UN pledges continued support for voluntary, dignified return of Rohingya refugees

The UN on Friday said it will continue to support efforts to create conditions for voluntary, safe, dignified, and sustainable return of Rohingya refugees.

In a statement marking the sixth anniversary of Rohingya exodus from Myanmar, Florencia Soto Nino, associate spokesperson for the Secretary-General, said: "Rohingya people remain displaced domestically and abroad, including around 1 million Rohingya in Bangladesh."

"The vulnerabilities faced by people of Myanmar, including the Rohingya, have been compounded by the ongoing conflict and by the devastation caused by Cyclone Mocha. The United Nations will continue to support efforts to create conditions that would be conducive to the voluntary, safe, dignified, and sustainable return of Rohingya refugees to their places of origin in Myanmar," the statement said.

"The Secretary-General calls on all stakeholders to redouble efforts to find comprehensive, inclusive, and durable solutions that can adequately address the root causes of systemic discrimination and violence in Myanmar and to respond to growing protection crisis and humanitarian needs while strengthening refugee protection efforts in the region for those fleeing persecution and violence," it added.

Noting that Bangladesh has demonstrated humanitarian commitments and generosity which must be acknowledged through "shared responsibility," the statement said more must be done to support the Joint Response Plan and prevent a broader humanitarian crisis.

"The United Nations is committed to working with all stakeholders, including regional actors, to help resolve the crisis and seek accountability and justice for victims towards a sustainable peace in Rakhine State and all of Myanmar," it said.

The Rohingya have been described by the UN as the world's most persecuted people, facing what rights groups have called a genocide.

According to Amnesty International, more than 750,000 Rohingya refugees, mostly women, and children, fled Myanmar and crossed into Bangladesh after Myanmar forces launched a crackdown on the minority Muslim community in August 2017, pushing the number of persecuted people in Bangladesh above 1.2 million.

Since Aug. 25, 2017, nearly 24,000 Rohingya Muslims have been killed by Myanmar's state forces, according to a report by the Ontario International Development Agency (OIDA).

More than 34,000 Rohingya were also thrown into fires, while over 114,000 others were beaten, said the OIDA report, titled Forced Migration of Rohingya: The Untold Experience.

As many as 18,000 Rohingya women and girls were raped by Myanmar's army and police and over 115,000 Rohingya homes were burned down, while 113,000 others were vandalized, it added.