'India will play vital role in return of Rohingyas from Bangladesh to Myanmar': Tirumurti

India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador T S Tirumurti observed that India has a significant role to play in early return of the displaced Rohingyas, who fled Myanmar due to what was being called 'ethnic cleansing'. He was speaking at the informal UN General Assembly meeting on the military coup in Myanmar that killed at least three and injured several.

Over 1.1 million Rohingyas fled the Rakhine state and crossed borders in 2017 seeking shelter in Bangladesh, after troops in Myanmar burned several Rohingyan homes, raped their women, and killed several of them. All Rohingyan 'refugees' have since camped in the Cox Bazar of Bangladesh. Referring to the displaced Rohingyas, Tirumurti acknowledged "India will continue to work with the governments of Bangladesh and Myanmar so the return of displaced persons to their shelters in Rakhine in a manner that is safe, speedy, and sustainable can be initiated."

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The UN ambassador also said that India has the highest stake in resolving the issue as it is the only country that shares a long border with Bangladesh and Myanmar. 

He was further quoted by PTI as saying “We have been counseling our partner nations on the need to have a balanced and constructive approach in the issue. The mobilisation of support for the developmental needs of the local people is crucial for this and India has been consistently encouraging stakeholders to find practical and pragmatic solutions."

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Recently on February 1, the military in Myanmar seized power and detained the de-facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi with other NDL members. The opposition allegedly accused Suu Kyi of possessing walkie-talkies and other foreign gadgets illegally. Last week, the troops in Myanmar opened fire at the pro-democracy protestors killing at least three while several were severely injured. UN condemned the brutality by forces and asked all parties to return to civilian rule.

The military took charge after the opposition also alleged that the elections were rigged while they demand re-election. However, now India's permanent representative to the UN Tirumurti has also raised concerns over the early return of displaced Rohingyas, which is a long-pending issue to be addressed.

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Referring to efforts in place by Bangladesh to shelter the Rohingyas, he appealed "The international community must support the efforts of the Bangladesh government and assist them in ensuring that issues related to radicalisation in the camps and other security challenges are addressed in an expeditious manner," he conveyed at the UNGA.

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