On Monday 20 November, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini called for an agreement between Burma/Myanmar and Bangladesh on the safe return of Rohingya refugees.
"I am very much encouraged by the possibility, that – I believe – is real and concrete of Myanmar and Bangladesh reaching an agreement on a bilateral memorandum of understanding for the repatriation of refugees, which would constitute a first important step on the implementation of the Annan report [the Report of the Advisory Commission on Rakhine State, chaired by Kofi Annan] recommendations", Mogherini stated at the end of a meeting with Myanmar's State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi on the sidelines of the EU-Asia ministerial meeting in the Burmese capital, Naipyidaw. Over 600,000 Rohingya Muslims are reported to have fled to Bangladesh for refuge.
"We encourage both Bangladesh and Myanmar to work bilaterally on this issue with the support of the European Union and the rest of the international community", Mogherini added. Negotiations between Naipyidaw and Dacca are currently going around in circles after several weeks of talks. Mogherini said that the EU was ready to help accompany the negotiation process "in the coming weeks" and hoped that "a sustainable solution, a humane solution and a dignified solution" might be found.
In Mogherini's view, "stopping the violence, stopping the flow of refugees, and guaranteeing full humanitarian access to Rakhine State and a safe, sustainable repatriation of the refugees is going to be key".
She said it was important to start implementing the Kofi Annan report recommendations. She also said she was encouraged by Aung San Suu Kyi 's willingness to implement these recommendations. The previous day Mogherini had said the European Union would support the government in this task, and in the face of the criticism the Nobel Peace Prize winner has received for her inaction, Mogherini said it was important to help her. "More than putting pressure, I would say that our approach has always been, and will continue to be, to offer a negotiating space, encourage the taking care of the situation that is not going to disappear", Mogherini had said during her visit of the Rohingya refugee camp in Kutupalong, Bangladesh. She also said the EU firmly supported the democratic transition in Burma/Myanmar, and understood how delicate the process was.
A restricted format meeting also took place on the situation in the Rakhine region. This was organised on the sidelines of the EU-Asia ministerial meeting, at the request of the Europeans. In addition to Mogherini and Aung San Suu Kyi, the meeting was attended by representatives from Estonia, France, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Luxembourg, Malta, Sweden and Norway on the European side, and by representatives from Bangladesh, China, Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, India, Japan, the Philippines and Russia on the Asian side, according to a European source. A Council press release says that the meeting was an occasion to exchange views on the latest developments in the region and on the efforts of the government of Burma/Myanmar to ensure the safe and dignified return of those who have fled their homes, in close cooperation with Bangladesh. It was also the occasion to discuss the humanitarian situation and the importance of ensuring access to all humanitarian workers.
The EU's financial support to Rohingya refugees and host communities in Burma/Myanmar and Bangladesh stands at €51 million for 2017. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)