Written answers

Thursday, 25 January 2018

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

International Agreements

Photo of David CullinaneDavid Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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26. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his attention has been drawn to international plans for the potential return of 100,000 Rohingya to Myanmar and that this is occurring without a clear understanding of their legal status and concrete protections for security and protection; the steps his Department is taking to assist Rohingya refugees; and his views on the detention of persons (details supplied) in Myanmar that were working on the military crackdown in Rakhine state and the ethnic cleansing of Rohingya. [3645/18]

Photo of Simon CoveneySimon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I am aware of the recent repatriation agreement signed between the Governments of Bangladesh and Myanmar to provide for the repatriation of refugees, predominantly members of the Myanmar Rohingya community, currently living in refugee camps in Bangladesh having fled Myanmar over the last number of months. Officials from my Department continue to closely monitor developments and the Government is very engaged on this issue both at EU level and with our international partners. While I welcome efforts being made to provide a path for the return of refugees to their place of origin in Myanmar, it is vital that any such efforts be carried out in a safe, dignified, and voluntary manner and that the UN be part of any repatriation scheme. I emphasise the importance of recognising the status of those who have fled as refugees and the full application of international refugee law to their individual cases; in particular insisting that any repatriation must be voluntary. In this regard I note recent news that efforts to begin repatriations this month have been delayed by the Government of Bangladesh. To ensure the safety and dignity of those returning, repatriations should only occur when there are appropriate conditions created on the ground in Rakhine State, in line with the findings of the Annan Commission and with the assistance of the international community.

Ireland is committed to supporting these refugees and the international humanitarian response triggered by the mass movement of refugees into Bangladesh. Last October, we pledged €2m in direct support at the Pledging Conference for the Rohingya Refugee Crisis in Geneva. €1m was provided in 2017, and an additional €1m will be allocated in 2018. In addition Ireland’s Rapid Response Corps are providing humanitarian expertise to the international response.

Ireland will continue to engage at a national level, through our EU membership and with the broader international community to press for a positive and long-term solution to the situation in Rakhine State, including for the Rohingya community, and for the large number of refugees who are now situated in Bangladesh.

The recent detention of two Reuters journalists in Yangon is also a cause of serious concern. Freedom of the press and media is a cornerstone of any democracy, and Ireland opposes any attempts to curtail these freedoms. We expect the Myanmar authorities to ensure the full protection of their rights and to release the journalists as quickly as possible.

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