BANGKOK - Myanmar's military-backed government says it is prepared to accept more than 300,000 verified Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh once security conditions in Rakhine state improve.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs made the statement on August 15 as the Rohingya refugee crisis entered its ninth year, with hundreds of thousands still living in camps in Bangladesh after fleeing Myanmar in 2017, as cited from CNA.
More than 700,000 Rohingya crossed into Bangladesh following the Myanmar military's crackdown after attacks by a Rohingya insurgent group on security posts in Rakhine.
The operation drew international accusations of ethnic cleansing and genocide, including from the United Nations.
Myanmar does not recognise the Rohingya as one of its 135 officially recognised ethnic groups and instead commonly refers to them as Bengalis.
The ministry said it had verified 426,545 of the 828,824 refugees listed by Bangladesh as of the end of July, with 308,797 identified as former residents of Rakhine.
It said another 113,507 people could not be verified, while 4,241 were identified as having been involved in what the ministry described as terrorist activities.
Myanmar said it would continue coordinating with Bangladesh to facilitate the return of verified former residents once security conditions in Rakhine become more stable.
The two countries had agreed in 2018 to begin a two-year repatriation process, but repeated efforts to return the refugees have failed amid continuing instability in Myanmar.
The situation deteriorated further after the military seized power in 2021, triggering widespread armed resistance and prolonged conflict across the country.
Fighting between the military and the Arakan Army in Rakhine has also displaced more people since 2023, with the ethnic armed group now controlling large parts of the state.
With conditions in refugee camps deteriorating, international aid declining and safe return prospects remaining limited, increasing numbers of Rohingya have attempted dangerous sea journeys towards Malaysia and Indonesia.
Malaysia's Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said last month that Myanmar had agreed to receive 5,000 Rohingya refugees from Malaysia under a repatriation programme.
However, Myanmar foreign ministry official Han Win Aung subsequently told The Associated Press that the programme applied only to verified Myanmar nationals detained in Malaysia and rejected reports that Myanmar had agreed to receive Rohingya refugees.
