends) beside us in building democratic Bangladesh cherished by the youth’.

The chief adviser will address the UNGA session on September 27.

International Monetary Fund managing director Kristalina Georgieva has pledged support to Bangladesh’s reform initiatives, saying the Washington-based lender has sent a team to Dhaka to hold talks with the stakeholders over the matter.

The IMF managing director expressed her support at a meeting with the chief adviser at the UN headquarters in New York on Tuesday.

‘It is a different country. It is Bangladesh 2.0,’ Kristalina Georgieva told the chief adviser when he gave a short briefing on the student-led mass uprising which ousted the previous autocratic regime.

The IMF chief executive extended her support for the initiatives, saying the lender would fast-track financial support for the Bangladesh government.

She said she sent an IMF team ‘quickly’ to Bangladesh and it is in Dhaka at the moment. The team would place its report to the IMF management board next month, he added.

Georgieva said the IMF board could initiate a new lending programme for Bangladesh based on the report of the team, or it could also extend more lending under the existing support programme launched early last year.

Energy, power and transport adviser Fouzul Kabir Khan and eminent economist Debapriya Bhattacharya attended the meeting.

Adviser Fouzul Kabir Khan told the IMF chief that the Bangladesh interim government took just a week to ‘dismantle the architecture of crimes’ in the power and energy sector.

Debapriya stressed the need for IMF support to bolster the country’s balance of payments.

He said the role of the IMF would be critical to stabilising exchange rates.

Meanwhile, Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni meets the chief adviser on the sidelines of the annual session of the UN General Assembly on Tuesday (local time).

During the meeting, Professor Yunus gave a brief outline of the student-led mass uprising which, he said, has created new opportunities for Bangladesh, pressing ‘the reset button’ for the entire nation.

Meloni said Italy would support the Prof Yunus-led interim government in its move to carry out vital reforms in key sectors.

The chief adviser urged the Italian leader to formalise migration from Bangladesh, paving the way of entry of more Bangladeshi workers in Italy through legal channels, which he said would cut risky illegal migration.

Meloni agreed, saying both nations should work together to stop irregular migration and conduct training for people planning to work in Italy.​
 
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Rohingya crisis: Foreign adviser urges UN Security Council to take decisive action

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Md Touhid Hossain

Foreign Adviser Md Touhid Hossain has urged the UN Security Council to take decisive action in response to the Rohingya crisis in Bangladesh and the ongoing suffering of Myanmar's citizens amid conflict in Rakhine State.

While addressing the UN Security Council Open Debate on "Leadership for Peace" on Thursday, he also shared Bangladesh's perspectives on fostering peace and stability.

The adviser noted that Bangladesh is currently hosting over 1.2 million Rohingyas who fled their homes due to horrific atrocities.

He also said in the past month alone, more than 20,000 additional Rohingyas have crossed into Bangladesh as the conflict in Rakhine State has escalated.

"Unfortunately, our capacity is simply overstretched. This council can no longer remain indifferent to this question and let the civilians suffer," Touhid said.

He said the UN must prioritise political solutions in Myanmar and promote an inclusive and sustainable peace process.

He said the elected members shoulder responsibility to build consensus on critical issues before the council.

Stating that fostering regional cooperation is essential in reinforcing the council's efforts, he said the council needs to further empower regional entities, in Asia, Africa and Latin America.

"Cooperation with organisations like ASEAN, ECOWAS, and African Union, for example, needs to be deepened to address regional discord effectively and prevent their escalation," Touhid observed.

He said Bangladesh, led by Nobel Peace Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus, remains committed to contributing to the UN's collective endeavours for peace, including through robust participation in UN peacekeeping and peacebuilding.​
 
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Dhaka ready to work with int'l community for Rohingya repatriation: CA

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Photo: PID

Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus today said Bangladesh is ready to work with the international community to create an environment for a dignified and sustainable return of the Rohingyas to their homeland in Myanmar.

"Looking at the evolving ground situation in Myanmar, Bangladesh is ready to work with the international community to create an environment for dignified and sustainable return of the Rohingyas to their homeland," he said while addressing the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.

The chief adviser said seven years on, Bangladesh has been hosting over 1.2 million Rohingyas on humanitarian ground, incurring significant social-economic-environmental costs.

