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Myanmar, Bangladesh agree to start consultation on repatriation of refugees

Xinhua, January 13, 2017 Adjust font size:

Myanmar and Bangladesh have agreed to start consultation for verification and repatriation of refugees who fled the armed men's Oct. 9 attacks on three border posts in Myanmar's Rakhine state, said a statement of the Myanmar Foreign Ministry Friday.

The statement came after the visit of Myanmar Minister of State for Foreign Affairs U Kyaw Tin to Bangladesh as special envoy of State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi over the last two days.

The Myanmar minister met with Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Foreign Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali, and the two sides discussed issues of mutual interest, expressing the common desire to deepen bilateral relations and cooperation between the two countries, the statement said.

They also agreed to resume the existing annual bilateral consultation mechanism as well as to hold regular meetings between the two border security forces and army-to-army talks, it added.

The two sides also emphasized the importance of exchanging information in order to maintain peace and security along the border and prevent infiltration of terrorists.

The Bangladesh prime minister reiterated her country's zero tolerance policy on terrorism, making clear that Bangladesh would not allow its soil to be used for terrorist acts against its neighboring countries. She also sought Myanmar's cooperation to resolve the border issues through negotiation, according to the statement.

U Kyaw Tin presented to the Bangladesh prime minister Aung San Suu Kyi's letter expressing her confidence that Myanmar and Bangladesh would be able to address the issue of mutual concern in the spirit of good neighborliness.

Three border outposts in Maungtaw in Myanmar's northern Rakhine were violently attacked by armed men on Oct. 9 last year, in which nine policemen and five soldiers were killed.

Following the attacks, the Myanmar government formed a 13-member investigation commission, led by Vice President U Myint Swe, in Dec. 2 to probe the background of the attacks and the commission is tasked to formally report to the president by Jan 31.

Meanwhile, the commission released on Jan. 4 its interim report on the incident, exposing that the armed attacks in Maungtaw region were conducted by Havid Tuhar-led Aqa Mul Mujahidin linked with Rohingya Solidarity Organization (RSO) operating in the region. Endit