NEWS - Refugee Issue to Top Agenda

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Subject: NEWS - Refugee Issue to Top Agenda of Myanmar FM Visit to Dhaka

Refugee Issue to Top Agenda of Myanmar FM Visit to Dhaka

               Xinhua
               11-JUL-99

               DHAKA (July 11) XINHUA - The "intricate issue" of
               repatriating Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh is likely
to
               top the agenda of the coming visit by Myanmar's foreign
               minister to Dhaka later this month. 

               The two sides are also expected to discuss other matters
of
               mutual interest during the scheduled three-day visit by
               Myanmar Foreign Minister U Win Wung, who is slated to
               arrive here on July 17. 

               Quoting Foreign Office sources, the New Nation newspaper
               reported on Sunday that Wung's visit was a
"familiarization
               tour." 

               Wung will hold official talks with his Bangladeshi
counterpart
               Abdus Samad Azad, and their talks are likely to focus on
the
               issue of repatriation of some 21,000 Rohingya refugees,
who
               are now sheltered in Cox's Bazar district, southeastern
               Bangladesh. 

               The issue of land mining by the Myanmar side along the 80
               km-long no-man's land bordering the two countries may
also
               come for discussion, the report said, adding that a total
of 22
               wood-cutters, fishermen and other people have fallen
victim
               to land mines in the area since 1993. 

               About 300 refugees have been repatriated to Myanmar since
               November last year following an understanding reached
               between the two countries. In accordance with the
               understanding, 50 refugees should be repatriated each
               week. 

               About 250,000 Rohingyas from Myanmar crossed into
               Bangladesh in early 1991, and in the past eight years,
               230,000 refugees have returned voluntarily. The
repatriation
               of the refugees to Myanmar came to a halt in July 1997
               reportedly as a result of the refugees' refusal to
return.