Myanmar - March 2023

A Myanmar junta delegation visited south-eastern Bangladesh’s Rohingya refugee camps to interview refugees’ candidates for a controversial “pilot repatriation programme” of 1,000 people. The programme was created by Myanmar and Bangladesh in 2018 and mediated by the Chinese government but was halted for the past years following Myanmar’s military coup and the Covid-19 pandemic. Earlier in March, a delegation of ambassadors from eight countries visited Rakhine State’s Maungdaw township to verify the preparation of the village before refugees’ arrival. The pilot programme sparked concern over the military junta’s commitment to ensuring a safe and dignified return for Rohingya refugees.

Sources: The Diplomat, France24, Mizzima, Human Rights Watch