‘Safe zone in Rakhine will resolve the Rohingya crisis better than a corridor’

Amid discussions on establishing a “humanitarian corridor” to deliver aid to Myanmar’s Rakhine state, Rohingya leaders in Cox’s Bazar say that creating a safe zone in Rakhine would better resolve the Rohingya crisis than setting up a corridor.

Meanwhile, representatives of the civil society in Cox’s Bazar question the sudden proposal of a corridor without first resolving the long-standing Rohingya issue or initiating repatriation.

The Rohingya leaders emphasize that before any corridor is implemented, a safe zone must be established in Rakhine for the Rohingya. They also insist that Rohingya representation must be ensured in any such corridor discussions.

They argue that just as Myanmar’s junta was hostile toward the Rohingya in the past, the Arakan Army, a rebel group, is now displacing them from their land. Therefore, they have requested that, alongside the corridor, a safe zone for the Rohingya be established in Rakhine under the supervision of the United Nations.

Currently, the Arakan Army holds control over most parts of Rakhine as it continues its war against the Myanmar junta. With ongoing civil war in the state, the UN fears famine may occur in Rakhine or Arakan in the first half of this year and has asked Bangladesh to allow a corridor for humanitarian aid.

However, amid the rising influence of the Arakan Army and the resulting complex situation at the border, discussions surrounding the corridor have sparked debates among the Rohingya community and local residents.

On April 27, in response to journalists’ questions about the proposed humanitarian corridor, Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain stated that the government had taken a policy decision on the matter.

Yet within a week, a contradictory position emerged when National Security Adviser Khondker Golam Mohammad Khalilur Rahman said at a seminar in Dhaka that the government had not made any agreement with the concerned parties about the humanitarian corridor or any other initiative. These conflicting statements have fueled criticism of the issue.

Community voices raise concerns

Abu Morshed Chowdhury Khoka, president of the Cox’s Bazar Civil Society, told Bangla Tribune: “Both the Myanmar junta and the Arakan Army are against the interests of the Rohingya. Due to their persecution, hundreds of thousands of Rohingya were forced to take shelter in Bangladesh. If they assist Bangladesh in the repatriation of the Rohingya, we have no objection to a humanitarian corridor with Rakhine. However, concerns remain over smuggling at the border and potential threats to our sovereignty. If there is any hidden agenda behind the corridor, the civil society of Cox’s Bazar will reject it.”

ANM Helal Uddin, president of the Cox’s Bazar Citizen Forum, told Bangla Tribune, “We will welcome a limited-scale corridor for humanitarian assistance aimed at Rohingya repatriation. But the contradictory statements from the government leave us in confusion. We do not support the corridor if it is meant solely to benefit the Arakan Army or serve any other purpose. There are also various rumors surrounding our coral island, Saint Martin’s. We demand a clear statement from the government on this matter.”

Mohammad Zubair, president of the Arakan Rohingya Society for Peace and Humanity (ARSPH), told Bangla Tribune: “Along with establishing a corridor under UN supervision, a safe zone for the Rohingya must be created. This will make repatriation easier. Both the Myanmar government and the Arakan Army are involved in persecuting the Rohingya. If the Rohingya cannot live in Rakhine, humanitarian aid via the corridor will be of no use. However, if a safe and sustainable safe zone for the Rohingya can be established through the UN, then the Rohingya will leave Bangladesh quickly.”

Nur Mohammad, a member of ARSPH, echoed this sentiment, saying: “Establishing a safe zone is more urgent now than setting up a humanitarian corridor in Rakhine. A UN-established safe zone can solve the Rohingya crisis. This would also accelerate the repatriation process. Once the safe zone is established, the Rohingya will voluntarily leave Bangladesh and return to Myanmar.”

However, the Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner (RRRC) office says it has no information regarding the proposed corridor. Mohammad Mizanur Rahman, Refugee Commissioner and Additional Secretary of the government, said he is unaware of any specifics about the humanitarian corridor despite ongoing discussions in various circles.

However, five separate transit centers have been prepared for Rohingya repatriation at the borders of Teknaf, Ukhiya, and Naikhongchhari in Bandarban. Beyond this, he has no information on the corridor.

According to the RRRC office, between November 2023 and April of this year, 118,000 Rohingyas have entered Bangladesh. They have already been registered. The UNHCR has sent a letter to Bangladesh requesting housing allocations in the Cox’s Bazar camps for them.

The RRRC office received this letter last week, but Bangladesh has not yet responded. The Rohingyas who arrived in the last one and a half years have been identified as new arrivals.

Among them, the highest number came during June–July of last year. Reports indicate that Rohingyas continue to enter Bangladesh almost daily. Their infiltration must be stopped by all means.

Over the past two months, the Rohingya crisis has been the subject of ongoing debate and criticism. The first positive discussion on this issue emerged in March when UN Secretary-General António Guterres visited Bangladesh and shared Iftar with the Rohingya in the refugee camps during Ramadan.

At the time, Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus, referred to the Rohingya as guests and expressed hope that they would observe the next Ramadan in their own country.

Later, during the sixth BIMSTEC summit, following a side discussion, Myanmar announced its initial agreement to repatriate 180,000 Rohingya. This led to the beginning of talks surrounding the corridor.