Create Conditions in Myanmar Conducive to Refugee Returns said UN

The UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR, has appealed to Myanmar to exert all efforts to create conditions conducive for voluntary return of the Rohingyas and address the root causes of the refugees’ displacement in line with the recommendations of the Kofi-Annan led Advisory Commission on Rakhine State.

While UNHCR welcomes Myanmar’s commitment to voluntary return of the refugees and the steps taken to receive potential returnees, it will be important for Myanmar to demonstrate concrete progress toward ensuring freedom of movement, access to services, documentation and livelihood opportunities, the UNHCR said in a release issued today.

The responsibility for creating conditions conducive for voluntary return lies with Myanmar, the UN Refugee Agency said, adding that these steps would be essential to help build refugees’ confidence that the conditions in Myanmar have sufficiently changed to allow them to contemplate their return.

Further, it is essential that UNHCR and UNDP be granted effective access to refugees’ places of origin and potential areas of return, in line with the tripartite memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed by UNHCR, UNDP and Myanmar in June 2018, it said.