The protracted crisis in Myanmar also poses growing risks with national and regional security implications for Bangladesh, both traditional and non-traditional security challenges, he said.

"We remain committed to supporting the forcibly displaced Rohingyas from Myanmar in Bangladesh. We need continued support of the international community towards the Rohingyas in carrying out the humanitarian operations and their sustainable repatriation," Prof Yunus said.

He said equally important is to ensure justice for the grave human rights violations committed against the Rohingyas, through the ongoing accountability processes in the ICJ and the ICC.

"We recognise and appreciate the efforts of the Secretary General and the United Nations system in creating a conducive environment for Rohingyas so that they can lead a free and dignified life," he said.

The Nobel Laureate said it requires creating pathways for the Rohingyas to return to their ancestral home in Rakhine State, with safety and rights.​
 
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Myanmar junta bombs opposition-held town hours after talks offer
Agence France-Presse . Yangon 28 September, 2024, 01:07

Myanmar’s junta carried out fresh air strikes on an opposition-held town Friday, hours after issuing an unprecedented invitation to its enemies for talks on the country’s civil war.

Thursday’s surprise call for discussions was likely a sop to main ally China and a nudge towards controversial fresh elections, analysts said, and two prominent armed groups swiftly dismissed it.

The offer came with the junta reeling from battlefield reverses to ethnic minority armed groups and pro-democracy ‘People’s Defence Forces’ that rose up to oppose the military’s seizure of power in 2021.

The groups have seized several lucrative border crossings and last month took Lashio, a city of 1,50,000 people — the biggest urban centre to fall to rebels since 1962.

The call was ‘the first time that the regime has expressed a willingness to have a dialogue with the post-coup resistance forces’, said Richard Horsey of the International Crisis Group.

Junta chief Min Aung Hlaing has long spoken of ‘annihilating’ the groups, he pointed out.

Hours after the offer, military jets bombed Lashio, in northern Shan state, now in the hands of fighters from the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army.

‘I heard two explosions,’ a resident said. ‘I heard five people were killed and a lot of people were wounded.’

One Yangon-based diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, said of the junta’s offer: ‘So far I haven’t seen the inclination towards serious reconciliation.’

AFP has contacted for comment the Ta’ang National Liberation Army and the Kachin Independence Army, ethnic armed groups that hold territory in the north. The MNDAA could not be reached.

The Karen National Union, which has fought for decades for autonomy along the Thai border, said talks were only possible if the military agreed to ‘common political objectives’.

That included the military staying out of politics, accepting a new, federal constitution, and being held accountable for ‘war crimes and crimes against humanity’, spokesman Padoh Saw Taw Nee said.

‘If they don’t agree with it, then nothing will happen... We will keep putting pressure on them politically, militarily,’ he said.

The military is highly unlikely to agree to such terms.

A spokesperson for the ‘Mandalay PDF’, which has seized territory in the hills around second city Mandalay, also dismissed the offer.

‘This invitation won’t make any changes to our way,’ said Osmond, who goes by a pseudonym.

‘We will keep doing what we have to do.’

But even if nothing comes of the invitation, just issuing it could still have value for the regime, said Horsey.

‘It would allow them to portray themselves — for example to China, which is pushing for a deal — as wanting peace, even while they continue with their campaign of indiscriminate airstrikes.’

China is a major ally and arms supplier to the isolated junta and its sprawling Belt and Road Initiative includes key projects in Myanmar.

Last month Beijing’s foreign minister said it supported the junta’s plan to hold fresh polls and return the conflict-torn country to a ‘democratic transition’.

‘China hopes that all relevant parties will stop fighting and hold talks,’ a foreign ministry spokesperson told a regular press briefing on Friday.

Independent analyst David Mathieson said that in addition to Beijing, the offer was likely aimed at neighbouring countries and some western diplomats who may see elections as a ‘vehicle to reduce violence and pursue a process of de-escalation’, despite their inevitable flaws.

The military, which justified its coup with unsubstantiated allegations of fraud in the 2020 elections won by Aung San Suu Kyi’s party, has long pledged to hold fresh polls when conditions permit.

