The Bangladesh government has since alleged that most of the previously-repatriated Rohingya refugees have come back to Bangladesh

Dhaka, Bangladesh Govenet To Email: Foreign Minister of Bangladesh Dipu Moni has requested the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) for support to resume the repatriation process of “all Burmese refugees in the soonest possible time", according to an official release of the ministry. On March 7, the Foreign Minister urged the UNHCR to work more intensely inside Burma and to create conditions to repatriate Rohingya refugees living in Bangladesh. The minister was speaking to the new Bangladesh UNHCR representative Steven Craig Sanders, after he presented his credentials to the minister at her office. Dipu Moni's appeal comes in the wake of international media reports on the plight of Rohingya refugees living in Bangladesh. Some have alleged human rights violations by Bangladesh authorities and urged the government to allow their integration with the local people. "She (Dipu Moni) emphasized on resuming the repatriation process at the soonest possible time," said a foreign ministry press statement on the meeting. The minister also urged the UNHCR to work for improving the conditions in Burma’s northern Rakhain state of the Muslim minority Rohingyas, who face persecution and hard conditions in their homeland, to discourage entry into Bangladesh. She said that the UNHCR could work to establish schools, hospitals and other institutions necessary for their socioeconomic development. "She reiterated Bangladesh's position on the issue of Myanmar refugees that full repatriation of the refugees, now living in two camps in Nayapara and Kutupalong, remained the only viable solution to this protracted problem," said the foreign ministry statement. "She ruled out any other option in this regard," it added. Dipu Moni said Burmese authorities had already agreed to take back all refugees confirmed to be their nationals. Bangladesh has been hosting thousands of Rohingya refugees in Cox's Bazaar district bordering Burma for years. An estimated 300,000 Rogingya refugees took shelter in 1991-92 as the Burmese military launched a massive crackdown on the Muslim minority. Bangladesh and Burma, with the cooperation of the UNHCR, repatriated most of the refugees in successive years. But over 28,000 refugees have refused to return to their homeland either fearing persecution or starvation there. The residual refugees are now housed in Nayapara and Kutupalong camp. In December 2009, U Maung Myint, the Burmese Deputy Foreign Minister agreed to take back 9000 Rohingya refugees of the 28,000 refugees, who are living in the official camps Nayapara and Kutupalong during his trip. The Bangladesh government has since alleged that most of the previously-repatriated Rohingya refugees have come back to Bangladesh. Some western countries have been lobbying the Bangladesh government to recognize the illegal Burmese nationals as refugees or to integrate them with the locals. Dhaka has rejected the western proposal saying such decisions will open a floodgate of fresh refugees into Bangladesh. The Foreign Minister on Sunday said the recent international media reports referring to alleged rights abuses of undocumented Burmese nationals living in Bangladesh were "baseless and malicious

Myanmar in elections Running Aung San Suu Kyi's against NLD

Aung San Suu Kyi's against NLD running in elections The Nobel Laureate denounces "unjust rules" that prevent a free and fair vote. Recently, the military regime issued a series of rules that in reality exclude her from running and prevent her from voting. The opposition leader, however, leaves the party "free to choose” according to democratic principles. Yangon (AsiaNews / Agencies) - Aung San Suu Kyi is opposed to the registration of the National League for Democracy (NLD) party in the Electoral Commission, in short preventing it from participating in the general elections scheduled to take place between October and November 2010. The leader of the opposition - according to her lawyer - denounces the military junta’s issuing of "unjust rules”, which prevent her from voting or being elected. Nyan Win, the lawyer for the Nobel Laureate, explains that his according to his client "the NLD should not even think about whether or not to participate in the elections”, the date of which has not yet been set by the junta. However, continued the lawyer, Aung San Suu Kyi will leave it to "the party to decide" whether to participate under the conditions dictated by the military dictatorship. During the meeting that took place today at her home, where she is serving a sentence of 18 months of house arrest, the "Lady" explained that "I'm not giving instructions to the party or the people. They are free to make their decision based on democratic principles. " Aung San Suu Kyi has spent 14 of the last 20 years in custody. The punishment was extended last summer, because the opposition leader was accused - in May 2009 - of "hosting" a U.S. citizen at her home in violation of her detention. A story many see as a "pretext" to impose a new sentence and to exclude her from the general elections of 2010. Analysts point out that the "credibility" of the forthcoming elections in Myanmar is very poor. However, the absence of the main opposition party - the NLD - would be even more damaging for the country. According to the electoral law, enacted in recent weeks by the military leadership in power, Aung San Suu Kyi can not compete or vote because she has been “criminally charged”.