Bangladesh asks for US help in repatriation of Rohingya refugees

Jun 8, 2011, 15:41 GMT

Dhaka - Dhaka on Wednesday requested the US to intervene in its dispute with Myanmar over the repatriation of 300,000 Rohingya refugees, who have been languishing in Bangladesh for decades.

The United States should deal with Myanmar on this issue, 'as we are already burdened socially and economically, hosting these refugees on humanitarian grounds for so many years,' Bangladesh's minister for food and disaster management, Abdur Razzaque, told reporters after a meeting with a senior US official.

Eric Schwartz, the US assistant secretary of state for population, refugees and migration, asked Bangladeshi authorities to register the refugees, and expressed concern over the inadequate provisions for their food, healthcare and shelter.

The influx of Rohingyas, a Muslim minority in Myanmar's Arakan state, began in 1991 after they were allegedly driven out by the military junta. They have been denied citizenship in both countries, with Myanmar claiming the community is originally from Bangladesh.

Their plight received international attention in December 2008 when the Thai military was accused of towing hundreds of Rohingya refugees out to sea to prevent them from entering the country in search of work.

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