EU for united global efforts for Rohingya solution

1138

DHAKA, Dec 2, 2020 (BSS) – The European Union (EU) Ambassador to Bangladesh Rensje Teerink today said united efforts of entire international community is needed to resolve Rohingya crisis focusing safe and voluntary return of the forcibly displaced people to their land of origin in Myanmar.

“Whole international community should stand together over Rohingya issue,” she said along with ambassadors of five European countries while interacting with members of Diplomatic Correspondents Association, Bangladesh (DCAB) at a city hotel.

Responding to a question alleging the EU’s limited engagement with Myanmar government regarding the Rohingya crisis, she said only European Union cannot mount pressure on Myanmar alone.

“It’s not a matter of pointing finger to only EU … look at other countries … where are they (in resolving the crisis), all need to work together,” she said, adding that regional countries including China, India and ASEAN countries need to act more to address the crisis.

The envoy said Kofi Annan Commission’s recommendations should be implemented for Rohingya repatriation and EU follows that guidelines for resolving the crisis.

Saying that the displaced Rohingyas want to go back to Myanmar, Teerink said, we should stand behind it … more should be done and there is no doubt about it.

The EU’s head of delegation here said the EU is working with all the instruments to resolve the issue while it believes repartition of the displaced Rohingyas is the best solution.

Regarding Rohingya relocation to Bashan Char, the EU ambassador denied to make any comments before visit of the UN technical and humanitarian protection teams to the Island.

Teerink lauded Bangladesh role in sheltering this huge number of displaced people in its land under humanitarian ground and said the EU will continue its humanitarian support to Rohingyas as well as Bangladesh host community.

Over 1.1 million Rohingyas fled their homeland in Myanmar’s Rakhine state to take shelter in Bangladesh’s bordering Cox’s Bazar district and most of them arrived there since August 25, 2017 after the Buddhist majority East Asian country launched a ruthless military crackdown.

The crisis turned Bangladesh to be the abode of world’s single largest community of forcibly displaced people.

Ambassadors of Denmark, Italy the Netherlands, Spain and Sweden also joined at the interaction titled “DCAB Talk’ while the association president DCAB President Angur Nahar Monty and General Secretary Touhidur Rahman also spoke.

The European envoys also talked about wide range of topics related the EU-Bangladesh bilateral and trade relations as well as migration issue.

The EU Ambassador said Bangladesh will enjoy duty free entry access to the EU market under its trade scheme – Everything but Arms (EBA) – even after three years as grace period after its graduation to middle income country from the least development countries status by 2024.

After 2027, she said, Bangladesh can apply for GSP Plus benefit upon fulfilling the preconditions.