l Commencement of repatriation activities
l Arrangements for collaboration with UNHCR in repatriation
l Repatriation under bilateral agreement before UNHCR involvement
l Repatriation after UNHCR involvement
l Implementation of reintegration activities
People residing as permanent residents in Maungtaw, Buthidaung, Rathedaung, Pauktaw, Sittway, Kyauktaw, Mrauk-U and Minbya Townships and Rakhine State,as a permanent resident had absconded from Myanmar into Bangladesh giving different kinds of reasons in 1992.In accordance with the statistics collected by the two countries, it is known that total number of people who had absconded is about over two hundred thousand. Occasional discussions over repatriation for those people were also held between the two countries.
Commencement of repatriation activities
Under the bilateral agreement between the two countries, five reception camps such as Taungpyo Letwe, Ngakuya, Pyin Pyu, Kanyin Chaung and Magyichaung camps were duly opened in Myanmar initiating repatriation activities in May 15, 1992. However, transport for the returnees could manage to be carried out just on 22-9-1992.
In accordance with the agreement between the Secretary ( 1
) and the High Commissioner, repatriation activities were to be performed
with the assistance of UNHCR as well as WFP, where upon the Director
General of Immigration and Population Department and the Regional Director
of Asia and Oceania, signed, on approval of the Foreign Affairs Policy
Committee, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a MOU regarding repatriation
and reintegration for those who had illegally left Rakhine State, Myanmar
for Bangladesh, at the IPD Head Office at 10:00 hr on November 5, 1993.
Repatriation under bilateral agreement before UNHCR involvement
Under the bilateral agreement between Myanmar and Bangladesh the acceptance of repatriation was introduced in 1992 and it was carried out on the basis of the friendly relationship between the two countries without any external involvement. When the process was carried out all the returnees who could show authentic evidence were acceped. Hence from the period of 22 - 9 - 92 to 29 - 4 - 94 altogether one third of them were accepted.
Repatriation after UNHCR involvement
UNHCR eventually got involved in the repatriation activities and commencement of its respective duties came into existence just on 30-4-1994. Persons repatriated from Bangladesh were, on their arrival at respective camps, provided kyats 2000/- per family for house repairs (or) house construction together with kyats 2000/ per person as an individual grant as well as kyats 100/- as travel allowance. Besides, based on the number of the returnees, mosquito nets were provided .
All the returnees who were waiting to be brought back to their place of origin temporarily resettled at the respective reception and transit camps and were cared for and assisted by WFP and, for the locals of Maungtaw Township resettled in respective camps, basic food ration for two months period were provided on individual / family basis while people from other townships were transported to Buthidaung transit camp at free of charge and provided as required there.
Formerly, staff members from the Programme Manager's Office took the responsibility for transportation of the above said disabled to their places of origin, but currently, MRCS, in collaboration with IFRC is discharging that duty.
Under the programme maintained by Department of Health (DOH) , a health doctor and a sufficient number of health workers were posted at each camp respectively. Health Care Units have been heartily providing medical assistance to every single man and woman without sex discrimination there.
In grant disbursement mechanism, despite not providing travel allowance for those who have returned prior to cooperation with UNHCR , Both family and individual grants were, nonetheless, paid on house by house basis.
Kyats 2000 per family and another kyats 2000 per person plus kyats 100 as travel allowance were provided as grants during the year of 20-4-1994 to 30-4-1997.
Grants provided for those who have returned from(20-7-1997) to (15-8-1997) under the terms and condition of the bilateral agreement dated (15-7-1997) were kyats 5000 together with kyats 4000 as additional grants for each family and kyats 5000 plus travel allowance kyats 200 for each person.
According to the bilateral agreement dated (7-11-1998), kyats 10,000 for each family, individual grant kyats 10,000and travel allowance kyats 200 for each and every person.
By joint agreement between UNHCR and IND, the composition of the voluntary repatriation grants had been revised effective 8th April 2002 as follow : -
- Individual (resettlement) grants:
Increase to Ks.15,000 per person
- Family (housing) grant:
Increase to Ks.20,000 per family
- Travel allowance:
Increase to Ks.800 per person
Implementation of reintegration activities
As agreed with the UNHCR, commencement of the reintegration activities under small scale projects for those repatriated came to life in the places where the majority of the returnees resettled in August, 1994. The following are completely implemented and ongoing small scale activities : -
l Health
Arrangements for collaboration with UNHCR in repatriation
Madam Sadako
Ogata meets the Heads of the State on her official visit to Myanmar.
l Construction of bridges
A concrete bridge in Kyeksar Pyin village constructed under the sponsarship of Implementing Partner (BAJ) of UNHCR/ IND Project
l Construction of jetties
l Building and renovation of schools A school constructed for the development of education
l Donation of furniture
l Providing training courses
l Maintaining illiteracy campaigns Middle_Aged Returnee Students learning basic Myanmar language Teacher's Training Course
l Renovation of health clinics / dispensaries
l Provision of health training courses
l Provision of sanitation and personal hygiene programmes
l Construction of latrines
l Donation of ambulances and boats
l Donation of motorbikes and bicycles
l Construction of brick-laid wells
...............Construction of a Well in Kyet Sar Pyin Village
l The Construction of a brick-laid wells
Diplomats Seeing the progress of constructing a tube well
................at a returnee village
l Renovation and construction of ponds
..............The Construction of a Pond in Kyee Kan Pyin Village
l
Provision of up-to-date agriculture programmes
for unaccompanied
women
l Provision of 20 manual tractors to
village tracts concerned
l Provision of motorized pumps
l Construction of village roads Construction of a Village Road in Maungtaw Township
l Providing cash grants for small businesses
For unaccompanied women Heads of Families
l Fowl raising
.. l Goat raising
Collaborating with UNHCR, WFP, and respective NGOs, the Government of the Union of Myanmar has resolutely determined to promote operational implementation in various sectors regarding .Transport network, Education, Health, Water and Sanitation, Agriculture, Income generation as well as small scale irrigation for reintegration under well-organized programmes for those resettled in their places of origin .