RECOMMENDATIONS OF DHAKA SEMINAR 2004
5th JULY 2004, National Press Club, Dhaka.
Recommendations to the Government of Bangladesh and to the International Community
1. It is recommended that the Rohingya Refugees should not be sent back to Myanmar until the Myanmar Government recognizes the Rohingya Nationality as one of the nationalities of that country and agrees to the full nationality & citizenship right of Rohingyas, and until Human Rights situation inside Myanmar improves significantly.
2. It is recommended that the Rohingya Refugees, who are staying outside Myanmar, should not be sent back to Myanmar against their will and until causes of insecurity exist in that country. It is also recommended that all programs for necessities and maintenance of refugees be continued.
3. It is reminded that Rohingya Refugees can not be a burden only of Bangladesh. This is a burden of international community.
4. Call is made to international community to put pressure on Myanmar Government to return to the Rohingyas their homesteads, land and properties unfairly confiscated by the Myanmar authorities.
5. It is recommended that appropriate facilities for education of the Rohingya children and youth staying in Bangladesh as Refugees be made and that the level of education they received in Myanmar be identified and recognized and hindrances in the way of their admission in educational institutions in Bangladesh be removed. Further they be offered opportunities for higher education.
6. It is recommended that Specific Health and Educational programs be implemented for the Rohingya females staying in Bangladesh as Refugees.
7. It is recommended that international voluntary organizations experienced in providing specialized services to the refugees, particularly those who in past served the Rohingya Refugees, be re-engaged in the services of the Rohingya Refugees in Bangladesh.
8. The participants of this Seminar recommend to the Government of Bangladesh that a specific national refugee law be enacted under the provision of the Constitution of Bangladesh.
Recommendations to the Myanmar Government
1. Participants of this Seminar expressing their concern that the Myanmar Government’s move to abolished the age-old name Arakan and re-name the territory as Rakhine State, is indicative of their intention to replace the Rohingya nationality by re-settling the Rakhine nationality. Therefore, the participants of this seminar call the Myanmar Government to reinstate the name of the Arakan state and recognize the Rohingya nationality.
2. Participants of this Seminar are calling to the Myanmar Government for removing all governmental obstructions in Rohingyas’ practicing their faith, and calling for removing restrictions in maintenance, reconstruction and construction of Rohingyas’ prayer places and religious institutions.
3. Participants of this Seminar are calling to the Myanmar Government for ensuring unhindered equal opportunities for education and higher education of the Rohingya Children and Youth and for this purpose all restrictions on their travel from village to town and to foreign countries be removed.
4. Participants of this Seminar are calling to the Myanmar Government for ensuring unhindered movement of Rohingyas from village to village, village to town and to foreign countries for the purpose of employment, business, treatment and other reasonable needs.
5. Information received from various sources indicates that due to Governmental oppression and deprivation Rohingyas had to leave Myanmanr and take shelter in various countries. The number of such Rohingyas staying outside Myanmar seems to be as follows:-
(a) In Bangladesh 600,000+
(b) In Saudi Arabia 400,000+
(c) In Pakistan 350,000+
(d) Other countries 200,000+
Participants of this Seminar are calling to the Myanmar Government to recognize the right of above ethnic Rohingya to return to their homeland.
