Lack of trust impedes repatriation: Acting FS

Acting Foreign Secretary Md Kamrul Ahsan said here on Monday that "Trust deficit is a big thing" that hinders the repatriation process of Rohingyas to their homeland Myanmar.
"Only one visit will not solve the Rohingya issues. Myanmar delegation will have to come back again and again and build the trust among the destitute Rohingyas. We will not force them (Rohingyas) to go back," Ahsan said.
The Acting Foreign Secretary made this comments following a two-hour long meeting with the visiting Myanmar delegation led by its Foreign Affairs Permanent Secretary Myint Thu Monday at the State Guest House Meghna.
Myanmar for the first time had sent the delegation who heard the plights of Rohingya refugees on Friday at Cox's Bazar. Although the meeting did not yield any fruit but it is still an ice breaking meeting between the Myanmar government and Rohingya refugees.
The 19-member Myanmar delegation in the last two days visited the Rohingya camps, one specially erected for Hindu residents of Ralkhine who too were forced to flee their homes along with the majority Rohingya Muslims. This was the third visit by a Myanmar delegation to the Rohingya camps but this time they were accompanied by a 5-member ASEAN observer group during the interactions when the newsmen were not allowed.
But it transpired that during the meeting, Rohingya leaders said Rohingyas' first demand is citizenship, and second is freedom of movement and freedom of economic activities and returning back to the place from where they were uprooted.
However, the Acting Foreign Secretary said Naypyidaw must generate trust among the Rohingyas for their spontaneous return saying "as long as confidence is not built up they (Rohingys) won't go back".
Ahsan simultaneously added: "we (Bangladesh) won't push back anyoneforcibly".
"Trust deficit is a big thing," he said several times.
He said, of the previous list of 30,000 Rohingyas, verifications of 8,000 have been completed. "So they can go back (to Rakhine) anytime if they want to go".
Bangladesh is now hosting over 1.1 million Rohingyas and most of them came since August 25, 2017.
Both sides signed the repatriation deal on Nov 23, 2017. On Jan 16, 2018 Bangladesh and Myanmar signed a document on "Physical Arrangement" to facilitate the return. It stipulates that the repatriation will be completed preferably within two years from the start.
The first batch of return was scheduled to begin on November 15 last year but none was willing to return due to lack of congenial environment in Rakhine.
Not a single Rohingya went back to their homeland despite assurance from Myanmar side. The government is expecting that the repatriation will start again anytime in September.
Ahsan said Bangladesh earlier handed over list of 30,000 Rohingyas in two phases and among them Myanmar until now verified 8,000 for repatriation in first batch.
Asked when the expected repatriation could start, he said "anytime" since Myanmar already verified 8,000 of them.
Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen, meanwhile, in a separate media interaction today (Monday) at his office said Naypyidaw expressed its plan for the first time to provide the Rohingyas the natural citizenship which he called a "major breakthrough".