Nizam Ahmed
Financial Express BD
March 10, 2013
A senior official of the United
States (US) is expected to visit Bangladesh, Myanmar and Japan for a week from
Tuesday next to discuss issues relating to conflicts in Myanmar and exodus of
refugees from the country, officials said on Saturday.
US State Department Senior Advisor
for Myanmar Mr W. Patrick Murphy will undertake the tour at such a time when
fleeing Rohingya refugees from Myanmar have become a matter of concern for
neighbouring countries.
The intrusion of Rohingyas in the
south and the southeast Asian countries including Bangladesh have increased
following spells of communal riots between Rohingya Muslims and local Buddhists
in Rakhine state, in western Myanmar since June last year.
Bangladesh, which has been hosting
about 400,000 unregistered refugees from Myanmar, sent back several hundred
Rohingyas who wanted to take refuge in the country fleeing the recent communal
riots in Myanmar.
However, before sending them back,
the refugees were given medical treatment when needed, food and even cash so
that they can support them at least for a few days, according to officials of
Border Guard Bangladesh.
Meanwhile, India, Thailand,
Malaysia, Indonesia and Sri Lanka which have been hosting lots of Rohingya
refugees since Myanmar riots last year, recently rescued hundreds of
boat-people, mostly Rohingyas from the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean.
Senior Adviser Mr Murphy is
scheduled to arrive in Dhaka Tuesday on a two-day visit to Bangladesh. He will
also travel to Myanmar and Japan until March 18, said a press release of the US
State Department made available to the FE on Saturday.
Mr Murphy will visit Rangoon,
Naypyitaw and other Myanmar cities from March 13 to March 16, and the Japanese
capital Tokyo on March 17 and 18, the state department said.
The senior adviser is expected to
discuss with the relevant authorities in Dhaka and civil society groups on
reforms and other recent developments in Myanmar.
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