Shawdesh Desk:

The 14-member Myanmar delegation held a three-hour meeting with the Rohingyas, who fled the Buddhist-majority country amid military persecution and have taken shelter in Cox’s Bazar, ahead of their possible repatriation that is being discussed.

However, the Rohingyas are not satisfied with the assurances given by the delegation.

The meeting was held with more than 200 Rohingyas at Jadimura Shalbagan camp in Teknaf on Thursday afternoon.

Later, the delegation returned to Myanmar by trawler via Teknaf-Myanmar transit jetty at Jaliapara municipality.

Earlier, the 14-member delegation from Myanmar arrived in a cargo trawler at Teknaf-Myanmar Transit Jetty of Teknaf Municipality Jaliapara around 10am on Thursday. The team was led by Aung Myo, Maungdaw’s regional director at the Ministry of Social Affairs.

After the meeting, Director General (Myanmar) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Mohammad Moinul Kabir said, “Our main objective is to repatriate the Rohingyas. Because that’s the only permanent solution. Various initiatives are being taken to send Rohingyas to their home countries. In continuation of this, the Myanmar team has come.”

Expressing dissatisfaction with the assurance of the delegation, some of the Rohingya participants of the meeting said that they demanded Myanmar citizenship, return of their lands and freedom of movement like other communities in the country.

“They’re talking about taking us to camps in that country with an NBC card. But that’s not how we’re willing to go,” a Rohingya participant said, in return for anonymity to discuss the issue.