- Title: Rohingya refugees reject Myanmar officials' proposal to return home
- Date: 20th December 2019
- Summary: COX'S BAZAR, BANGLADESH (DECEMBER 19, 2019) (REUTERS) ROHINGYA DELEGATES STANDING ROHINGYA MEN SHOWING DOCUMENTS THEY SAY PROVES THEIR CITIZENSHIP RIGHTS DOCUMENT PROVING CITIZENSHIP RIGHTS ROHINGYA MEN HOLDING DOCUMENT THEY SAY PROVES THEIR CITIZENSHIP RIGHTS ROHINGYA DELEGATES HOLDING DOCUMENTS WALKING INTO VENUE ROHINGYA DELEGATES SEATED OR STANDING IN MEETING ROOM HEAD OF MYANMAR DELEGATION AND DIRECTOR GENERAL OF MYANMAR'S INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS AND ECONOMIC DEPARTMENT, MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, CHAN AYE AND MYANMAR DELEGATES ARRIVING AND WALKING TO MEETING ROOM VARIOUS OF ROHINGYA DELEGATES AND CHAN DISCUSSING DURING MEETING MEDIA AND ROHINGYA DELEGATES OUTSIDE MEETING VENUE (SOUNDBITE) (Rohingya) ROHINGYA DELEGATION LEADER, SIRAJUL MOSTAFA, SAYING "We don't accept the Myanmar delegation's proposal. Our first demand is our right to citizenship and we have a few other demands that we presented to them. We hope that if they accept our demands, we will happily go back to our country. If they don't give us that hope, we will not go back." CHAN WALKING WITH OFFICIAL (SOUNDBITE) (English) HEAD OF THE MYANMAR DELEGATION AND DIRECTOR GENERAL OF MYANMAR'S INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS AND ECONOMIC DEPARTMENT, MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, CHAN AYE, SAYING: "No, this is not a political dialogue , this is a discussion, just discussion to explain our effort to improve the situation in the Rakhine state. Yeah, and also to listen (to) their concerns. WHITE FLASH (SOUNDBITE) (English) HEAD OF THE MYANMAR DELEGATION AND DIRECTOR GENERAL OF MYANMAR'S INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS AND ECONOMIC DEPARTMENT, MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, CHAN AYE, SAYING: "We have not yet decided on these matters (to hold another meeting). OK, thank you." / CHAN AND DELEGATION WALKING AWAY ROHINGYA DELEGATES IN CAMP WALKING ON ROAD MOTORCADE DRIVING AWAY
- Embargoed: 3rd January 2020 04:55
- Keywords: Bangladesh Cox's Bazar Myanmar Rohingya meeting
- Location: COX'S BAZAR, BANGLADESH
- City: COX'S BAZAR, BANGLADESH
- Country: Bangladesh
- Topics: Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA001BAS3GW7
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: A delegation of Rohingya refugees on Thursday (December 19) refused to accept a proposal made by Myanmar officials to repatriate them to Myanmar, citing that their demands have not been met.
Chan Aye of Myanmar's foreign ministry and his delegation held a second day of talks with 46 Rohingya delegates at Kutupalong refugee camp in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh.
Chan said that the meeting was a "discussion" and not a political dialogue, and that they have yet to decide on whether to hold another meeting.
Rohingya leaders said they want Myanmar to recognise them as an ethnic group with the rights to Myanmar citizenship before they will return. Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya who remain inside Myanmar are mostly denied citizenship and live in conditions Amnesty International has likened to apartheid, confined to camps and villages and unable to travel freely.
(Production: Rafiqur Rahman, Joseph Campbell) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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