US embassy cable - 02RANGOON1211

UNCLAS RANGOON 001211 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREF, PREL, BM, BG, IN, UNHCR, Human Rights, Ethnics 
SUBJECT: ROHINGYA REFUGEE UPDATE 
 
1.  (SBU) Summary:  The Government of Burma has unofficially 
told UNHCR that it would accept 5,000 of the remaining 
22,000 Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh.  That would leave a 
residual 17,000 people in Bangladesh to be locally settled 
or otherwise accommodated.  UNHCR Rohingya repatriation 
assistance will cease as of June 30, 2003.  40,000 potential 
asylum seekers from Burma's Chin state are presently in 
India's Mizoram state.  End Summary. 
 
2.  (SBU) Hitoshi Mise, the UNHCR's deputy director for the 
EAP region, briefed the diplomatic corps in Rangoon June 18 
on his discussions with the GOB about Rohingya refugees. 
Mise said he found the Deputy Minister of Immigration 
"unusually flexible" and secured GOB agreement on three 
logistical issues regarding Rohingya refugee repatriation. 
The Deputy Minister, speaking off the record, told UNHCR 
that the GOB would consider accepting up to 5,000 of the 
22,000 refugees still in Bangladesh. 
 
3.  (SBU) Mise noted that this would leave some 17,000 
Rohingyas in Bangladesh.  He said UNHCR might have to re- 
verify their refugee status, as many of the individuals left 
Burma in 1991 or 1992.  Local settlement in Bangladesh might 
be a likely prospect for the residual 17,000, Mise mused 
aloud, while noting he planned to travel to Dhaka shortly to 
discuss these issues with the Government of Bangladesh. 
 
4. (SBU) The governments of Burma and Bangladesh have agreed 
that UNHCR repatriation assistance to Rohingya refugees 
would cease on June 30, 2003, Mise reported.  UNHCR reps 
added that the resettlement assistance programs for the 
232,000 returned Rohingya refugees would continue beyond 
that date. 
 
5.  (SBU) UNHCR representatives at the briefing reported 
that some 40,000 dislocated people from Chin state are 
currently in Mizoram.  As the UNHCR has no presence in 
Mizoram (individuals seeking refugee status must apply in 
New Delhi) and with the Mizo/Zomi ethnic group straddling 
the India - Burma border, Mise said it is very difficult for 
these folks to establish refugee status.  Resident UNHCR 
head Rajiv Kapur commented that the numbers of Burmese 
applying for refugee status in New Delhi are small but 
growing (about 700 over the last three months).  He also 
commented that the official residence of Indian Defense 
Minister George Fernandes is currently being used to house 
large numbers of displaced Burmese.