Will Myanmar respond to Rohingya refugees’ demands?

For the first time since Myanmar’s military crackdown last year that led to almost 700,000 Rohingya fleeing into neighbouring Bangladesh, a government minister has visited a refugee camp.

Win Myat Aye, Myanmar’s social welfare minister, provoked anger when he reportedly told a group of about 40 Rohingya that if they were to return to Myanmar, they would have to accept national verification cards and state they were migrants from Bangladesh.

The refugees at the Kutupalong camp in the border city of Cox’ Bazar say they are from Myanmar. They gave the minister a list of 13 demands they want to be met before they return home.

Bangladesh and Myanmar had agreed to begin the repatriation of the Rohingya refugees in January, but there were delays because of safety concerns.

So how will the government respond and how committed is it to resolving the crisis?

Presenter: Folly Bah Thibault

Guests:

Shelley Thakral – spokesperson, World Food Programme

Tun Khin – president, Burmese Rohingya Organisation, UK

Laura Haigh – Amnesty International’s Myanmar researcher