Rohingya Refugees: China envoy visits Teknaf repatriation centre

Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen has visited the Rohingya repatriation centre in Cox's Bazar's Teknaf upazila.

The ambassador, accompanied by two other diplomats of the Chinese embassy, visited the centre at Kerontoli around 1:00pm on Saturday, said local administration sources.

His visit comes at a time when the issue of Rohingya repatriation is being widely discussed.

On April 18, a tripartite meeting among officials of Bangladesh, China and Myanmar was held at Kunming of China. The meeting decided to repatriate 1,176 Rohingya refugees under a pilot project in May this year.

Additional Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner Md Khalid Hossain and Teknaf's Nayapara Registered Refugee Camp in Charge Abdul Hannan accompanied the Chinese delegates during the visit.

The Chinese diplomats returned to Cox's Bazar after visiting the repatriation centre and its adjacent jetty. But they did not visit any Rohingya camps, said Hannan.

Some Rohingyas believe Chinese mediation would be crucial to begin the repatriation process. However, others say Rohingyas won't go back to Myanmar without ensuring their citizenship status.

"Rohingyas are not much enthusiastic about his (Chinese ambassador's) visit.Rohingyas will go back to Myanmar only after securing citizenship," said Noor Mohammad, a Rohingya community leader at Kutupalong refugee camp in Ukhiya.

Bangladesh is home to about a million Rohingyas, most of whom fled a 2017 military crackdown in Myanmar that is now subject to a United Nations genocide investigation.

Around 11.5 lakhs registered Rohingyas are now living in 33 refugee camps in Ukhiya and Teknaf. Their repatriation could not be started due to dilly-dallying of Myanmar authorities.

As part of the Bangladesh government's repatriation initiative, a delegation of 20 Rohingyas visited Myanmar's Maungdaw township on May 5 to see two model villages build as a pilot project for the resettlement of the persecuted minority.

After the visit, a delegation from Myanmar was supposed to visit Bangladesh to convince Rohingyas for the repatriation. But it was postponed due to cyclone Mocha that hit Bangladesh and Myanmar coast on May 14.

Contacted, Rohingya Relief and Rehabilitation Commissioner Mohammed Mizanur Rahman said, "We want to begin repatriation. But we cannot confirm its timetable right now."