Rohingya American Letter To Congress On Repatriation Dangers

We the undersigned Rohingya American leaders, representing our respective organizations, and the entire Rohingya community, implore all U.S. House and Senate members to convince Bangladesh to entirely rescind its decision to return 100,000 Rohingya refugees to Myanmar originally scheduled to start today, January 22. We welcome the apparent delay of the plan’s roll out today because we have many very serious concerns regarding the current repatriation deal.

In her September 2017 speech to the United Nations, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina pledged to block any such repatriation until the Government of Myanmar took steps to ensure the safety of any Rohingya who return there, and guarantee their former homes and businesses. There is now no evidence of such steps being taken. The Myanmar government is preparing prison-like IDP camps for Rohingya, not a home-coming to their villages of origin.

Despite the apparent delay in implementation, the Government of Bangladesh has committed to a two -year repatriation deal that raises more questions than it answers. The United States should therefore remind PM Hasina of her pledge to allow repatriation only after United Nations agencies are permitted to examine, monitor and approve implementation, including security arrangements. Having lived through the lack of security for previous Rohingya repatriations, the vast majority of refugees would prefer to die in Bangladesh than to return to the genocidal killing fields of their lost homeland. Rohingya want their return to be linked to a full restoration of their rights, not to a form of imprisonment and persecution.

As Rohingya American constituents we also urge Congress to re-impose stronger, more comprehensive sanctions previously used to pressure Myanmar, which were key to bringing freedom for Aung San Suu Kyi, and initial limited Democracy to Burma. The current targeted Sanctions are too limited and will not loosen the Army’s stranglehold on the economy and politics there. Despite knowing the risk of sanctions of its campaign of Rohingya genocide, the Army deliberately chose to ignore the condemnation of the world. It will similarly ignore anything less than full sanctions.

We have all lived under these military dictators, and know how Burmese minority communities will suffer if the Government can flout worldwide condemnation and carry out genocide against minority religious communities. Each of us, individually and through family, friends, former neighbors, classmates, co-workers and others, has been negatively impacted by the persecution in Burma.

We ask Congress to show leadership in stopping this repatriation and in standing against these atrocities. Genocide can never be just a bilateral issue. We urgently need action now.

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