Military government confirms former Rakhine residency of thousands in Bangladesh while saying returns depend on improved security conditions

NAYPYIDAW: Myanmar’s military government has verified nearly 309,000 Rohingya refugees currently living in Bangladesh as former residents of Rakhine State but says their repatriation cannot begin until security conditions improve.

Myanmar’s Foreign Ministry said in a weekend statement that authorities had verified 308,797 people from a list of 828,824 names submitted by Bangladesh as of July 31.

However, officials said they could not verify another 113,507 people. The ministry also claimed that 4,241 individuals were involved in “terrorist activities,” without providing further details.

2017 Military Campaign Forced Hundreds of Thousands Into Bangladesh

The Rohingya refugee crisis escalated dramatically in August 2017 after attacks by a Rohingya insurgent group on Myanmar security forces triggered a sweeping military operation.

Consequently, at least 740,000 Rohingya fled into neighbouring Bangladesh.

Myanmar’s military faced widespread allegations of killings, mass rape and the burning of villages during the campaign. The United Nations and international rights organisations subsequently raised accusations of ethnic cleansing and genocide.

Meanwhile, Rohingya have continued attempting dangerous journeys by land and sea to escape insecurity and restrictions inside Myanmar.

Rakhine Fighting Delays Prospects for Refugee Returns

Currently, Myanmar’s military is fighting the Arakan Army, an ethnic armed organisation seeking greater autonomy in Rakhine State.

The military government argues that Rohingya repatriation can proceed only after security conditions stabilise.

Furthermore, Myanmar maintains that refugee returns remain a bilateral matter between Naypyidaw and Dhaka.

Previous repatriation arrangements negotiated between Myanmar and Bangladesh in 2018 and 2019 failed to produce returns despite preparations by both governments.

Separately, Myanmar has agreed to accept 5,000 Rohingya asylum seekers from Malaysia.

However, Malaysian authorities have stressed that they will not repatriate refugees if returning them could place their lives or safety at risk.

Therefore, despite Myanmar’s latest verification process, continuing conflict and security concerns leave the prospect of large-scale Rohingya returns uncertain.