United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres (Photo: AP) New York (VNA) – Conditions in Rakhine state of Myanmar are not yet met for the safe, voluntary, dignified and sustainable return of Rohingya refugees to their places of origin or choice, said United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
Speaking at a UN meeting on Myanmar in New York on August 28, the UN leader called for coordination from members of the UN Security Council in urging Myanmar authorities to work with the UN and ensure that UN agencies and partners can access refugees immediately in an unlimited and effective manner.
Guterres held that international cooperation is now the key for ensuring all supporting mechanisms are implemented in a realiable, transparent, equal, independent way and make sure all obligations of Myanmar to international law are observed.
He also called for increasing international sponsorship for crisis response programme in Myanmar when capital for the work is still under requirement by 33 percent.
According to the UN, more than 720,000 Rohingya Muslims fled northern Rakhine state to Bangladesh after Myanmar launched a brutal crackdown in August last year on insurgents amid accounts of arson, murder and rape at the hands of soldiers and vigilante mobs in the mainly Buddhist country.
In June this year, the Myanmar Government reached an agreement with the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) and the UN Development Programme to create favourable conditions for Rohingya refugees to return home.
Currently, some 130,000 Rohingya remain in camps in Bangladesh.
The UN leader stressed that it is necessary to promptly seek measures to help the refugees to return their home safely and respectfully in line with international standards.
He affirmed that the UN will continue assisting the implementation of plans to support the refugees.-VNA
VNA
