Unmarked UN boats were used to ferry junta officials to refugee camps in preparation for a pilot project that would repatriate about 1,000 Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh to Myanmar, reports Radio Free Asia. The trip, a “public relations stunt”, created a “reputational risk” for all UN agencies and could jeopardize staff security.
Karin Valtersson, Burma Campaign UK’s Campaigns Officer, told RFA: “The situation inside Rakhine state is still a situation of ongoing genocide and they cannot return at this point, and I don’t think anyone will return. The reports that UN agencies have been involved are clearly shameful.”
Instead of returning, Rohingya refugees need support in the camps so they can have a decent living standard, with their security guaranteed, she said. “The security situation in the camps has deteriorated and they cannot be abandoned again by the international community.”
UK cuts aid to Rohingya refugees by 82%