Myanmar and the UN have agreed to take steps to create conditions for the safe return of about 700,000 Rohingya Muslims who have fled military-led violence into Bangladesh. The agreement announced by the government and two UN agencies on Thursday calls for a framework of cooperation that will lead to the “voluntary, safe, dignified and sustainable” repatriation of Rohingya refugees “to their places of origin or of their choosing”. The UN refugee agency said the conditions for voluntary return are not conducive yet, Al Jazeera reported. “The memorandum of understanding, which is expected to be signed next week, is the first and necessary step to support the government’s efforts to change that situation and is also intended to support recovery and resilience-based development for the benefit of all communities living in Rakhine state,” UNHCR said in a statement. Myanmar and Bangladesh agreed in November to begin repatriating the Rohingya, but the refugees expressed concern that they would be forced to return to unsafe conditions in Myanmar if the process is not monitored by international aid groups.
