Myanmar Clears 180,000 Rohingya for Return, But Refugees Demand Rights

[geovalin]

The Irrawaddy

 

In a development that could signal movement on a long-stalled crisis, Myanmar has confirmed that 180,000 Rohingya refugees living in Bangladesh are eligible to return home, according to the Bangladeshi government.

 

The announcement was made following high-level talks between Bangladeshi envoy Khalilur Rahman and Myanmar’s deputy prime minister Than Swe on the sidelines of the BIMSTEC summit in Bangkok. The verified names come from a list of 800,000 Rohingya submitted by Bangladesh between 2018 and 2020.

 

While the news has been framed as a diplomatic breakthrough, reaction within the refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar has been cautious, even sceptical. “This feels like nothing more than an eyewash,” said Shafiqur Rahman, a Rohingya refugee. “Myanmar must take all of us back — not just a selected few — and they must ensure we return with full rights, dignity, and citizenship.”

 

Over one million Rohingya have taken shelter in southeastern Bangladesh since 2017, when Myanmar’s military launched a brutal crackdown that UN investigators later described as having “genocidal intent.” Some families have been in the camps even longer, having fled previous waves of persecution.

 

Despite efforts to begin repatriation in 2018 and 2019, no large-scale return has materialised, primarily because the refugees fear ongoing discrimination and violence. Rohingya remain effectively stateless in Myanmar, denied citizenship, freedom of movement, and access to education or healthcare.

 

Myanmar has indicated that final verification of an additional 70,000 names is still pending, and pledged to accelerate checks on the remaining 550,000 on the original list. However, without concrete assurances of safety and rights, refugee leaders say few will be willing to return.

 

For now, the statement marks a small step in a complex process overshadowed by decades of ethnic persecution. Whether this signals the beginning of a real solution—or just more diplomatic posturing—remains to be seen.

 

-2025-04-05