Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus has called for the establishment of a United Nations-supervised 'safe zone' for displaced populations in Myanmar's Rakhine State.

During a meeting with Thomas Andrews, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar, at his Tejgaon office, Yunus emphasized that this initiative could be a vital step toward addressing the ongoing crisis in the region.

A statement from the Chief Advisor’s office detailed the meeting, noting that Andrews praised Yunus for his three-point proposal concerning the Rohingya crisis, which was presented on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York last month.

“The violence in Rakhine has created an enormous crisis,” Andrews stated, underscoring the dire need for humanitarian assistance for the displaced and starving populations, especially the Rohingyas.

Yunus urges creation of ‘safe zone’ for Rohingya in Myanmar’s Rak
Thomas Andrews, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar meeting with Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus

The Special Rapporteur highlighted that at least 3.1 million people have been displaced across Myanmar, including hundreds of thousands in Rakhine State, where insurgent groups have been fighting against the Myanmar military for years.

He also noted that around 30,000 Rohingyas had recently fled Rakhine and crossed into Bangladesh, which is already hosting over a million Rohingya refugees in camps in Cox's Bazar.

Yunus reiterated his call for creating "a safe zone guaranteed by the UN" for the displaced in Rakhine and finding ways to support them.

The Chief Advisor suggested that the initiative could serve as a "good beginning" in addressing the crisis and may help prevent the further influx of refugees into Bangladesh. He also advocated for discussions with the international community, including the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), to tackle the violence and the plight of the displaced in Rakhine.

Additionally, Yunus sought Andrews' support to expedite the resettlement of numerous Rohingya refugees to third countries.

The meeting also touched upon the International Criminal Court (ICC) investigations into the 2017 atrocities against the Rohingya, as well as the recent student-led revolution in Bangladesh.

 

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