Asia-Pacific leaders warn of deepening Rohingya crisis
Asia-Pacific networks urge UN and governments to link aid with political pressure on Myanmar and expand rights for refugees in Bangladesh camps
BANGKOK, Thailand (MNTV) — Civil society leaders and humanitarian experts from across the Asia-Pacific have warned that the Rohingya refugee crisis is approaching a breaking point, urging governments and international agencies to match humanitarian aid with real political pressure on Myanmar’s military authorities.
Speaking at a seminar on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Regional Humanitarian Partnership Week (RHPW) 2025 in Bangkok on Tuesday, they said Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh and other countries must be protected and supported until they can return to Myanmar in a safe, dignified, and voluntary manner.
The event was organized by Bangladesh-based COAST Foundation and the Cox’s Bazar CSO-NGO Forum (CCNF), and formed part of a regional platform convened by ADRRN, CWSA, ICVA and UN OCHA.
In his keynote address, Md Iqbal Uddin, Joint Director of COAST Foundation, recalled that Myanmar authorities stripped Rohingya of citizenship under the 1982 law and argued that any repatriation plan without full citizenship rights would simply recycle past abuses.
He said restoring citizenship requires political will in Myanmar and sustained pressure from regional and global powers.
Participants urged UN agencies, international NGOs and donor governments to push for concrete political solutions, including time-bound plans for repatriation tied to guarantees of safety, freedom of movement and access to services inside Myanmar.
They also called for expanded rights during displacement in Bangladesh, such as access to higher education, income-generating activities, bank accounts, travel passes and more durable prefabricated shelters in the camps.
Speakers from regional refugee and rights networks said the Rohingya crisis should be treated as a global responsibility rather than a burden for Bangladesh alone. They warned that while trade and diplomatic engagement with Myanmar’s junta continue, international advocacy for Rohingya rights and repatriation has declined, risking the normalization of permanent exile.
Rohingya representatives at the seminar stressed the need for freedom of movement and legal documentation, warning that if current efforts fail, it would amount to a failure of the wider international system that promised “never again” after previous genocides.
Organizers said the discussions were intended to push Asian and Pacific governments, as well as UN bodies, to keep the Rohingya crisis on the political agenda, not just on humanitarian appeal lists.
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