Rohingya refugees visit Myanmar in repatriation push

Trip from Bangladesh a first since violence sparked exodus from Rakhine in 2017

Rohingya refugees gather in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, in 2022, five years after fleeing Myanmar. Whether they will return as authorities hope remains unclear. © Reuters

Nikkei staff writers

May 6, 2023 05:15 JST

BANGKOK -- Around 20 Rohingya refugees visited their home state of Rakhine in Myanmar on Friday, as part of a push by the governments of Myanmar and Bangladesh to encourage their repatriation.

Over 700,000 members of the Rohingya Muslim minority fled Myanmar in 2017 to escape a deadly military crackdown, with many ending up in camps in neighboring Bangladesh. Friday marked the first visit to Myanmar by these refugees since.