It has since dissolved Suu Kyi’s popular National League for Democracy and introduced tough new rules governing political parties.

Census takers are due to start collecting data in early October in preparation for possible polls in 2025, but analysts say any vote would be a sham and would likely be targeted by the military’s opponents.

‘Hovering above all of this is the Myanmar military’s tried and tested divide and rule strategy,’ said Mathieson, adding it ‘may be soiled and strained but still effective’.​
 
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Rohingya youth shot dead in Cox's Bazar camp

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A Rohingya youth was killed and five others injured in a gunfight between two Myanmar-based armed groups at a Ukhiya refugee camp in Cox's Bazar yesterday evening.

The incident took place in the area between Hakim Para No 14 and Jamtoli Camp No 15 of Palongkhali union of Ukhiya upazila, reports our Cox's Bazar staff correspondent quoting Additional Deputy Inspector General of police Aamir Zafar, commander of 8 Armed Police Battalion.

The deceased is Abdur Rahman, 19, son of Mohammad Abdullah of Block E-2 of Rohingya Camp 14 at Hakim Para.

Quoting locals, the additional DIG Amir Zafar said, Myanmar-based armed groups Arakan Rohingyas Salvation Army (ARSA) and Rohingya Solidarity Organisation (RSO) locked into a clash yesterday evening.

Both sides fired 20-25 rounds of bullets leaving six Rohingyas wounded. The criminals fled the scene when a team of APBn reached the spot.

Later, locals rescued the injured and took them to an MSF hospital in the Jamtali area, where the duty doctor declared one of them dead.

Later, the injured were shifted to another MSF Hospital in Kutupalong area for better treatment.

The APBn commander said the incident might have took place for establishing supremacy in the camp.

Police are conducting drives to identify and arrest those involved in the incident, he said.

The body of the deceased was recovered and sent to Cox's Bazar 250 Bed District Sadar Hospital morgue for autopsy.​
 
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Can’t wait indefinitely, says Dr Yunus seeking int’l solution to Rohingya crisis
UNB
Dhaka
Published: 04 Oct 2024, 21: 22

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A joint press appearance of chief adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus with Malaysian prime minister Anwar Ibrahim at a hotel in Dhaka on 4 October, 2024.PID

Highlighting the importance of a quick and international solution to the Rohingya crisis through joint efforts, chief adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus on Friday said the solution to the problem is in the hands of the international community, not Bangladesh alone.

“We will keep on raising the issue. Malaysia will be supporting us in raising that. We can’t wait indefinitely. This is something we have to resolve as soon as possible,” he said while responding to a question from UNB during a joint press appearance with Malaysian prime minister Anwar Ibrahim at a hotel in Dhaka.

The Nobel Peace laureate said they have discussed the issue as this is also an issue for Malaysia with a smaller number of Rohingyas there.

“We need to find a solution to that problem. And we work together through Asean, through the Malaysian government and through the broader international community,” he said.

Malaysia is going to be the next chair of ASEAN from January 2025.

Prof Yunus highlighted two aspects of the Rohingya crisis – new children born on an average 32,000 every year over the last 7 years adding with the 1.2 million Rohingyas.

He said it is not the birthrate that concerns Bangladesh but it is about what happens in their life. “A whole new generation of young people is growing up. This is a generation of angry young people. They have no future.”

Prof Yunus said the worry for the whole world is that this is a ticking time-bomb that can explode in any way.

He said new entries are also happening every day with a constant flow. “This is a concern I shared with the prime minister of Malaysia. He is fully supportive and understands our position.”

Prof Yunus said Malaysia will be supporting Bangladesh through Asean and international forums to find an international solution to this problem.

Seven years ago, on 25 August, 2017, some 700,000 Rohingya men, women and children were forced to flee Myanmar and seek protection in Bangladesh.

Bangladesh is now hosting over 1.2 million Rohingyas in Cox’s Bazar and Bhasan Char.

In 2024, humanitarian agencies appealed for $852 million to assist 1.35 million people, including Rohingya refugees and Bangladeshis in surrounding communities. This appeal remains inadequately funded, according to UNHCR.

