Foreign minister AK Abdul Momen said yesterday that Myanmar had agreed to issue National Verification Cards (NVC) to the Rohingya people, paving the path for their citizenship.

“Myanmar has agreed to issue NVC to each verified Rohingya. This would lead to their citizenship. This is an achievement. Earlier, they were silent on the issue. It has been possible due to the intervention of China,” he added.

The minister said this at a press conference at the foreign ministry on the eve of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s visit to India.

Over the last two years, two attempts have been made for repatriation of the Rohingyas, who fled to Bangladesh, seeking refuge in the face of atrocities unleashed by the Myanmar Army. But the attempts have not been successful, as the Rohingyas are demanding citizenship. The move by Myanmar to issue NVCs would pave the way for repatriation of the Rohingyas living in the Cox’s Bazar camps.

“Myanmar has agreed that the information they had sought for issuing NVCs was wrong. They would correct it and issue card to each verified Rohingya. This is a new achievement made possible by the intervention of China,” Momen said.

He said: “We are now in a very good position compared to any other time regarding the Rohingya repatriation process.

We had a meeting among Bangladesh, Myanmar and China on Rohingya repatriation in New York.”

“Under China’s pressure, Myanmar has agreed to form a group comprising us that would work for the repatriation. China has taken an active role in the repatriation process. Our relation with China has strengthened and become deeper. We hope China will assist us in the repatriation process.”

On 28 October, union minister for the office of the country's state counsellor, Kyaw Tint Swe, said in his United Nations speech that those who qualified for citizenship would be issued citizenship cards.

The rest will receive National Verification Cards (NVC), which would be like the “green card” issued to immigrants in the US, Swe added.

In reply to a query, Momen said the representative of the UN Secretary General had also talked about Rohingya repatriation. Even Russia changed its previous position and did not speak in favour of Myanmar, he added.

In reply to another question, he said: “It’s true there is no visible progress on the issue of repatriation.

 Not a single Rohingya has returned so far. Although Myanmar has claimed that 200 Rohingya people have returned, from our point of view no one has returned.”

“Various countries told Myanmar to create an environment favourable for the return of the Rohingyas. Myanmar had repeatedly said that the repatriation would be done as per agreement. We have told them that, as per the agreement, it was their duty to create a favourable environment. You have not done it. So there is trust deficit among the Rohingyas,” the minister said.

“We proposed to Myanmar to take some Rohingyas on a visit to Rakhine to create trust in them. China has also dwelt on it. China has told Myanmar to take some Rohingyas to show them the environment and give them cell-phones so that they can tell the rest of the Rohingyas about conditions prevailing there,” he said.

But Myanmar has not responded to these proposals given by China, he added.

The minister said Myanmar had created the problem and would have to solve it. “China is the biggest friend of Myanmar. China is now with us. It is a big achievement for us.”

The foreign minister also said: “Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, during her visit to India, would also seek India’s cooperation in the repatriation process.”

He said a protracted stay of the Rohingyas in this region would pose a threat to development work. “Pockets of terrorism will be created if the Rohingyas stay on too long. It will not be good for any country, especially those who have investment in this region,” he added.