Chief adviser Prof Yunus and the Malaysian Prime Minister had a brief one-on-one meeting at the Hazrat Shahjalal Airport before their bilateral talks at Hotel InterContinental.​
 
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Indonesia hosts international meeting on Myanmar with UN, junta rivals, sources say
Reuters
Published: 04 Oct 2024, 16: 57

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Soldiers stand next to military vehicles as people gather to protest against the military coup, in Yangon, Myanmar, on 15 February, 2021 Reuters

Indonesia is hosting an international meeting involving the United Nations and opponents of Myanmar's ruling military, sources with knowledge of the talks said on Friday, as a regional effort to end a civil war fails to gain traction.

Myanmar is embroiled in a bloody crisis stemming from a crackdown on pro-democracy protests that followed a 2021 coup by its military, which is battling on multiple fronts to contain a nationwide rebellion by a movement allied with several ethnic minority armies.

The United Nations, the regional bloc ASEAN, the European Union and Myanmar's shadow National Unity Government (NUG) would be at the talks, according to a source with knowledge of the two-day meeting.

A diplomatic source confirmed the NUG was in Indonesia for talks, while a third source said the United Nations was at a special meeting on Myanmar.

A fourth source said a meeting was being held in Indonesia involving "stakeholders" in the Myanmar crisis.

The sources did not provide details on the other attendees, or proposals being discussed.

Asked about the meeting, Indonesian foreign ministry spokesperson Roy Soemirat said there were plans for talks between ASEAN special envoys on the Myanmar crisis, but he gave no details of attendees or a timeframe for the talks.

Myanmar's military government and the delegations of the U.N. and EU in both Myanmar and Indonesia did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

A spokesperson for the NUG declined to give comment or confirm the meeting was taking place.

Dialogue elusive

The meeting comes just days away from a summit in Laos of leaders of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), whose peace plan for Myanmar, drawn up three years ago, has so far failed despite repeated calls for dialogue.

The bloc, currently chaired by Laos, has expressed openness to other avenues to support its plan, including mediation from neighbouring countries and organisations outside of ASEAN.

Reuters reported last month that a think-tank funded by the Indian government had invited anti-junta groups involved in the rebellion to a New Delhi seminar next month.

Last year, former ASEAN chair Indonesia said it had received positive signals about preliminary dialogue from major parties in the conflict, but there has been no signs of advancement yet.

The junta has refused to engage in talks with its rivals, calling them terrorists bent on destroying the country.

Last month it urged its armed opponents to halt their rebellion and join the political fold for an election next year, a call that was rejected by several groups, and dismissed by some analysts as a hollow gesture.

It is not clear if any anti-junta groups have agreed to run in the election, which has already been widely dismissed as sham.

The outcome is unlikely to be recognised by Western countries, with dozens of parties disbanded for not registering to run, including the dominant National League for Democracy, whose government the generals toppled in the coup.​
 
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Dhaka expresses deep concern to Myanmar over new Rohingya influx
BSS
Published :
Oct 07, 2024 11:49
Updated :
Oct 07, 2024 11:49

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Dhaka has expressed deep concern over the new arrivals of forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals in recent times due to armed conflicts in Myanmar particularly in Rakhine state.

The concern was expressed when Myanmar Ambassador to Bangladesh U Kyaw Soe Moe paid a courtesy call on Foreign Secretary Md Jashim Uddin at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Sunday, said a press release.

During the meeting, the foreign secretary urged Myanmar to take all measures to contain armed conflict near the bordering areas of Bangladesh and the infiltration of civilian and armed personnel from Rakhine into Bangladesh.

He stressed the need for early, voluntary, and sustainable repatriation of the forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals to their homeland.

In response, the Myanmar ambassador assured that repatriation of the forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals in Myanmar will be commenced as soon as peace and order in Rakhine state are restored.

Both sides acknowledged the huge potentials of cooperation between the two countries in the areas like trade, shipping connectivity, energy, and agriculture.

Issues of other bilateral components between the two countries were discussed at the meeting.

Ambassador Moe congratulated the Foreign Secretary for assuming the new position and wished that during his tenure the existing bilateral relations between Bangladesh and Myanmar will be further strengthened.

Foreign Secretary also congratulated him on his appointment as the ambassador.​
 
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